feb 2015

Parklander 

the 

THE FAMILY FRIENDLY MAGAZINE SINCE 1991 

FEBRUARY 2 015 

Serving Parkland and 

neighboring areas. 

www.theparklander.com 

the PARKLANDER 113

114 

FEBRUARY 2015

The Promenade Mall - 4443 Lyons Rd #102, Coconut Creek, FL 33703 (954) 582-9888 

City Place 

700 S. Rosemary Ave, #208, 

West Palm Beach 

FL 33401 

(561) 296-8881 

Boynton Beach 

8316 Jog Road 

Boynton Beach 

FL 33472 

(561) 369-1788 

Wellington 

10240 Forest Hill Blvd, # 140 

Wellington 

FL 33414 

(561) 296-8888 

www.saitosteakhouse.com 

Palm Beach Gardens 

4675 P.G.A. Blvd 

Palm Beach Gardens 

FL 33418 

(561) 202-6888 

Boca Raton 

8842 Glades Rd 

Boca Raton 

FL 33434 

(561) 218-8788 

the PARKLANDER 1

FEATURES 

February 2015 

VALENTINE’S DAY 

17 Make Valentine’s Day affordable 

28 Eleven couples share memories 

34 A romantic primer for men 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

6 Editor’s Letter 

7 Parkland Mayor 

8 Coral Springs Mayor 

10 Community News 

60 Events Calendar 

68 School News 

72 Parkland Library Events 

ENGAGEMENTS 

18 Meet eight engaged couples 

and read their romantic stories 

30 Weddings with furry friends 

16 COMMUNITY: An interview with 

Parkland resident Michael Fagien 

38 FOREST OF ANGELS: Tree decoration contest winners 

40 MALE MATTERS: Vince Scully and my youth 

44 MOM’S PERSPECTIVE: Facebook follies 

46 CAR TALK: Automotive technologies drivers 

can’t live without 

54 GARDEN: Orchids as part of your south 

Florida landscape 

62 WINE WATCH: Landmark Vineyards 

64 RESTAURANT REVIEW: Taste Buds of India 

70 FROM THE EXPERT: Ex told lies and alienated friends 

76 MEDICAL: Digital retinal imaging 

80 MEDICAL: Diabetes - common, chronic, manageable 

86 DENTISTRY: Ceramic tooth restoration in one visit 

90 HEALTH & WELLNESS: What is hypnosis? 

92 GUY TALK: Exercise away your stress 

94 DIETICIAN’S VIEW: Challenges to diabetes care 

as you grow older 

98 GOLF GAB: Red light-green light pre-shot method 

99 EQUESTRIAN NEWS: An example of sportsmanship - 

Mandy Shipe 

100 PET TALK: A dog’s purpose 

102 FINANCE: Table of contents 

110 LAST WORD: Teach your kids about money 

VOL. 24 

NO. 11 

2 


THIS SPRING BREAK RIDE THE WAVES 

AT FLORIDA’S FIRST FLOW HOUSE 

Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, has created a special 

package for our neighbors and residents. When you book the Florida 

Resident Package*, you’ll receive daily parking; unlimited usage of the new 

Flow House Boca, featuring the FLOWRIDER ® wave simulator; and a $25 

credit to our new Shaka Bar & Grill. 

Spring rates starting from $199 per night. 

For reservations, please call 888.543.1286 or visit BocaResort.com. 

*A two-night minimum is required. Visit www.bocaresort.com the PARKLANDER for complete details on the Florida Resident Package. 

3

CONTRIBUTORS 

Parklander ® 

SERVING: PARKLAND • CORAL SPRINGS 

MARGATE • DELRAY BEACH • BOCA RATON 

POMPANO • DEERFIELD BEACH • TAMARAC 

PUBLISHERS 

OFFICE MANAGER 

Sharon and Jack Kornreich 

Mattie Howard 

Sheila & Bennet 

Bodenstein have been 

married for 48 years and 

have been writing about 

wine for 28 of those years. 

Mark Bohm is an attorney 

and freelance writer living 

in Parkland. 

Freelance writer/editor 

Cynthia MacGregor is 

the author of over 100 

published books. She has 

also worked as the editor 

of magazines and books. 

Charles Marcanetti has 

been around the food 

industry most of his life, 

beginning with working in 

his father’s restaurant. He 

enjoys writing about food. 

EDITOR 

OFFICE ASSISTANT 

INTERNS 

J. Aisha Mathews 

Stacey Kelleher 

Alexandria Ng 

Jessie Sinitch 

Elliot Goldenberg, an 

award-winning journalist, 

not only writes a humor 

column, but also writes 

books on espionage and 

terrorism. 

PGA Golf Instructor John 

Nelson is the Director of 

Instruction at the Country 

Club of Coral Springs. He 

is in the Hall of Fame and 

teacher of the year. 

FOOD EDITOR 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

GRAPHICS 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Charles Marcanetti 

oZ Grosso 

Rebecca Landry 

Steven Bercovitch 

Paula Glickman, Nancy Gonzalez, 

Mary Jones, Jill Platovsky, Karen Silver, 

Fern Weissman 

Hon. Skip Campbell, Marta DuPree, 

Lisa S. Flickstein, Kate Fontenot, 

Rodger Alan Friedman, Allison Holley, MD, 

Martin Lenkowsky, Fabiola Liendo, DDS, 

Steven Marks, Warren Marmorstein, CPA, 

Tamara L. Maule, OD, Bobbi Mechler, 

Garry Melfa, CHT, Denise Muccio, 

Alexandria Ng, Grace A. Noethen, 

Jessie Sinitch, Sandra Spence, 

Hon. Michael Udine 

Bill Johnson is a freelance 

writer. He semi-retired 

to Coconut Creek after a 

career as a journalist and 

congressional aide. 

Dr. Glenn Kalick is the 

owner of Brookside 

Animal Hospital in 

Coral Springs. 

Victoria Landis is a 

freelance writer and 

artist living in West Boca. 

Nancy Ouhib is a 

registered, licensed 

dietitian who works at 

Plantation Nursing and 

Rehabilitation Center. She 

is also a freelance writer 

and speaker. She resides in 

Parkland with her family. 

Cheryl Pangborn is 

a Parkland resident 

and the mother of two 

elementary age children, 

one with special needs. 

Guillermo Salazar is a 

Horticulturist Arborist 

and Landscape Designer, 

owner of Foliage 

Expressions LLC and 

Adjunct Faculty for Miami 

Dade College. 

9381 W. Sample Road, Suite 203, 

Coral Springs, FL 33065 

Phone: 954-755-9800 • Fax: 954-755-2082 

E-mail: publisher@theparklander.com 

Contact our writers at editor@theparklander.com 

Copyright 2015 by Calliope Enterprises Corp. All rights reserved by Calliope Enterprises 

Corp. All submissions and published materials are the property of Calliope 

Enterprises Corp. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without 

express written consent from Calliope Enterprises Corp. The publishers reserve 

the right to edit all submissions and to reject any advertising or copy they regard as 

harmful to the publication’s good or deemed to be libelous. The publishers are not 

responsible for typographical errors, omissions or copy or photos misrepresented by 

the advertiser. Liability shall not exceed the cost of the portion of space occupied by 

such error or advertising items or information. 

the Parklander® is a monthly publication mailed or distributed to homes and 

businesses in north Broward County and south Palm Beach County. 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

MONTHLY 

GIVEAWAY 

Dr. Renae Lapin, LMFT 

and author, provides 

free counseling services 

to children and families 

with the Broward County 

School Board. 

David Volz has written for 

many publications over the 

last 26 years, including the 

South Florida SunSentinel, 

Miami Herald and South 

Florida CEO. 

Happy Valentine’s Day 

from the Parklander. 

Our February giveaway is a 3.4 fl.oz. spray bottle of Halle by 

halle berry pure orchid eau de parfum, valued at $25. 

To win the giveaway, find the image of the perfume bottle 

somewhere other than on this page in the magazine. Send 

an email to the editor@theparklander.com, including your 

name, address, telephone number and 

email address. Please type “February 

Giveaway” in the subject line. Please 

send your entry by February 12 to be 

eligible to win. 

the Parklander is printed 

on recyclable paper. 

Congratulations to Cheryl Vara of Coral 

Springs, winner of the Zest Tea high 

octane tea. 

4 


the PARKLANDER 5

“Rated Excellent” 

2014 Trip Advisor 

Khana 

Indian Restaurant 

Kh’Zana 

DeliveryDudes.com 

like us on 

facebook 

& yelp 

FROM THE EDITOR 

The Best North Indian Food in South Florida 

Dine In - Take Out - Delivery - Catering 

10 % off 

with this ad 

Lunch Mon-Fri 12 - 3 

Dinner: Mon-Thur 5-9:30, 

Fri 5-10, Sat 4-10, Sun 5-9 

Take out & 

Dine In 

(Can not combine with other promotions) 

954-227-9344 

10345 W. Sample Rd. 

Coral Springs 

corner of Coral Springs Drive/Pine Island 

www.Khana-Khzana.com 

Pamela Rosen 

PLASTIC SURGERY 

Love and money are the main 

themes for this February issue. 

For love and romance: Eight engaged couples 

share their wedding plans with us; two are the 

result of Florida’s historic decision to make samesex 

marriage legal. To add to the wedding 

theme, Jessie Sinitch pens a cute piece on weddings 

and animals. 

For Valentine’s Day romance, Martin Lenkowsky 

shows us how to make the day affordable, eleven 

couples of varying ages share their memories, 

and Victoria Landis humorously educates 

men on how to be romantic. 

• Surgical & Non-Surgical 

• Facial Rejuvenation 

• Breast Enhancement 

• Body Contouring 

• Laser Skin Resurfacing 

• Voluma • Restylane 

• Dysport • Latisse • Perlane 

• Sculptra • Botox • Juvederm 

Skin Care Products From: 

Financing Available 

On the money side, the February Annual Finance 

Issue has six articles on very different topics: 

banks and credit unions, south Florida real 

estate, investments, retirement planning and 

the diminishing middle class. Advice from experts 

in these fields is highlighted, along with a 

story on the controversial Internet currency - the 

Bitcoin. 

Continuing the medical theme from January, 

there are six new stories in the areas of ophthalmology, 

dentistry, diabetes care, fitness, and 

hypnosis. An interesting interview of Parkland 

resident Michael Fagien rounds out the issue. 

From all us at the Parklander, we hope that February 

continues to be a healthy and prosperous 

2015 for you. 

J. Aisha Mathews 

6 


PARKLAND MAYOR MICHAEL UDINE 

By now, everyone is back up 

to speed after the holidays 

and new year. It is hard to 

believe we are already one month 

into 2015. Good luck to all our 

high school seniors as they hear 

from different colleges throughout 

the country. Some of the universities 

where our students are being 

accepted are impressive. 

I am happy to report that we have officially opened the new ‘western 

fire station.’ This station is located in the Wedge area near the 

Watercrest community and will help service the western portion of 

the city. This completes our fire station build out in accordance with 

the expert report we received a few years ago discussing the locations 

necessary to service the city. The three fire stations will ensure 

that response times are sufficient and appropriate throughout the 

city. We were able to construct this station with the assistance of 

some of the Wedge developers in accordance with our theory that 

development pays for development. This project came in early and 

under budget. Public safety is of paramount importance to us as 

your elected officials, and all of us try to do whatever we can to 

make sure residents have the highest level of public safety and 

public safety professionals. 

$25 OFF YOUR 

1ST, 3RD, AND 5TH 

CLEANINGS. 

New clients only. Offer good for any recurring service. 

Cannot be combined with any other offer. Restrictions apply. 

Mention code: Park15 Expires March 31, 2015 

We continue to see the local real estate market push forward. Sales 

of homes in Parkland are brisk, and new construction is moving 

forward with some new developments coming on line. We stress 

active monitoring and demand that the building out there is in 

line with Parkland’s high standards. As I meet and talk with new 

residents, they tell me that the things that attract them to Parkland 

are our great parks and open spaces, highly rated schools and the 

overall sense of community throughout the City. We maintain our 

hard work to provide high quality services and offerings for our 

residents. From the farmer’s markets, to our senior programs, teen 

groups and ‘buddy’ programs, there truly is something to involve 

everyone. I encourage people to frequently check our website, 

www.cityofparkland.org, for different event listings. As I prepared 

this article, I checked the website and noticed so many activities 

for Parkland residents of all ages. P 

I value your questions or comments. Reach out and 

‘friend me’ if you want to follow me on Facebook or 

look me up on Twitter (www.twitter.com/michaeludine) 

if you want to follow my updates. As always, if 

you have any questions or concerns, please email me at 

MUdine@cityofparkland.org. 

the PARKLANDER 7

CORAL SPRINGS MAYOR 

SKIP CAMPBELL 

Hope everyone has 

had a great start to 

the New Year! 

Sunday 9am - 1pm 

February 1* & 15 

* Health Fair 

We have some exciting events coming up that I would love to tell 

you about. Starting off with our Family Fun Day and Car Show 

in downtown Coral Springs on Saturday, February 7, from 10am 

to 2pm, admission is free, and there will be music, food trucks, 

vendors, bounce houses and entertainment. Cost to preregister a 

vehicle is $15 or $20 on the day of the event, so sign up today! For 

more information or to register, call 954-345-2119. 

I also want to invite residents to our annual State of the City on 

Thursday, February 12 at 6:30pm at the Center for the Arts. We 

will briefly highlight the City’s accomplishments over the past 

year, thank our volunteers, and end the night with a memorable 

performance by The Landsharks. The band will keep you dancing 

with an ultimate tribute to Jimmy Buffet and the Beach Boys. The 

Center for the Arts is located at 2855 Coral Springs Drive. The 

event is free to Coral Springs residents, and tickets are available 

on a first-come, first-serve basis at City Hall and City Hall in the 

Mall. I also encourage you to read through our Annual Report, 

which you will be receiving in the mail soon. For more information, 

you can also visit www.CoralSprings.org. 

Our next Slice of the Springs neighborhood meeting will be 

Thursday, February 19 at 7pm. Residents from the Center West and 

Town Center areas are invited to come to Parkside Elementary and 

meet City staff. You will also have the opportunity to discuss any 

neighborhood concerns. For more details, visit www.CoralSprings. 

org/slice or call 954-344-1114. 

For those of you who want to do some spring cleaning, now is 

the time to register for our next Community Garage Sale set for 

March 14 from 7:30am to 11:00am at Mullins Park. Register by 

calling 954-345-2119. 

Lastly, our community comes together annually to participate in 

the Race for Women’s Wellness Half Marathon and 5K. If you’re 

interested, save the date for Saturday, March 28! Both events 

benefit the Broward Health Coral Springs Lisa Boccard Breast 

Cancer Fund. For details or to sign up, visit www.Active.com. P 

Offering 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments 

$49.00 Application Fee / $49.00 Administration Fee 

$0 - Deposit* 

855.332.4109 

11100 Heron Bay Blvd., Coral Springs, FL 33076 

www.hamptonsheronbay.com 

*approved credit required 

If you would like to meet with me to discuss any City 

issues, feel free to visit with me during my office hours. 

I will hold office hours the second Tuesday of every 

month from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at City Hall in the City 

Commission Office. To make an appointment, please 

call 954-344-5911. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ the City on 

Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CityofCoralSprings 

and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. 

8 


the PARKLANDER 9

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

The City of Parkland offers numerous 

opportunities for promoting 

your business while giving 

back to the community and 

making a difference. Partnering 

with the City of Parkland will give 

your business or organization 

the opportunity to be associated with high quality 

programs that engage participants of all ages and 

abilities. The City of Parkland can tailor a sponsorship 

package for your business that may include 

your business logo and link on the City of Parkland’s 

website, ability to distribute promotional products at 

events, your logo on City banners, marketing materials, 

email blasts, e-newsletters and more. For more 

information, contact Scott Davidoff, Public Information 

Officer, at sdavidoff@cityofparkland.org or by 

calling 954-757-4126. 

The Girl Scout Cookie 

Sale is taking place now 

through February 15. More 

than 7,500 local Girl Scouts 

will sell cookies at booths, 

outside retail establishments, 

door-to-door and, 

new this year, online. The 

cookies come in eight flavors: 

Rah Rah Raisins, gluten-free Toffee-Tastic, 

Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Samoas, Savannah 

Smiles and Do-Si-Dos. Cost is $4 per box, except 

the gluten-free Toffee-Tastic which is $5 per box. 

Call 866-727-GIRL or visit www.gssef.org for more 

information. 

For the seventh year in a row, Girl Scouts of Southeast 

Florida (GSSEF) is sponsoring their Cookies for 

the Military program. This program provides an 

opportunity to donate boxes ($4) or cases ($48) of 

Girl Scout cookies to our service women and men 

domestically or overseas. Customers can make a 

donation to Cookies for the Military at any cookie 

booth location or by visiting www.cookiesforthemilitary.org. 

The City of Parkland Parks and Recreation Department 

is currently accepting applications for the 

Senior Recreation Program. In order to participate 

in this program, you must be a current resident of 

Parkland and age 62 or older. Once proof of residency 

and age, as well as an application are on 

file, you may register for upcoming senior trips and 

classes. For more information or to register, please 

contact 954-757-4105 or email gdougherty@ 

cityofparkland.org. 

Boca JCC Open House 

A successful open house was held at the Adolph & 

Rose Levis Jewish Community Center in Boca Raton. 

Teacher Miss Glynn and Madison created a Frozen themed craft. 

Professional Elsa sang to children on the lawn. 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVEN BERCOVITCH, PHOTO PRO BOCA 

10 


• Individual Returns 

• Business Returns 

• Returns From Any State 

Corporate Return 

$395 

Starting Rate 

1040 Return 

$185 

with Schedules A & B 

FREE ELECTRONIC FILING 

With tax preparation 

ACCOUNTING 

SERVICES 

• Monthly Financials 

• Payroll & Sales Tax Reports 

• Business and Personal 

Bill Paying 

954-345-4648 

Monday-Thursday 9am—5pm 

Friday, Saturday-Appointment Only 

1500 University Dr., Ste. 115 


www.avalonaccounting.net 

the PARKLANDER 11

ACHIEVEMENTS 

Nabil El Sanadi, M.D. has 

been chosen as President/ 

CEO of Broward Health. 

As President/CEO, he oversees 

all operations for one of 

the largest public health systems 

in the United States. Prior to this appointment, El 

Sanadi was a practicing emergency medicine physician 

at Broward Health Medical Center and the 

Chief of Emergency Medicine for Broward Health. 

He is the current chairman of the Florida Board of 

Medicine and serves as emergency medical services 

(EMS) medical director for several municipalities. 

City recognizes Coral Springs 

Charter School for ‘A’ rating 

for the eleventh consecutive 

year. Coral Springs Charter 

received an ‘A’ rating 

based on students’ performance 

relative to state standards, 

graduation rates, participation and success in 

accelerated courses, and post-secondary preparation. 

School Principal Gary Springer stated that the 

accomplishment is the direct result of the dedicated 

staff and students and thanked the parents for supporting 

an outstanding culture that continues to pay 

off with performance. 

The Greater Broward Chapter of the Pap Corps was 

presented with a $10,000 donation by the nonprofit 

Not My Daughter. The two nonprofits share many 

members from Coral Springs, Parkland and surrounding 

communities, working together to fight 

cancer. For more information, visit www.papcorps. 

org. 

Mary Help of Christians Catholic School (MHOC) 

Boys Varsity Soccer Team has won the All Broward 

Catholic Conference (ABCC) Soccer league championship. 

MHOC is also expanding due to a yearly 

ten percent enrollment increase for the past four 

years. The City of Parkland has approved the placement 

of several modular units to primarily house the 

administration team and multi-purpose meeting 

rooms. With this approval, the entire MHOC student 

body will reside together under one roof. As part of 

this project, MHOC has also increased campus security 

and refurbished the school playground. 

12 

FEBRUARY 2015 

The Parkland Chamber of Commerce is holding 

its first breakfast of 2015 on Thursday, February 19, 

from 7:30am to 9:00am, at Congregation Kol Tikvah, 

6750 N. University Drive in Parkland. The cost 

is $15 for Chamber members and $20 for nonmembers. 

Please register online at www.parklandchamber.org 

prior to February 17, if you plan 

to attend. 

The chamber is also currently holding a membership 

drive. You may join the Chamber by completing 

a user-friendly registration form online at the 

above site. P

Our Pledge 

Your case will be handled personally by former 

Social Security Disability Judge D. Kevin Dugan. 

Do you need help getting 

the disability you deserve? 

Kevin Dugan was 

a Judge for 23 years 

And now he’s available to help you 

Your questions will be answered and your 

phone calls will be returned. 

You can rely on us to guide you through the 

process and the system. 

You will be treated with respect all the way 

through to the end of your case. 

Call 

954.916.2667 

or Email 

info@dugandisabilitylaw.com 

for a free consultation 

Se habla Español 

Visit us online at 

www.dugandisabilitylaw.com 

the PARKLANDER 13

COMMUNITY EVENTS 

FEBRUARY 1 & 15 - 9:00am to 1:00pm 

Parkland Farmer’s Market. For more information call 954-757-4105 

or email farmersmarket@cityofparkland.org. 

FEBRUARY 5 - 10:00am to 11:30am 

Senior Grant Class: Painting with Watercolors II for Parkland residents 

62 and older at the Parkland Library. For more information 

contact GeriAnn Dougherty at gdougherty@cityofparkland.org or 

call 954-757-4129. 

FEBRUARY 6 & 20 - 7:00pm to 9:30pm 

Family Hayride and Campfire 

Series at Tradewinds Park in 

Coconut Creek for all ages. Hayride: 

$3.50/person ages 3 and up for one 

hayride and one bag of s’mores. 

Advance tickets are required and 

can be purchased at the park office 

or by phone at 954-357-8870. 


Smooch Your Pooch at the Barkland Dog Park, with visits from local 

animal vendors, pet rescues and more. For more information, please 

call 954-757-4105 or visit www.cityofparkland.org/specialevents. 

FEBRUARY 7 - 10:00am to 3:00pm 

Broward Family Life Camp Connections Expo at Tradewinds Park 

in Coconut Creek. Free. For more information, visit www.browardfamilylife.com. 

FEBRUARY 7-8, 14-16, 21-22, & 28-MARCH 1 

10:00am to 6:00pm 

Annual Florida Renaissance 

Festival at Quiet Waters Park 

in Deerfield Beach. For all ages. 

Tickets: $20/adult for a one-day 

pass, $7/ages 6-11 for a one-day 

pass, children 5 and under free. 

Group rates and season tickets are 

also available. For more information, 

call the park at 954-357-5100 

or visit www.ren-fest.com. 

FEBRUARY 13 - 7:00pm 

Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball and 

Silent Auction fundraiser at Parkland Golf 

and Country Club to benefit the Majory 

Stoneman Douglas Lady Eagles golf 

team, who finished the season with a 13-0 

record, winning the District Tournament, 

and finishing second in the Regional 

Tournament. Tickets start at $35. Contact 

Jennifer Tauman for further information at 

561-706-1857. 

FEBRUARY 15 - 2:30pm to 4:30pm 

Shutterbug Photo Hunt at Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut 

Creek. $10 per team. Nature Photography 101 class followed by 

a photo hunt that will result in a picture to bring home in a nature 

frame that the participants decorate. Preregistration is required one 

week prior to the event. For more information or to preregister, call 

954-357-5198. 

FEBRUARY 21-22 

10:00am to 4:00pm 

(weather permitting) 

Model Steam Train Rides 

at Tradewinds Park in 

Coconut Creek. Rides on half-mile track around a lake. For all ages; 

riders under 10 years of age must be accompanied by adult. $1.50/ 

ride per person. For information, call the park at 954-357-8870 or the 

railroad station at 954-978-1134. 


Junior Bass Boat Fishing Tournament 

at Tradewinds Park in 

Coconut Creek. For ages 16 

and under. Participants must be 

accompanied by an adult age 18 

or older. $20/person. For more 

information, call the park at 

954-357-8870. 

FEBRUARY 28 

4:00pm to 6:00pm 

Broward Nature Bike and 

Hike at Saw Palmetto Natural 

Area in Coconut Creek. $5/ 

person. Preregistration is 

required. Space is limited to 15 

participants. For more information, 

call Quiet Waters Park 

at 954-357-5100 or visit www. 

webtrac.broward.org. 

FEBRUARY 26 

Congregation Kol Tikvah of Parkland 

will host An Evening with 

Jason Alexander and His Hair at the 

Coral Springs Center for the Arts. 

For more information, call 954- 

346-7878 or visit www.koltikvah. 

net. 

14 FEBRUARY JANUARY 2015

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the PARKLANDER 15

16 

COMMUNITY 

AN INTERVIEW WITH 

Michael 

Fagien 

By J. Aisha Mathews 

Michael Fagien, a Parkland resident, is 

what I would call a ‘Renaissance Man.’ He 

is a physician prominent in his field. He 

is a university professor. He is a magazine 

publisher. He is a restaurateur and food 

connoisseur. He is the visionary and one of 

the owners of a nightclub with live music. 

He has a record label. But, first and foremost, 

he is a family man. Michael Fagien 

can do anything he puts his mind to ... and 

generally does. According to Fagien, he was 

very lucky in life and attributes that luck to 

hard work, dedication, a desire to give back 

to his community and three major mentors. 

Born into a New Jersey working class 

family, Michael is a good ten minutes older 

than his identical twin Steven. And, yes, 

they did have a secret language when they 

were younger. Rather than being ‘psychic,’ 

Michael believed that he and his brother 

were so similar that they would each know 

the other’s reaction in any situation. In fact, 

they are both physicians - but with different 

specialties - and partners in their nightclub/restaurant 

in Boca Raton. When the 

twins were 13, the family moved to Florida 

- what Michael terms “the best decision my 

stepfather ever made.” The family rented a 

U-Haul and went to Florida in search of 

a better life. Starting the ninth grade late 

at a new Hollywood Hills school, Michael 

Fagien met his first mentor: Victor Carr. 

Victor Carr was Michael’s science teacher. 

He loved this mentor, “a smart cynic, who 

taught me to always ask questions. Carr 

also taught me the concept of ‘homeostasis 

- balance in the face of change,’ and I 

manage my life like that.” Fagien recently 

got in touch with his beloved mentor. He 

called Carr, who was ill with colon cancer 

at the time, to take him to lunch. Fagien 

then set out to organize a luncheon with 

his old high schoolmates, who had also 

been hugely impacted by Carr; there were 

many. Seventeen months before his death, 

at a restaurant filled with old schoolmates 

telling their own Mr. Carr stories, the 

mentor received a gift pen engraved with 

“homeostasis” and the honor he so rightly 

deserved. Fagien’s love of science morphed 

into a desire to become a doctor and serve 

the community. That is when he met his 

According to Fagien, he was 

very lucky in life and attributes 

that luck to hard work, 

dedication, a desire to give 

back to his community and 

three major mentors. 

second mentor: Dr. Robert Cade. 

Both Michael and Steven Fagien applied 

to medical school, but Michael was not 

accepted at first. So he went to work in a lab 

to prove that he had the intelligence, desire 

and willingness to get into medical school. 

In that lab, he collected sweat in gloves that 

contained lost electrolytes from exercising. 

The head of that lab was the late Robert 

Cade, the inventor of Gatorade, which 

was already an established product. Cade 

treated and discussed life with Fagien as if 

he were already an MD, not a guy trying to 

get into medical school. Moreover, it was 

with Cade as a partner that Michael began 

his successful magazine Jazziz. Once 

Cade asked him whether he wanted to be 

a doctor or a magazine publisher; Fagien 

answered, “both.” Later in life, Fagien told 

Cade he felt that he had never thanked him 


adequately for all Cade had done to help 

him. Cade replied, “Mikey, you’ve already 

thanked me ... by doing good.” 

During medical school, Michael met his 

third mentor: Dick Hawkins. Normally, 

when applying for a subspecialty rotation, 

the medical student would choose several in 

hopes of landing one. Fagien did the opposite; 

he chose only one - Radiology at the 

University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, 

thinking his chances were close to zero 

and feeling financially stable because of the 

magazine. But, he got into his first and only 

choice - with Dick Hawkins, a pioneer in 

interventional radiology. Hawkins allowed 

Fagien to do many things a resident would 

normally be prohibited from doing at a 

time when the fields of diagnostic imaging, 

PET scans and nuclear medicine were 

just beginning. Hawkins treated Michael 

as an equal and ignited his passion for 

technology and its ability to change medicine. 

Fagien is still a practicing Radiologist 

and Nuclear Medicine board-certified 

physician, and was professor and Chief 

of Nuclear Medicine at UF until the year 

2000. Currently, he is a UF visiting professor 

and sits on the medical advisory board 

at General Electric. Michael’s passion for 

technology is still very much alive, and he 

believes that clinical problems (such as 

cancer) will be solved more quickly because 

of technological advances. 

I questioned whether he felt that music 

without words, such as the classical and 

jazz genres, were favored by technology 

‘geeks.’ His answer: “When you listen to 

especially complicated and intricate music, 

you use a different part of the brain, which 

is why edutainment and music for child 

development exist. Popular music is vocal 

and easy to understand.” When I mentioned 

the concept of superlearning, using 

classical music with the tempo of a relaxed 

heartbeat, Fagien felt that made sense. “The 

brain is all chemicals, and musical sounds 

activate certain brain centers that make the 

brain more receptive to learning.” 

Michael, asked to prioritize family, food, 

music and medicine, without hesitation 

replied,“Family first, and the rest don’t 

matter. I try to lead by example with the 

thought that my kids are always watching, 

so my kids will do even better. Hopefully, I 

can contribute to them a fraction of what 

my mentors have contributed to me.” P


A ROMANTIC 


DOESN’T HAVE 

TO BE COSTLY 

Tips on affordable 

gifts and settings 

By Martin Lenkowsky 

For Boynton Beach resident Terri Prenner, a perfect Valentine’s 

Day need not be something lavish. “A picnic dinner (at the beach), 

a bottle of wine, and the sound of the ocean,” she says, “are all I 

need to celebrate the most romantic evening of the year. Plus a big 

blanket; I’m not a huge fan of the sand.” 

Most of us enjoy spending February 14 with the one we love the 

most. That goes without saying. Yet, in these days of our endlessly 

challenged economy, finding a fun, romantic 

and not too costly way to show affection 

is oftentimes not an easy task. 

If you are even lucky enough to get a reservation 

at your restaurant of choice, forget 

those ‘early bird’ prices. In fact, in most 

cases you can forget even its regular dinner 

prices. Sorry Charlie, you’re not going to 

find them tonight. What you can expect are 

menu specials with inflated price tags. Add 

to this romantic setting your sweetheart’s 

favorite bottle of wine, and it might have 

been cheaper had you flown to France, Italy or Napa Valley and 

bought it yourself. (Airfare being included, of course.) 

Newlywed Elissa Jane McCleary believes there are other joyful – 

and romantic – ways to celebrate Cupid’s favorite day of the year, 

without spending a fortune on food, drinks and gifts. “Roses, a box 

of chocolates and Valentine’s Day cards are all reasonably priced,” 

she claims. 

Of course, nothing beats making a home-cooked meal for one’s 

honey. All it takes is a simple trip to your supermarket – and perhaps 

liquor store – of choice. All you need to know is what that 

special person in your life loves to eat and drink. Let’s face it, the 

old English proverb, “The way to a man’s (and probably a woman’s) 

heart is through his stomach.” is likely more truth than fiction. 

How about stashing a 

love letter in that special 

person’s shoe the night 

before, so they’ll find it 

when they get dressed 

for work Valentine’s Day 

morning? 

One cannot deny living here in South Florida does offer both 

distinct advantages and disadvantages to residing up north 

in February, nature’s most cold, snowy and downright miserable 

month. Let’s go back to that cozy, moonlit Valentine’s Day 

beach picnic. Just try doing that in places like New York, Boston 

or Chicago. That’s not a happening thing, brother. However, our 

family members and friends in colder climes have some things 

we don’t. They get to cuddle up by the fireplace for an inexpensive 

night of romance, hopefully oblivious to the 

sleet falling outside. 

Another valentine idea that won’t necessarily 

break your piggy bank or inflate 

your March Visa bill too much is to skip 

the expensive restaurant meal altogether 

and just go out for a few drinks before or 

after you have dinner at home. Some bars 

and restaurants might even offer live music 

should a romantic dance or two be on your 

evening’s agenda. While sharing a storebought 

bottle of wine at home would be less a strain on your wallet 

than ordering a few drinks at a bar, some of us do enjoy the thrill 

of just getting out of the house and wearing one’s sexiest (hopefully 

red) outfit for the occasion. 

Sometimes simple, creative ideas are even more romantic and 

better ways to show our love than spending too many hard-earned 

dollars. How about stashing a love letter in that special person’s 

shoe the night before, so they’ll find it when they get dressed for 

work Valentine’s Day morning? Or maybe just stay home and 

watch an old-fashioned, feel-good romantic movie? 

Valentine’s Day needn’t be just about going out and blowing half 

of one’s paycheck on dinner. “Bingo. We rely on the wallet far too 

much, neglecting to be creative or romantic,” adds Prenner. P 

the PARKLANDER 17

ENGAGED COUPLES 

Mutual friends introduced Aly, a Regional Education 

Manager with Alfaparf Milano, and 

Danny, a student, while they were living in Fort 

Lauderdale. That first meeting was followed by almost 

three years of courtship, involving tennis, movies, dinner 

parties, sporting events and live concerts, before Danny 

popped the question. 

Aly Frand & 

Danny Krauss 

Wedding Date: 

June 14, 2015 

The unique and non-traditional Gallery of Amazing 

Things in Dania Beach was chosen by Danny and Aly 

for their wedding venue because they are having a very 

religious Jewish ceremony, needing multiple rooms and 

ceilings high enough for the chuppah. They chose an 

elegant and simplistic décor with flowers and linens of all 

white and off-white with accents of gold. 

For their honeymoon, Danny and Aly will cruise around 

Italy, Greece and Turkey on the Celebrity Reflection. 

When they return, Danny and Aly will continue living in 

the Brickell neighborhood of Miami. ❤ 

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Bridget and Casey met in April 2011 on an online dating 

site, with their official first date one week later. The date 

didn’t end until the next morning, and they have been 

inseparable ever since. More than three years after their first date, 

Casey asked for Bridget’s hand in marriage. 

During their courtship, Bridget and Casey travelled a great deal. 

They both enjoy adventure sports, such as jet skiing, zip lining, 

swimming with stingrays, and going to theme parks. 

The wedding venue is the Addison in Boca Raton, because 

they felt it was so romantic, elegant and historical. The Addison 

will also provide the catering and wedding consultant, and the 

invitations are from Wrapped in a Box. The theme is romantic 

with soft colors of light and dark pink, light yellow, grey and 

ivory. 

After the wedding, they will be honeymooning in San Francisco 

for two days, followed by a seven-day cruise through five 

Hawaiian islands. After the honeymoon, the couple will reside 

in Coral Springs, until they buy a home the next year. Casey is 

a sales representative and Bridget is a licensed mental health 

counselor. ❤ 

Wedding Date: 

March 21, 2015 

Bridget Hennessey & 

Casey Heady 

“Choosing your Jeweler is like choosing your Doctor.” 

It’s all about trust, confidence, relationships, and confidentiality. 

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the PARKLANDER 19


A 

mutual love of horses drew Elisabeth and Garrett 

together when they met at a Parkland Horseman’s 

Association event. Together, the animal lovers enjoyed 

riding their horses and attending equestrian activities, 

as well as playing with their dogs. 

Then on the fifth anniversary of their meeting, Garrett 

whisked Elisabeth away to St. Augustine for a weekend, 

where they stayed at a romantic bed and breakfast inn. It was 

there, in the flower garden, that he proposed. 

Wedding Date: 

May 17, 2015 

Elisabeth Hernandez & 

Garrett DeMayo 

Elisabeth and Garrett will be married at the Addison, with a 

reception themed ivory and sapphire blue. They will wait to 

honeymoon the following year in Europe. The couple decided 

not to register, instead suggesting horse and other animal 

welfare organizations where guests can donate. 

Garrett, who is executive vice president of USA Parking, and 

Elisabeth, who is a groomer/assistant at Castlegate Farm, 

have a home in Parkland where they live with three horses, 

five dogs, two ducks and at least one fish. ❤ 

Johnnie and Paul became a couple in 1978, having met when 

Johnnie was dating Paul’s brother. Johnnie quickly realized 

he was with the wrong brother, and they’ve been together 

ever since. Johnnie and Paul bought wedding bands as a symbol 

of their commitment 30 years ago, knowing two things: that the 

legalization of same-sex marriage was in the far distant future 

and that they would be together for the rest of their lives. Together 

they enjoy rollerblading, dancing, hiking and staying fit. 

Decorated by themselves with the help of Ferguson Bath & 

Kitchen, Baer’s Furniture and the South Florida Construction 

Group, the couple moved to their “retirement dream home” in 

Wilton Manors in 2013 from California. Johnnie is the administrative 

assistant to the Wilton Manors city manager, and Paul 

is a sales associate at Home Depot. Just prior to the legalization 

of same-sex marriage in Florida, there was talk of a mass wedding 

event at Wilton Manors City Hall. Johnnie and Paul will 

be married at that event, and all arrangements are being handled 

by the city. As for the honeymoon - they say they’ve been on 

their honeymoon for 36 years! ❤ 

Wedding Date: 

February 14, 2015 

Johnnie Goodnight & 

Paul Skurtovich 

20 



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the PARKLANDER 21

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 

Beverly’s Jewelers 

Specializing in bridal jewelry, 

loose diamonds and custom design 

Proudly serving south Florida for over 46 years, Beverly’s 

Jewelers has earned the reputation for high quality diamonds 

and jewelry at fair prices in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. 

Owners Jeff and Mark Malvin are proud of their achievements 

and awards over the years. Voted Best Jewelry, Best Place to 

Buy an Engagement Ring and Best Full Service Jeweler in the 

SunSentinel, The Knot and City Link by readers polls. Beverly’s 

has also been named “One of the best jewelry stores in south 

Florida” by CBS Miami and The Knot “Best Of ” Weddings in 

2013. 

Beverly’s Jewelers has been family owned and operated by the 

same family since its inception. Due to high local demand, what 

started as one store has now grown to three south Florida locations, 

with second and third generations of the family involved. 

The company specializes in bridal jewelry, loose diamonds and 

custom design, but services include repairs, jewelry for all occasions, 

watches and appraisals. They also buy diamonds, gold and 

watches. Beverly’s guarantees that any item purchased there will 

appraise for 30% more than paid when appraised by a qualified 

appraiser. 

Because of their long term relationships with loyal clients, 

honesty and integrity are of utmost importance to the Beverly’s 

team. Their clients receive personalized service by highly trained 

staff and pay great prices for quality merchandise. Beverly’s is 

now designing engagement rings for the sons and daughters of 

clients they sold engagement rings to over 20 years ago. It is 

gratifying to have helped make some of those moments even 

more special with their diamonds, jewelry and custom design. 

Thus, the Beverly’s motto: “Walk in as a customer, leave as a friend.” P 

Beverly’s Jewelers main factory location is at 3600 West Commercial 

Boulevard, Store 101, in Fort Lauderdale. Their website is www. 

bevjewelers.com, and their phone is 954-485-6262. 

22 


the PARKLANDER 23


Lauren and Olivia met when a mutual friend of theirs was 

planning a music video for her band. The video took place in 

Olivia’s home, and Lauren had the main part. They both like 

comic/anime conventions, and on their one-year dating anniversary, 

Olivia popped the question. They were in a karaoke bar, and Olivia 

was singing their song, Teenage Dream, when she pulled out two wirewrapped 

rings with their birthstones. 

Wedding Date: 


Lauren Tabacco & 

Olivia Easter 

The couple will be married twice - first in February at Wilton Manors 

City Hall and and then at a larger ceremony with friends and family 

later this year in Gainesville. The reception for family and close friends 

will be at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park in Hollywood, FL. Their wedding 

colors are emerald and turquoise. Lauren will wear a mermaid style 

dress, the first wedding dress she saw, which fit perfectly. She later 

found out both her mother and aunt were married in the first wedding 

dress they saw. Lauren’s aunt will provide the flowers, her grandmother 

will bake the wedding cake, and her father’s company will print the 

invitations. Olivia’s company will photograph the event. The couple 

will honeymoon at the Shock Pop Comicon convention in Fort 

Lauderdale. 

Lauren is a barrista, and Olivia is a photographer. The couple will be 

living in Oakland Park in a home they decorated themselves. ❤ 

Holly and Ken kept running into each other at lots of 

Parkland hot spots, including their favorite restaurant, 

Café Bella Sera. 

After five years of enjoying the beach, Barkland dog park 

and afternoons at the Morikami Museum, Ken proposed 

on Christmas Day. He gave Holly her dream ring and afterward 

they went to the beach to celebrate with a champagne 

brunch. 

They plan to be married and hold their garden-theme reception 

at Ken’s parents’ ranch house in Parkland. Holly will wear 

a Valentino gown and Sophia Webster shoes. The color theme 

for the outdoor romantic event is white with “a pop” of red. 

Holly, who is a make-up artist, and Ken, who is a firefighter, 

have a home in Coconut Creek. They are registered at Macy’s 

and Bed Bath & Beyond. ❤ 

Wedding Date: 


Holly Johnson 

& Ken Lauria 

24 


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the PARKLANDER 25


Sparks ignited when Melissa met Kristopher at a Parkland 

children’s camp where they were both working. Although 

part of their six year courtship was long distance, the couple 

enjoyed spending time relaxing together, tailgating at sports 

events, trips throughout Florida, dinners and movies. 

One night on a romantic getaway to Marco Island, marking 

the sixth anniversary of their meeting, Kris popped the question 

while strolling on the beach at sunset after Melissa read 

a romantic poem that Kris wrote about their relationship and 

their future. 

Melissa Pina & 

Kristopher Kardok 

Wedding Date: 

March 7, 2015 

The couple will be married at St. John’s Catholic Church in 

Boca Raton, and will hold their reception at the Parkland Golf 

& Country Club amidst wedding colors of mint, coral, gold and 

ivory. Melissa’s friend, who owns You’re Invited, designed the 

invitations. Afterward, they will jet off to Hawaii, specifically 

Maui and Honolulu. 

Melissa, who is a teacher at Sawgrass Elementary, and Kris, 

who is the product manager at Jazwares, are registered at Bed, 

Bath and Beyond and Macy’s and hope to find a home in the 

Coconut Creek area. ❤ 

Reisha, a regional manager for Iceberg Vodka Corporation, 

and Timothy, an educator and owner of AIM 

Sports Training, LLC, met on July 30, 2012 on a flight 

from Atlantic City to Fort Lauderdale. Timothy, the last person 

to board the plane, sat next to Reisha, and they ended up talking 

the entire flight and exchanging phone numbers. After an 

almost two-year courtship, Timothy proposed on July 14, 2014. 

While on vacation near the Finger Lakes in New York, on a 

rented boat in the middle of Keuka Lake, Timothy got down on 

one knee and proposed. He had held onto the engagement ring 

for a while, but Reisha was sick the first couple of days of their 

vacation, so a nervous Timothy waited for the perfect moment 

until she was feeling better. 

The October south Florida wedding is still in the planning stages, 

but the following is certain: Victoria DeSilvio, a dear friend 

of Reisha’s, will be the event planner and wedding producer. 

Each one will choose a bold color for their fall wedding colors, 

and Reisha’s Indian heritage will be incorporated. They will 

honeymoon in either Hawaii or Italy. ❤ 

Wedding Date: 

October 2015 

Reisha Roopchand & 

Timothy Allen 

26 


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the PARKLANDER 27


By Alexandria Ng and Jessie Sinitch 

Love is in 

Eleven couples share their 

meetings, memories and wisdom 

the Air 

Santiago Neira & Vanessa Agudelo 

“My favorite moment will always be the 

first time Vanessa kissed me because it 

proved to me that, like in movies, the 

unsuspecting guy can end up with the 

beautiful girl.” 

Eugene & Iris Dechter 

“My favorite moment was when my 

husband and I were in Morocco. A 

belly dancer walked up to him, kissed 

his forehead, and then took him on the 

stage to dance with her.” 

Marie Arnode & 

Jean Richard Thelemaque 

“At a party in Queens, I asked her to dance, 

but she was too shy. Instead, I ended up 

dancing with one of her friends and put 

on a big show. She seemed impressed, and 

danced with me later, so I asked for her 

number. Our first phone call was an hour 

long; and the rest is 29 years of history 

with two beautiful daughters.” 

Lindsay Wright & 

Kevin Hattan 

“Kevin is a touring musician, and 

we’re both very busy people. The 

trick is to make time for each other. 

Going more than a few days without 

at least sharing a meal together 

makes both of us feel super uncomfortable. 

People didn’t think that I 

could wait for Kevin to come back 

from his tours, but here we are - 

over two years long!” 

28 FEBRUARY JANUARY 2015 2015 

Philip & Ann Gallina 

“Being in love is special because it means 

always having someone there to stand by 

you through good and bad times. We’ve 

been married for 57 years. Besides getting 

older over the years, our love is deeper and 

there’s more to share. We have a beautiful 

family with our children, our grandchildren 

and just the extension of our love.”

Sidney & Carolyn Katz 

“We’ve been married for almost 50 

years. All of our Valentine’s Days 

have been special. Being in love 

makes everything better, makes life 

better. It gives you somebody to share 

everything with and somebody to 

try to please. We met at a community 

center and we started dancing 

together, and that was it; we’ve been 

dancing ever since.” 

Frank Cesarano & Rosalyn Wolter 

“I remember our first Valentine’s Day 

when I sent her Godiva. It was delivered 

and left at the front door, but she didn’t 

realize it was there since she always 

goes in through the garage. It was funny 

because I didn’t want to say anything; I 

wanted it to be a surprise. This was done 

over Skype because she was in California 

and I was here.” 

Trang Leminh & Alex Sage 

“I once had a very stressful flight experience 

and didn’t land until almost two in 

the morning. Alex graciously came to 

pick me up, accompanied by a full plate of 

bacon (my favorite!). That’s true love right 

there.” 

Steven &Debbie Turok 

“We’ve been married 39 and a 

half years. One year, she got those 

glamour shots taken; that was a 

special Valentine’s Day. I still have 

the picture and look at it all the 

time. But being in love, you get 

to have someone to share your 

thoughts with, to share your ideas 

with, to have companionship - a 

best friend.” 

Ashlee Belzo & Jessica Daley 

“We love traveling together. There is 

nothing better than waking up in a 

new city together ready to explore. Last 

summer, we experienced the trip we both 

had dreamed of, traveling up the coast of 

California. It’s important to make lasting 

memories, and we can’t wait to see more 

of our world together!” 

Ron &Robyn Renzy 

“We’ve been together since 1987, and we 

got married in 1993. The best part about 

being in love is having somebody who 

is your best friend and cares about you 

despite all your challenges. That person 

loves you no matter what, and is there for 

you to support and motivate you. It’s just 

going through life together, all the ups and 

downs, and just growing old together.” 

the JANUARY PARKLANDER 2015 

29

WEDDING HUMOR 

Animals& 

Weddings 

By Jessie Sinitch 

Throughout history, humans have illustrated a prevalent penchant 

for long term stability with another person who they view as 

romantically and sexually attractive. The human need for distinct 

and palpable affirmation of their commitment to their significant 

other has coined the term ‘marriage.’ 

Marriage has crept its way into latent aspects of society, becoming 

a critical objective in many people’s lives. In magazines, movies, 

and books, everyone seemingly wants to live “happily ever after 

with the one they love,” accompanied by a successful job and a 

manageable household pet. 

But what happens when your manageable household pets want to 

do the same? What happens when your household pets fall in love? 

Do they get married, too? Are they grumpy or moody around you 

and your significant other - or should I say, otter? 

In 2012, amongst the twinkle of Central Park’s promising lights, 

a Coton de Tulear, Baby Hope Diamond, and a poodle, Chilly 

Pasternak, marched their way down an aisle and happily married. 

Cumulatively, the wedding was $158,187.26 - an amount that 

was labeled the most expensive pet wedding ever by the Guinness 

World Records. Baby wore a satin, peach-colored gown that complemented 

the black spots gleaming over 

her white, furry body. The groom, Chilly 

Pasternak, decided to dye his fur blue 

and purple, accordingly. Chilly didn’t just 

dye his hair, though, he also dressed with 

style - wearing a black and white tuxedo 

that had a hot pink stripe and an intricate 

golden border. 

In 2014, Kim Dalton and Garette Ziem 

held a wedding in St. Petersburg Beach. 

As the wedding began to take place, 

abruptly, two llamas dressed in lavender 

tuxedos made their way into the 

Baby wore a satin, peach-colored gown that complemented 

the black spots gleaming over her white, 

furry body. The groom, Chilly Pasternak, decided to 

dye his fur blue and purple, accordingly. 

ceremony. Dalton broke into tears, not believing what her husband 

had done for her amidst their enchanting wedding at the Postcard 

Inn Hotel. Ziem spent an additional $500 for these two furry creatures 

to appear on their special day to add an air of the bizarre to 

their ceremony. 

In the Indian culture, elephants are a sacred idol, symbolizing happiness 

and abundance. Their connotation is why elephants have 

become such a prominent part of Indian weddings. Normally, 

the groom will arrive at the Baraat (Indian wedding procession 

and ceremony) on an elephant. Sometimes, he will even bring the 

elephant to a halt and dance with his friends and family. Some 

people, even apart from the Indian culture, will travel to Thailand 

and have an ‘elephant wedding ceremony,’ where a couple can 

celebrate their love amongst a flowing, tranquil river and Asian 

elephants that roam freely. 

Whether animals (outside of human 

beings) can participate in romantic 

attraction is still unknown, however, 

many scientific studies show that animals’ 

brains are similarly wired to humans; 

hence, an animals’ ability to feel emotion. 

So, if you feel that your furry ball of 

joy, Nemo-looking clownfish, or sassy, 

grumpy cat has found a ‘special someone,’ 

before you become hesitant in regards 

to advancing its or their relationships - 

think again. P 

30 


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the PARKLANDER 31

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32 


PARKLAND’S PREMIER PILATES/BARRE STUDIO 

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the PARKLANDER 33

HUMOR 

After all, every man hopes that giving the 

right gift will lead to what we women call 

romance. The men call it something else that I 

can’t say here. 

a man will comply. But this is where some of the worst stories 

come into the picture. Seems that even what comprises those gestures 

is a mystery to men. Just when they think they’ve got it nailed 

and are doing something romantic, it can all blow up in their faces, 

poor things. A few things not to do: 

A ROMANTIC 

PRIMER FOR MEN 

By Victoria Landis 

My new editor asked me to write my February column about 

romance. Borrowing from the great Bugs Bunny, “She don’t know 

me very well, do she?” Poor thing probably hasn’t had time to read 

many back issues and doesn’t realize what my track record is. But I 

take pride in doing what I’m told (sometimes). And I relish relaying 

romantic tales. So here goes. 

Valentine’s Day means a lot. To women. Not so much to men. 

Most men do what they’re told to do by their women in order to 

maintain the household peace. This I know with certainty, because 

I have three adult sons and have had three semi-adult husbands. I 

believe this makes me an expert in the romantic gifts and gestures 

department, or —perhaps more accurately — what not to give the 

woman in your life if you ever expect to have intimate relations 

again. 

After all, every man hopes that giving the right gift will lead to 

what we women call romance. The men call it something else that I 

can’t say here. The smart ones realize that a thoughtful, mushy gift 

will open a woman’s heart and make her feel all warm and tingly 

inside. Which leads to a long walk in the woods, then some playful 

swapping of baseball caps, then a relaxing soak in twin bathtubs 

outside in the yard while watching the sunset. Oh. Wait. No. That’s 

a special pill commercial. 

Most men these days do know that most women are wired differently 

and require a little schmoozing. They don’t understand it, but 

if some affectionate gestures and canoodling seem to be necessary, 

Shoulder rubs are wonderful and most women will welcome one 

— but not when standing at the kitchen sink scrubbing pots — 

you’re likely to get hit over the head with a frying pan. Better idea? 

Gently nudge her away from the sink, dry her hands, pour her a 

glass of wine, and you finish the job. By the way, this only works 

if you do a good job of it, not the old — I’ll do a crummy job, and 

she’ll never ask me to do it again ploy. Because that just pisses her 

off worse and gets you further from your goal. Much further. You 

have no idea how much further. One of the best pieces of advice 

for a male cohabitating with a female is to learn early on how she 

likes certain household tasks done, then actually do them that way. 

If more loving is what you’re after, listen and follow my directions. 

Doing chores badly only makes her think of you as she would an 

irresponsible teenager. Someone she needs to supervise — so she’s 

still on duty, not relaxed. And if your woman is the weird exception 

that finds a grown man who acts like a petulant teenager a turn-on, 

well, it’s up to you of course, but I say there’s a whole lotta trouble 

coming your way. If you stay, then you deserve what you get. Don’t 

say I didn’t warn you. 

Don’t tell her you’ve planned a romantic evening, have the wine 

poured, get her all comfy on the sofa, then have a porn movie start 

playing when you hit the remote. (Unless you know, for a very, very 

solid fact, that she’s into it. Come to think of it, get that in writing 

and have it notarized.) Women will compare themselves with the 

gorgeous, but anorexic, girl with huge boobs on the screen and 

wonder why you need to look at her to get turned on. Which leads 

to massive feelings of inadequacy and lower confidence and not 

so much fun in the bedroom - if the door hasn’t been slammed in 

your face already. 

Do not write her a poem that has any words rhyming with bucket. 

Just don’t. 

In addition, do not give her the following ‘gifts’ — all courtesy of 

my exes: Fencing lessons when she’s never expressed ANY interest 

in it. A white yarn mop head (without even the accompanying 

mop stick to put it on). Yeah, wish I was kidding you on that one. 

A box of real coal chunks in a pretty box from the most expensive 

jeweler in town. No jewelry hidden inside, just the chunks. A used 

coffee mug. A scrub brush for the car. And a framed picture of 

your mother. P 

34 


Any Organizational System Over $2,500 

Must present coupon at time of sale. Exp. 3/15/15 

the PARKLANDER 35

Are You Engaged? 

Are you or someone you 

know getting married? 

Our complimentary 

Engaged Couples feature 

allows you to share your 

good news with your 

friends and neighbors. 

We celebrate Engaged Couples 

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Celebrate with us! 

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or email calliopecorp@gmail.com 

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clothing, shoes, household goods and/or 

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Call us at 1-888-492-4483 or visit us online 

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36 


CHARITY 

Forest ofAngels 

Tree decoration contest winners 

By Mattie Howard 

The Forest of Angels, a non-profit 

organization dedicated to raising 

funds for charities, held its third 

annual Christmas tree decorating 

and family event at the Promenade 

in Coconut Creek during the month 

of December. The community 

made donations supporting the tree 

and charity of their choice. The 

Parklander magazine is pleased to 

have sponsored a tree in the Forest 

of Angels event, with its charity of 

choice the Broward Chapter of the 

Special Olympics Florida. Chapter 

members of all ages joined together 

to make the decorations on the tree. 

We would like to thank everyone 

who voted for the Parklander tree, 

with a special thank you to the Leroy 

Schecter Foundation, whose gracious 

donation put us over the top. It was 

wonderful to see the faces of the participants 

from the Special Olympics 

when they were announced the winner 

and handed a big check for $6,000. 

They not only put a lot of effort into 

making the ornaments and decorating 

the tree, but also did a lot to promote 

it. If anyone is interested in donating, 

volunteering, or sponsoring a tree for 

next year, please contact Krisztina 

Rosza at 954-415-8360 or visit her 

website www.forestofangels.com. P 

Other 

charities 

that received 

$550 

donations 

ABBIE’S PLACE 

KAKE 4 KIDS 

4KIDS 

CANCER 

RESEARCH 

LIFE 

FELLOWSHIP 

CHURCH 

MADGE LEWIS 

SCHOLARSHIP 

FUND 

SOS VILLAGES 

OF SOUTH 

FLORIDA 

BRIGHT 

HORIZONS 

FOUNDATION 

BLESSINGS IN 

A BACKPACK 

38 


the PARKLANDER 39

MALE MATTERS 

No, the problem for us Fish followers is that, to put it gently, we 

have an ownership group that has apparently been more interested 

in the bottom line than in line drives. Simply put, once players 

are in position to get big paydays, they are usually traded for 

fresh-faced ballplayers that are younger – and cheaper. (Hopefully, 

the signing of young slugger Giancarlo Stanton will reverse that 

trend.) 

So, for me, I can only long for those days of my youth when photos 

of my Brooklyn Dodger heroes were taped over my bed, and I 

dreamed of growing up to be Gil Hodges. Of course Gilley and 

the rest of the Dodgers moved out of New York in 1957, followed 

by “Say Hey” Willie and the Giants in ’58, but, to be honest, I 

was too young to be heartbroken. The years passed, the Mets were 

born, and I became a Mets fan, forever giving up my Dodger blue. 

But then, just like my “Bums” had left Brooklyn for the greener 

pastures of LA, I, too, left the Big Apple for the warmer confines 

of Broward County. 

And, in time we had our own team; therefore the Mets, like the 

Dodgers, were in my rear-view mirror. 

VINCE SCULLY 

AND MY YOUTH 

An ode to baseball 

By Elliot Goldenberg 

I have a friend from Boston who gets chills up and down his spine 

when February rolls around. The smells of peanuts and Cracker 

Jacks once again fill the Florida air, and he can resume cheering 

for his beloved “Sox.” February, after all, signals the beginning 

of Major League Baseball’s spring training, when hopes of new 

diamond glory spring eternal – even if you’re from Chicago and 

follow the Cubs, also known as the Bad News Bears. 

Being a Marlins fan, however, I don’t get that same warm and 

fuzzy feeling as my friend from Beantown. True, we’re not longsuffering 

like the Cubs fans. After all, in their short history, the 

Marlins already have two world championships. The last time the 

Cubbies won anything of significance, I believe Millard Fillmore 

was in the White House. 

My new allegiance was to the baby Marlins. To my friend from 

Boston, this switching of teams, like Charlie Crist switching parties, 

amounted to nothing short of heresy. I guess to a Red Sox 

fan it’s like that verse from West Side Story: “When you’re a Jet, 

you’re a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying 

day …” “How could I jump from the Dodgers, to the Mets, to the 

Marlins?” he asked. 

Well, one thing that never changed – the one constant in all this 

– was the announcer of the Dodgers games seemingly forever: the 

legendary Vin Scully. 

Chris Carter, the creator of TV’s The X-Files, has acknowledged 

that Special Agent Dana Scully was named after the great Vin, 

whose silky smooth voice, for over six decades, made baseball into 

art. In fact, listening to Scully was not unlike watching a brilliant 

artist make a canvas come alive, except Scully’s canvas was 

green and filled with beautiful dirt. Not surprisingly, when David 

Duchovny’s lead character, Fox Mulder, left The X-Files, a new 

character was added – an Agent Doggett – named after the late 

Jerry Doggett who announced games with Scully (Vin, not Dana). 

As for me, whenever I hear Vin Scully’s name, if I look really hard 

enough, I can see all the way back to my youth - a far less complicated 

time and place – and, honestly, I, too, can finally feel just like 

my friend from Boston. P 

40 


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the PARKLANDER 43

MOM’S PERSPECTIVE 

FACEBOOK 

Follies 

By Cheryl Pangborn 

I’ve written about Facebook before, but it truly never ceases to amaze 

me. It has evolved so that sometimes I’m fooled into thinking it’s a 

living, breathing entity. There was a big brouhaha when they were 

bullying us into using the messenger app to retrieve private FB messages. 

Suddenly, we were terrified by the notion that FB would be 

spying on us, utilizing our camera, hearing our private conversations 

- taking over the world! In my world, even without the messenger 

app, FB is suggesting friends to me that I may have called on my 

phone or met one time, and it’s pretty creepy. People are worried 

about an app giving them more access? I think that ship has sailed. 

Lately my news feed is annoyingly jammed up with quizzes. 

I actually saw one that said, “What color is your soul?” Come 

on! I don’t even know what that means. My soul must be green 

with envy of people who have time to spend on this nonsense. 

What about the quiz “How addicted to Facebook are you?” 

If you’re taking this quiz, you clearly need an intervention. 

I have to wonder if some of the ways we document our lives aren’t 

specifically social media driven. We’ve developed all these creative 

ways to announce engagements, births and, of course, what we are 

about to eat for breakfast. After all, when you took pictures ten 

years ago, not many people saw them unless you carried a giant 

photo album everywhere. Now someone can store pictures right 

on their smart phone and bore the pants off us at a moment’s 

notice, with a running montage of their lives over dinner. 

I am amazed at the photo shoots people do now, for instance, to 

document a pregnancy. Personally I had no desire to have a picture 

portfolio of my last trimester, mostly because I was the size of a bus. 

Plus, back then it really wasn’t worth it; after all, who would see it? 

Now everyone is privy to tons of images of the bus - I mean baby 

mama. Would we bother with this if that wasn’t so? Was everyone 

doing this except for me? Hmmm ... some deep social pondering here. 

I actually saw one that said, “What color is 

your soul?” Come on! I don’t even know what 

that means. 

I am also fascinated by the pictures people take that seem so 

candid, yet I can’t believe they weren’t carefully orchestrated. I’m 

not talking about the serious selfie, that, in my opinion, looks 

ridiculous because nobody takes an unexpected shot of himself. 

I am talking about the girl looking out over a cliff into the ocean, 

hair flowing in the wind, with just a glimpse of her from behind. 

Who did you get to take that picture? Obviously, unless you have 

five-hundred-foot arms that are super stretchy, you didn’t do it. If I 

asked my husband to take a picture of me like that, he would laugh 

at me. Did someone just grab your phone while you were gazing at 

nature and take this perfect shot? 

I have this little thing about “liking” things on Facebook. I really 

don’t like too many things, and by that I mean press the “Like” 

button. However, I have friends who like everything. Call me 

weird, but I have this guilty thing going on where I feel like, perhaps 

if I am liked by a particular friend a lot, I should match them 

like for like? Yes, I am totally overthinking this. And, what about 

birthdays and anniversaries? Lately, if I don’t comment ‘Happy 

Birthday’ on a friend’s page, but maybe send them a card or a text, 

I feel like I’m not getting the birthday credit if it’s not public on 

Facebook. Facebook etiquette is not an easily accomplished task. 

So lesson learned here: vanity thy name is Facebook. All of us 

Facebook users are guilty of the vain pleasure it offers. We tag 

ourselves all over town, post statuses that no one really needs to 

know, take selfies, and stalk others; it’s all a part of the fun that is 

Facebook. I can say in all honesty, I am addicted. But I rest in the 

fact that I am not the only one! P 

44 


the PARKLANDER 45

CAR TALK 

Automotive 

TECHNOLOGIES 

Drivers Just Can’t Live Without 

By Steven Marks 

The automotive industry continues to be on the forefront of cutting 

edge technology and innovation. Cars and trucks have come 

a long way since the introduction of the automobile just over a 

century ago. It wasn’t too long ago that by this date, many thought 

cars would be flying, and although it’s still not close, complete 

autonomy of the driving experience isn’t too far away. While we 

await the future, there are a number of technologies that the daily 

driver just can’t live without. 

ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL: Going a step beyond conventional 

cruise control, adaptive cruise control (ACC) uses long range 

radars and a sophisticated camera system to maintain an adjustable 

preset distance from vehicles just ahead. The system can be 

capable of bringing the driven vehicle to a complete stop, and can 

even resume speed once traffic flow resumes. At highway speeds, 

the system is intelligent enough to adjust for vehicles entering and 

exiting the lane. This cutting edge technology previews the future 

of vehicles driving themselves, while allowing each vehicle to communicate 

with each other. 

POWER LIFT GATE: Typically found on wagons and sport utility 

vehicles (SUVs), the power lift gate allows the rear door to open, 

or even close automatically when activated. This highly convenient 

feature allows for those who carry cargo, including precious passenger 

cargo, to make the initial approach to or departure from the 

vehicle much simpler when hands are full. Some new vehicles even 

have the ability to ‘kick’ underneath the rear bumper to activate a 

sensor that will release the tailgate automatically. 

AUTO DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR: Using a sensor integrated 

into the bottom of the rear view mirror, this advanced technology 

eliminates the need for the traditional tab that flips or adjusts the 

rear view mirror for approaching bright lights. Bright lights can 

be distracting for drivers, and can also cause accidents. The auto 

dimming rear view mirror allows drivers to focus more on the road 

ahead, rather than taking their eyes off the road. 

AUTO HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS: This technology, 

albeit simple, is essential to modern day driving. An array of sensors 

typically found in the top of the windshield activates these 

systems depending on lighting and weather conditions. 

BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY: It wasn’t too long ago that this breakthrough 

technology changed the way the mobile phone integrates 

with the automobile. Most vehicles allow a seamless integration 

of phone call history and contact search to permit the driver to 

never have to physically touch their device during their drive. Most 

vehicles now allow streaming audio that can play various media 

through the car’s speakers. 

REAR VIEW CAMERA: Driving in reverse becomes a much easier 

task with the ability to see what is directly behind a vehicle. When 

the driver shifts the vehicle in reverse, a view from the rear will 

be displayed on either the center navigation screen, or even in the 

rear view mirror. However, the driver should still be aware of surroundings 

and turn around to ensure there are no obstacles. New 

technologies include an all around view that uses multiple cameras 

to stitch together views from all angles of the vehicle. 

As these technologies become more inexpensive to produce, more 

and more manufacturers will begin to include these technologies 

as standard equipment. Considered luxury features reserved for 

flagship luxury marques at one point, these technologies will no 

longer be considered a luxury, and will soon become essential safety 

features. Many of these features have already been considered by 

the government to be required by law as standard. P 

46 


the PARKLANDER 47


From Basic Lawn Care Service to Complete Property Maintenance 

Feldman & Feldman 

Counsellors at Law, P.A. 

954.461.5855 

Members of the Florida, 

New York and New Jersey Bars 

Almost every one of us will have special needs at some point 

during our lifetimes. Most people wait until a crisis (medical, 

financial or legal) to realize their vulnerability. Then they take 

remedial action, which is often more expensive and stressful. 

Feldman & Feldman’s motivating force is to help their clients 

deal with the inevitabilities of aging and incapacitation. Jay and 

Michael Feldman are sensitive to the needs of their clients who 

face loss of independence, impoverishment, and the limitations 

associated with illness and age-related issues. 

Feldman & Feldman is a boutique law firm, specializing in elder 

law, special needs law, estate planning and administration, and 

real estate law. Jay and Michael Feldman, are not only partners 

at Feldman & Feldman, but are also father and son. Both are 

members of the Florida, New York and New Jersey bar associations, 

which is beneficial when dealing with snowbird clients 

with multiple residences, as well as clients whose children and 

family live in the New York/New Jersey area. Jay and Michael 

are also Veterans Affairs accredited attorneys. 

The firm’s primary practice areas of elder law and special needs 

law, relatively new areas of legal practice, involve protecting 

vulnerable persons (both children and adults), who are incapacitated 

or must deal with limitations due to illness, age or 

other circumstances. Related services include asset-protection 

planning, which can allow clients to qualify for public benefits, 

such as veterans programs, Medicaid, Medicare, or SSI, without 

spending down their assets. The firm’s clientele is usually motivated 

by a sincere desire to protect their loved ones from the 

contingencies of life. 

Jay Feldman opened his Florida practice in 1991 after relocating 

from New Jersey to Florida. Michael joined his son’s firm 

in 2009 after practicing securities litigation in New York City 

with a prestigious firm. The firm advises everyone to meet with 

an elder law or special needs attorney to put measures in place 

that will ease the expense, stress, and impact of a life crisis. P 

Feldman & Feldman is located at 5491 North University Drive, 

Suite 102 in Coral Springs at the Coral Springs Professional Plaza 

(enter from University Drive). Their website is www.feldmanesq. 

com, and their phone is 954-227-7320. Office hours are 9:00am to 

5:30pm, Monday through Friday, with evening and weekend hours 

by appointment. 

48 


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the PARKLANDER 49

50 


LISTED & SOLD 

by Mechler Group 

CYPRESSHEAD • PARKLAND 

Parkland’s finest address! This 6BR/4BA/3CG .7 acre 

estate boasts it all: beautifully updated kitchen; wet bar 

and fireplace; 4628 exquisite square feet of air conditioned 

living; beautiful screen-enclosed patio with pool, spa and 

waterfall, and more! Enjoy the community clubhouse, 

swimming pool, tennis courts, playground, basketball, and 

62-acre lake! $900,000 


This lakefront, cul-de-sac, 1.26 acre estate offers 

4Br/5BA/3CG, plus 12’ x 12’ piano room which can easily 

convert ßto office/den. 4362 sq. ft. A/C!! Completely 

remodeled, including stunning kitchen w/wood cabinets, 

granite and stainless steel. New floors! Two wood-burning 

fireplaces! Updated baths! Gorgeous pool and patio, with 

amazing lake and fountain views! $749,000 


Situated on .94 acre, this impeccably maintained home 

offers over 4000 sq. ft. of luxurious living! With a 

popular 3-way split bedroom plan, the home includes 5 

full bedrooms, 4.5 baths and a 3-car garage. Desirable 

features include: floor-to-ceiling coral fireplace, volume 

ceilings, hardwood floors, NEW roof in 2006 & gorgeous 

screened patio w/htd pool! $724,900 

SOLD 

SEA MONARCH * POMPANO BEACH 

Direct ocean views from nearly every room and balcony, this 

3BR/3BA oceanfront condo offers 2,240 A/C sq. ft. & has 

been completely remodeled! Outstanding features include: 

granite, wood & stainless steel kitchen; renovated baths 

w/granite & stone-look tile; huge living & dining rooms; 

oversized balcony facing ocean; & interior laundry. Great 

Location! $574,900 

OAKWOOD * CORAL SPRINGS 

Beautifully situated on a 1/3 acre, fenced corner lot, this 

lovely 4BR/2BA home offers 2462 sq. ft of air conditioned 

living space and has been meticulously maintained! 

Outstanding features incl: French doors; NEW windows 

& doors in ‘09; NEW upgraded electrical panels; NEW 

hardwood floor MBR & laminate in others; & NEW water 

heater. Pool w/ gorgeous paver patio! $374,900 

STRADA 315 • FT. LAUDERDALE 

Stunning 2BR/2BA condo in the desirable Strada 315! 

Gorgeous views of ocean & city from every room! 

Upgrades include: travertine marble floors; kitchen w/ 

imported cabinets, granite & stainless steel; beautiful 

baths w/marble floors, vessel sinks & imported Italian 

glass tops; split bedrooms; and open balcony. Building 

offers numerous resort-style amenities! $350,000 

SOLD 

RIVER BRIDGE/EAGLE TRACE • GREEN ACRES 

Pristine condition! This 4 BR/2.5 BA /2 CG, 2-story home 

boasts split bedroom plan with master & 2nd bedroom 

on ground floor. New A/C!! 18” tile in main living areas, 

neutral carpet in bedrooms & loft, spacious kitchen, large 

MBR w/walk-in closet, screened patio, etc! Desirable 

gated community w/heated pool, clubhouse, tennis, fitness 

center, etc! $265,000 sale 

WESTWOOD * TAMARAC 

Lovely 2BR/2BA/2CG home can easily convert to 3BR plan. 

Outstanding features include: large living area, spacious 

family & bedrooms; screen-enclosed patio; NEWER roof 

and water heater; NEW flat roof & hurricane-rated garage 

door & storm shutters that close from the inside; custom 

bar and built-in office in 2nd BR. Walking distance to pool 

& clubhouse. All ages welcome! $239,900 

FAIRWAY VIEWS * MARGATE 

Fantastic 2-story 3BR/2.5BA/1CG in desirable Fairway Views 

of Carolina Country Club. This end unit features: oversized 

downstairs master bedroom, tile floors in all common areas, 

eat-in kitchen, formal dining area, large family room with 

STUNNING golf and lake views, screen-enclosed & tiled 

patio. Accordion shutters! Community clubroom, exercise 

room & heated pool! Low maintenance fees! $239,000 

June 2014 MECHLER GROUP named #1 RE/MAX team in entire state of FLORIDA!!! 

the PARKLANDER 51

52 


the PARKLANDER 53

GARDEN 

Orchids as part of your 

landscape in South Florida 

By Guillermo Salazar 

They’re not as hard to grow and maintain as you think 

Orchids are very unique flowers with over 30,000 

different species distributed around the planet. 

Orchids are a very specific family of plants that 

produce gorgeous flowers with exquisite and 

attractive characteristics. Considered by many to 

be the queen of all flowers, orchids are undoubtedly 

one of the most interesting botanical subjects 

of the century. Orchids are admired and desired 

by both novice and professional orchid collectors 

and gardeners worldwide. Our own sunny south 

Florida is no exception to the rule regarding 

orchids, as many people purchase them regularly 

in hopes of achieving a good culture. 

Orchids can be subdivided into three main different 

temperature requirement classifications: 

cold-cool, intermediate and warm-hot. These categories 

help define the ideal average temperatures 

needed by each orchid group to grow successfully. 

Prosperous orchids bloom profusely every year 

and multiply with consistent root growth. 

South Florida is a sub-tropical environment, 

and luckily, many of the most beautiful orchids 

in the world come from tropical and sub-tropical 

areas of the globe like: South Pacific Asia, Africa, 

the Caribbean, South and Central America, and 

Mexico. The tropical areas of the world are important 

for orchids, as many endemic species only 

grow in these specific areas where tropical, steady, 

warm temperatures are found all year long. The 

tropical countries of the world in which orchids 

prevail are perfect environments that do not suffer 

from marked defined winters and never really 

experience low cold temperatures. 

Orchids are simply fascinating flowers that come 

in a huge diversity of forms and growth habits, 

from the more traditional ones that can be found 

at home improvement stores like: Phalaenopsis, 

Dendrobiums and Cattleyas, to the lesser known 

ones that are unique, rare and collectors’ items, 

only available for sale at orchid nurseries. 

Tropical orchids can be used in many ways, from 

cut flowers to simply being grown as a durable 

houseplant. A big advantage of growing orchids 

in south Florida is that we have a typically warm 

climate. For this reason, we can efficiently grow 

orchids outdoors, helping us beautify our existing 

landscape areas, palm and shade trees. Trees can 

be used to anchor orchids or add color by attaching 

live orchids that can be strategically wired, 

incorporating them as part of existing residential 

landscape areas. 

Many south Florida residents wrongly think that 

orchids inevitably perish after their blooming 

cycle ends, which is a myth. Others see orchid 

plants as disposable, with no real value after their 

blooms fall off. Unfortunately, many orchid plants 

end up in the trash without any kind of remorse 

or awareness. The main cause of failure at growing 

orchids comes from a lack of real knowledge 

about how to provide for them successfully. 

Sadly enough, orchids have acquired an erroneously 

high maintenance reputation because of a 

common unfortunate misconception that they 

are difficult to keep alive. Orchids can easily be 

grown all year long, as long as we provide them 

with essential care like watering, fertilization and 

pest control. Unlike real tropical warm regions, 

our area is actually sub-tropical, thereby exposing 

us to cold temperatures that sometimes fall below 

freezing. Protecting orchids from cold weather 

during winter months is imperative so they do 

not perish. Despite their difficult reputation, some 

orchid species and hybrids are considered hardy 

and extremely low maintenance, so anyone can 

grow them. 

If you like beautiful orchids, you need not panic. 

Delightful and fragrant orchids can grow and 

thrive in your homes for years to come. Orchids 

can be grown inside the house, outside in a greenhouse 

or simply attached to shade or palm trees 

- a simple and natural way to grow them. P 

Guillermo Salazar, M.S., is a professional landscape 

designer & consultant, with degrees in 

Environmental Horticulture and landscape design. 

He is a certified landscape inspector and ISA Arborist. 

Guillermo is also adjunct faculty for the Landscape 

Technology Program at Miami-Dade College and 

owner of Foliage Expressions LLC. 

54 


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DELRAY 

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Delray Beach, FL 33483 

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POMPANO 

2101 W. Atlantic Blvd, Suite 123 

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Wellington, Fl 33467 

Ph. 561.967.3520 

Schedule your FREE at home consultation 561.876.2986 • www.mycasualpatio.com 

the PARKLANDER 55

Show 

Your 

Love 

For Valentine’s Day, 

Adopt-A-Manatee® 

For a Loved One 

Call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) 

savethemanatee.org 

Photo © David Schrichte 

56 



Remodel YouR 

Kitchen or Bath now! 

LARGE SELECTION OF BATHROOM VANITIES 

Shower Doors • Shower Systems • Faucets • Accessories 

Soaking Tubs • Toilets • Fireplaces • Mirror Cabinets 

• Countertops • Tiles • Granite • Quartz 

From stock to custom your best choice is here. 

Over 30 years family-owned showroom. 

casabelladesigns.com 

1650 S. Powerline Rd. (Jog Rd.), Suite H 

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 

954-354-8404 

the PARKLANDER 57

Breakfast & Lunch 

Bagels, Bakery, & Restaurant 

“The sights of Bruce’s Bakery and Restaurant are 

overwhelming.” 

- N.Y. Times 

“Best Breakfast in Boca” 

- Sun Sentinel 

Bruce’s of Great Neck Comes to Boca 

19575 S. State Road 441 

(between Glades & Yamato) 

Boca Raton, Florida 33498 

561-483-2331 

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561-962-5102 

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm 

www.thepurseladies.com 

10% OFF NEXT PURCHASE WITH THIS AD ($100 MAX) 

58 


the PARKLANDER 59

Events 

CALENDAR 

KRAVIS CENTER FOR 

THE PERFORMING ARTS 

kravis.org 

Harry Connick Jr. 

FEBRUARY 1 

Flashdance: The Musical 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 1-15 

Into the Woods 

Adrienne Arsht Center 

FEBRUARY 3-8 

Disney’s Newsies 


FEBRUARY 5 

LA Kings vs Florida Panthers 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 5-6 

Wuthering Heights 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 6-8 

Miami City Ballet – 

Program II: Hear the Dance 

Au-Rene Theater 

FEBRUARY 7 

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 7 

Harry Connick, Jr. 

Adrienne Arsht Center. 

FEBRUARY 8 

Nashville Predators vs 

Florida Panthers 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 8 

The Boston Pops 

Esplanade Orchestra – 

Keith Lockhart, Conductor 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 9 

NY Knicks vs Miami Heat 

American Airlines Arena 

FEBRUARY 9 

Joy Behar and Susie Essman 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 10 & 11 

The Improvised 

Shakespeare Company 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 11 

Harry Connick, Jr. 

Kravis Center 


Florida Grand Opera – 

Cosi Fan Tutte 


FEBRUARY 13 

Tony Bennett Live in 

Concert with Special Guest 

Antonia Bennett 



Camille A. Brown & 

Dancers Black Girl 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 15 

A Celebration of 

Marvin Hamlisch 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 15 

St. Louis Blues vs 


BB&T 

FEBRUARY 16 

Michael Brown, Piano 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 17 

WWE Presents Smackdown 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 19 

Scott Coulter in You’ve Got a Friend: 

Carole King, Neil Sedaka and the 

Music of the Brill Building 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 21 

The Fab Faux 

Parker Playhouse 


Palm Beach Opera Presents 

Enemies, a Love Story 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 21 

New Orleans Pelicans vs 

Miami Heat 


FEBRUARY 22 

South Florida Symphony Orchestra 

Masterwork Series – 

Love, Loss, Redemption 

Amaturo Theater 

FEBRUARY 23 

Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat 


FEBRUARY 24 

Motown The Musical 


FEBRUARY 24 

Maroon 5 with Special Guest 

Magic! and Rozzi Crane 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 24 

Michael Feinstein’s MGM Classics 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 25 

Ramsey Lewis and His Electric 

Band with Special Guest Philip 

Bailey (of Earth, Wind & Fire) 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 26 

Chicago Blackhawks vs 


BB&T 


Miami City Ballet Program III: 

Passion and Grace 

Kravis Center 

FEBRUARY 27 

Catskill Resort Museum presents 

Richard Lewis and Kevin Pollack 

Parker Playhouse 

FEBRUARY 27 

Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show 

presented by Stonyfield Yokids 

Organic Yogurt 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 28 

Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers 

BB&T 

FEBRUARY 28 

Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat 


AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA 

aaarena.com 

BB&T CENTER 

thebbtcenter.com 

MIAMI DOLPHINS 

miamidolphins.com 

FLORIDA PANTHERS 

floridapanthers.com 

MIAMI 

FLORIDA MARLINS 

floridamarlins.com 

PARKER PLAYHOUSE 

parkerplayhouse.com 

BROWARD CENTER FOR 

THE PERFORMING ARTS 

browardcenter.org 

ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER 

arshtcenter.org 

60 


the PARKLANDER 61

Landmark 

Vineyards 

Bringing FRENCH WINES 

and grapes to CALIFORNIA 

WINE WATCH 

By Sheila and Bennet Bodenstein 

We are always on the lookout for new or interesting wines to tell our 

readers about. We believe that part of the joy of wine is all of the 

choices available to wine enthusiasts. One winery recently came 

into our view that we had never encountered before, and proved not only to be 

new, but novel as well: Landmark Vineyards. 

What makes this winery different, or interesting or just plain strange, is their 

concentration on a specific style. In France, either by law or tradition, certain 

varieties have been designated to be grown in specific regions of the country. 

Landmark Vineyards has opted to specialize in the grapes and wines of Burgundy, 

Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. 

We are not intimating that Landmark is making French Burgundy knock-offs; 

quite the contrary. The Landmark Vintners went on a detailed search for Pinot 

Noir and Chardonnay grapes that are grown at vineyards located in the cooler 

regions of northern California, an area that closely resembled the climate of 

Burgundy. When this chore was accomplished, the grapes from selected vineyards 

were collected and pressed, and the winemaking began. 

LANDMARK DAMARIS 

2012 CHARDONNAY ($35) 

Chardonnays come and Chardonnays go, and to 

tell the truth, many of them have become boring 

and uninteresting. There is however, nothing 

boring about Landmark Damaris Chardonnay. 

This wine is as California as they come, big, 

wide open, and very enjoyable. Here is a wine 

that displays all of the character and elegance of 

the fabled Chardonnay wines of days gone by. 

To start, the wine is fermented by the yeast that 

grows naturally on red grapes, giving the wine its 

own specific character. Apples and soft oak mark 

the aroma, with just the faintest hint of citrus. 

There is oak to be found in this wine, but in 

delectate and very pleasing amounts. The flavor 

is rich and features a buttery smooth sensation 

on the palate. This is a good Chardonnay - a very 

good Chardonnay. 

LANDMARK OVERLOOK 

2012 PINOT NOIR ($25) 

Not a lesser wine or a poor cousin to the 

Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir, but a different 

melody on the same theme. It is a wine 

with a medium body and a bright, clear, inviting 

ruby color. The aroma is a mélange of strawberries, 

red raspberries, and black cherries mingled 

with oak. In the flavor department, black cherry 

abounds, with hints of vanilla, soft oak and 

chocolate in the background, which trail off to 

a long, lingering fruity finish. This is an excellent 

wine of fine proportions that deserves your 

interest - it definitely garnered ours. We can 

recommend that you try it, but we are sure you 

will love it. 

LANDMARK GRAND 

2012 DETOUR PINOT NOIR ($35) 

The Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir is a 

rare find among Pinot Noir wines made in the 

United States. The wine that was made from this 

compendium of grapes is, to say the least, huge. 

Fermentation was accomplished with naturally 

occurring yeast indigenous to the vineyards 

from where the grapes were sourced. The wine 

displays the aromas of sweet, ripe, red berries, 

green tea and oak. On the palate, the flavors 

of cherry, pomegranate, plum, and raisins are 

the most prominent, backed up by oak and an 

earthy mushroom sensation. These flavors trail 

off to a soft, almost jammy, fruit-filled finish 

that is longer than long. The wine is drinkable 

now or can be laid down for as long as five years. 

Needless to say, this wine impressed us, and we 

can assure you that we will have several bottles 

in our library. 

LANDMARK OVERLOOK 

2012 CHARDONNAY ($22) 

The same attention to detail and methods of 

production that are used for the Landmark 

Damaris Chardonnay are used for the Landmark 

Overlook 2012 Chardonnay: hand picking of 

the grapes, natural yeast, and long aging in oak 

barrels. What results is a Chardonnay of regal 

proportions. A big fruit aroma heralds the flavor 

which runs the entire gamut of the aromas to 

be found in a Chardonnay: peach, apple, vanilla, 

honey, pear and, of course, oak. None of these 

flavors is overpowering and none dominates. This 

is a really grand chardonnay and most definitely 

should be tried; we love it. P 

62 


the PARKLANDER 63

RESTAURANT REVIEW 

‘Upscale’ 

I ndian dining 

in Coral Springs 

By Charles Marcanetti 

Some reviews are harder to write than others. 

Some restaurants are harder to review than 

others. Here we have a confluence of the two, as 

it is difficult to write about fabulous but exotic 

(to the stereotypical American palate) foods 

presented in a positively serious but very casual 

restaurant. Some explaining is in order. Taste 

Buds of India, located at 7881 West Sample 

Road in Coral Springs (954-603-6973), is a 

genuine upscale Indian restaurant. However, 

‘upscale’ by Indian standards is vastly different 

from American ‘upscale.’ Commonly here, we 

call ‘upscale’ posh, expensive, sedate décor, snooty 

service and a quiet atmosphere. In India and at 

Taste Buds of India, upscale means regional 

Indian dishes prepared exquisitely, meticulously, and consistent 

with age-old traditions (even the modern variations on a theme), 

served by joyful servers, in a brightly lit dining area with plenty of 

room between tables – just like it is done in India. Maybe because 

India, along its entire sub-continental borders, is so crowded that 

‘space’ is considered a sign of ‘posh.’ 

Maybe in a country where the very poor (happily, rapidly diminishing) 

exist side-by-side with the more affluent does traditional 

mean common, as well as current. I don’t know. I do know, however, 

that Taste Buds of India presents its customers 

an array of transcontinental dishes that are perfectly 

spiced-to-order for anyone’s tolerance. 

And that, my friends, is a great accomplishment 

all by itself. Our host, the chef and one of 

the owners, Arvind Kumar, looks far too young 

to have the knowledge, experience and subtlety 

that can come with age, but too often doesn’t. 

Arvind has all of those qualities and more. He 

is charming and personable, but would much 

rather let his recipes speak for him. And, they 

do. They shout excellence. 

Because there is virtually no pre-cooking, no 

pots full of this and steam-tables full of that, 

you ought not to think you’ll be in and out in no time. Your lunch 

or dinner will be made fresh when you order it and ‘fresh’ takes 

time. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean ‘forever.’ I mean that Chef 

Arvind is crafting your meal, not throwing it on the stove. He is 

cutting and slicing (by hand) whatever ingredients go into whatever 

you ordered. He is checking the order sheet to make sure that 

the spiciness is just as you requested. And, perhaps more importantly, 

he is letting you savor each and every course. So, relax a 

while. Breathe in the aromas, enjoy the music, and let your meal 

introduce you to Indian hospitality. 

64 


Our evening started with appetizers of vegetable samosa, which 

are crisp patties stuffed with potatoes and peas with a little 

Indian spice. We also had the lamb samosa. I loved the Lasooni 

Gobi, which is crispy cauliflower florets tossed in a tomato and 

garlic sauce. I really enjoyed the garlic prawn, made with fresh 

prawns, marinated with herbs and sautéed in garlic, then cooked 

with tomatoes and coconut. Because I was amused by the name, 

I ordered a soup called Mulligatawny Shorba, which is chicken 

lentil soup with tomatoes and herbs. Now, I’m impressed with the 

actual soup. You will be, also. 

I have always liked ‘poori.’ At Taste Buds of India, it is a real specialty. 

We tried Dahi Sev Poori, which are puffed hollow wheat 

biscuits, filled with potato, yoghurt (notice the British spelling) 

and tangy chutneys (served alongside). You are advised, by the 

restaurant, to pop them whole in the mouth for a flavor explosion. 

I agree. Having had the following two chicken entrees before 

(in India), I ordered them at Taste Buds, and I can say they are 

fabulous and they brought my senses back to one of my favorite 

countries on this planet. 

I mean that Chef Arvind is crafting 

your meal, not throwing it on the 

stove. He is cutting and slicing (by 

hand) whatever ingredients go into 

whatever you ordered. 

crispy and sweet. The saffron mussel stew was loaded with mussels 

and flavor… steamy hot and quite aromatic, consisting of black 

mussels cooked with a spiced flavor creamy sauce, tomato and nuts. 

I went into the kitchen to make sure they really had a tandoori 

oven/stove and not some ‘make-do’ imitation. It was the real thing, 

and the tandoori dishes were certainly proof. The tandoori chicken, 

which is chicken, marinated in yogurt, ginger, and garlic and 

freshly ground spices - then cooked in a clay oven (a unique evenly 

heated oven that allows for cooking inside and across the surface 

with skewers) was great, as was the tandoori shrimp, where the 

shrimp are marinated in yogurt, garlic and spices and then cooked 

in the tandoori oven. 

In case you are not aware of the best Indian rice in the world (my 

opinion, but shared by many), it is Basmati rice. It was near perfect 

at Taste Buds. But, Chef Arvind makes a great Kashmiri pilaf as 

well. He uses Basmati rice and sautés in almonds, cashews, green 

peas and raisins. One type of Indian bread is called Naan. I recommend 

you try a large assortment, but caution you to time yourself, 

as you will want to keep eating and they are filling - delicious, but 

filling. 

Chicken Tikka Masala, consisting of boneless chicken pieces 

cooked with cream, fresh tomato sauce, onion, green pepper and 

Indian spices, and the butter chicken, consisting of boneless leg 

quarter chicken with a tomato-based rich, creamy sauce and Indian 

spices. I delighted in the tenderness of the Tikka Masala - lamb 

with cream, fresh tomato sauce, onion, green pepper and spices, 

and the Lamb Rogan Josh - lamb pieces with cardamom, ginger, 

garlic, yogurt, onion, tomato, and spiced flavor curry sauce. 

Did I mention that Taste Buds of India has a giant menu both in 

size and items? Well, they do, and so I could not try everything, 

even on our review night (my third visit). Their shrimp were fresh, 

I close with a little advice: Indian food tends to be spicy, but the 

spiciness is body-warming and isn’t anything like the quick heat 

of Japanese Wasabi or the mouth numbing fire of Mexican chilis. 

Indian spice is subtle and designed to bring out the flavors of the 

food, not cover them up. At Taste Buds of India they do a masterful 

job of spicing the food exactly as each customer desires. But, it 

is always wise to have a yogurt dish or beverage (Lassi) on hand to 

cool the mouth if you want. 

Taste Buds of India is quite a wonderful addition to our list of 

local eateries worth spending time in. It is also a wonderful way 

of experiencing the food of one of the fastest growing and oldest 

cultures on earth. P 

the PARKLANDER 65

JUNE 8-12, 2015 

Ladies Night Every Thursday 

All Night Long... 

“Come for the Fourplay” 

Live Entertainment 

$4.00 Cocktails 

$4.00 Tapas Menu 

Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm 

Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm 

Closed Mondays 

7351 North State Road 7 

Parkland, FL 33073 

954.906.5370 

Parkland Kids Camp 

Grades K-6 (ages 5-11) 

Heron Heights Elementary School 

Camp Hours 8:30am-4:00pm 

The City of Parkland 

Parks and Recreation Department Presents: 

Summer Recreation 2015 

Parkland Teen Camp 

Grades 6-9 (ages 11-14) 

Westglades Middle School 

Camp Hours 9:00am-3:30pm 

*Extended Hours Available 

Session A (4 weeks) June 15 - July 10 

Session B (4 weeks) July 13 - August 7 

Session C (8 weeks) June 15 - August 7 

Extended Camp (1 week) August 10 - August 14 

Resident Registration-March 2, 2015 

Non-Resident Registration-March 16, 2015 

For more information, go to the City website at 

www.cityofparkland.org/summercamp or call 954-757-4105. 

66 


Located at 

Betty Stradling Park 

in Coral Springs 

TRIAL 

the PARKLANDER 67

SCHOOL NEWS 

School 

NEWS 

HERON HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

Happy February! This month is full of fun activities and events. 

The first thing is a PTA general meeting on February 5. (Check 

the PTA website for the time of meeting.) All classes will have a 

Valentine’s Day celebration on Friday, February 13. Teachers will 

have students exchange cards and do a few activities related to 

friendship. We will have Smencils for sale to be delivered to the 

classrooms as a Valentine’s Day present. The children can buy a 

Smencil and give it to a friend; all proceeds from this activity will 

be donated to Relay for Life. More details as to how, when and 

where you can buy the Smencils will be sent home and will be 

posted on the PTA website the week before Valentine’s Day. The 

week of February 9, we will be collecting Coins for the Cure. This 

will also benefit Relay for Life, and if the goal is met at the end of 

the week, Mr. King will kiss a creature. We can’t wait to see what 

the challenge is this year! 

There is no school on Monday, February 16, in observance of 

President’s Day. A SAC/SAF meeting will be held in the school 

cafeteria on February 18 at 2:30pm. The Heron Heights School 

Fair is here! Join us Under the Big Top for some good fun. We 

will have many rides, games, food and an auction booth. Who 

will be Principal for a Day this year? All of this will happen on 

February 21 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. This is a big event, so save 

the date and make sure to stop by to play with us. Don’t forget that 

Thursday, February 26, is an early release day. 

Please remember to visit the PTA website at www.heronheightspta. 

com for the most updated list of events, descriptions and dates. 

Hope everyone has fun this month and Happy Valentine’s Day! 

- Gaby Franklin 

PARK TRAILS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

Love is in the air at Park Trails. We are now more than half way 

through the school year, but there are still plenty of things happening 

at PTE. 

The fourth annual Man in My Life event will be held next month. 

It will feature a sports theme with various games to play and treats 

to eat, and promises to be loads of fun for both students and the 

special men in their lives. For more information, contact adampam@ 

gmail.com. 

A special thank you to everyone involved in our January events. 

Parents had a blast at our first ever Sports & Spirits Adult Night 

to benefit the Playground Project. Thanks to all the parents who 

worked so hard to make this a fun and successful event and to our 

wonderful sponsors. Park Trails would also like to thank everyone 

who contributed last month to the Dan Marino Walk benefiting 

local autism education. 

Our PTA continues to raise funds for the Playground Project. 

Please visit our playground website at www.BuildOurPlayground. 

org for more information about how you and/or your business can 

help us make our playground a reality. Also visit our new Go Fund 

Me website at http://www.GoFundMe.com/PTEPTA. 

There will be no school on Monday, February 16 and early release 

on Thursday 26. Don’t forget to visit the Park Trails PTA website 

at www.ParkTrailsPTA.com for more information and upcoming 

events for the spring. - Erica Cukierman 

68 


RIVERGLADES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

February is here and we are excited to bring 

Riverglades families together for this month’s 

events and good times. Jump right in by joining our 

monthly PTA meeting February 4 at 9:15am in the 

cafeteria. The PTA continues to be busy with more 

fun-filled activities planned for the month and 

remainder of the year. It’s always a good time to get 

involved – we love your support. 

Doughnuts for a donation! Relay For Life of Parkland Team 

Riverglades will be selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts February 

6 after school. You can purchase one for $1 or a dozen for $10. 

Tables will be set up at the front gate for car riders, walkers and 

bikers and by the back gate for bus riders and after care students. 

Each sale supports Team Riverglades 100%. 

At the end of the month, Team Riverglades is in 

full swing with the Relay For Life Coin Drive 

February 23 - 27. You can help continue to fight 

cancer by collecting all your spare coins and bringing 

them in with your child. Every little bit counts 

and can make a big change! 

And, of course, Carnival is fast approaching. Get 

ready for Riverglades’ big event of the year on 

Saturday, March 14. The carnival will feature exciting 

rides and attractions, as well as lots of delicious 

carnival food, and arts and crafts. If you would like to sponsor a 

game or ride, please contact RoseAnn Brown at rmassa@bellsouth. 

net for further details. Be ready to have a blast. Don’t forget to check 

out the RES website www.myvlink.org/rivergladeselementarypta.com. 

Here’s to another great year! P 

- Pam Ofstein 

On February 13, it’s Riverglades PTA’s annual show of heart-filled 

appreciation for our staff - Riverglades Staff Valentine’s Treat Day. 

Nothing is sweeter than showing our Riverglades staff a little love 

(and giving some goodies too) and how much they mean to us. 

Also on February 13, our students will participate in Jump Rope 

for Heart. This is a great event supporting the American Heart 

Association – getting our kids active – and having fun giving back. 

$ 

100 Off 

New clients only. Offer one time per household. 

Cannot be combined with any other offer. 

Expires 2/28/15 

954-756-6243 

the PARKLANDER 69

FROM THE EXPERT / ASK DR. RENAE 

DEAR DR. RENAE, 

I continue to hear from others that my ex-boyfriend 

is saying horrible things about me - and 

it is all lies! It is hard enough to get over the 

break-up, especially since he was my first serious 

boyfriend. His friends are now telling me that 

he said disrespectful things about me while we 

were still together! I feel like everyone is looking 

at me wondering what is true. I can’t talk to my 

parents about this because they never liked him 

and will throw it in my face. My good friends 

tried to tell me he was ‘bad news,’ and I might 

have lost them, since I stopped spending time 

with my friends in order to be with this creep! I 

regret sharing private information about myself 

with him. I thought my secrets were safe - BIG 

MISTAKE!! How do I put the past behind me? 

EX TOLD LIES AND 

ALIENATED FRIENDS 

17 Year-Old Looking For A Fresh Start 

DEAR 17 YEAR-OLD LOOKING 

FOR A FRESH START, 

The most important way for you to move on is to determine who 

your true friends are. Your true friends will believe you. If you feel 

you lost your friendships with your good friends, then apologize to 

them and explain your mistakes. Make things right with the ones 

you love, and then you can move on. What other people say about 

you is insignificant, as long as you are happy with your life. I wish 

you happiness and peace in the future! 

- A caring friend 

DEAR 17 YEAR-OLD LOOKING 

FOR A FRESH START, 

I advise you to make a list of qualities that are important for you 

to have in a boyfriend. Your parents might surprise you with compassion 

if you show them your list. The next time you are feeling 

serious about a guy, take out your list and evaluate if he measures 

up. See if your parents and friends agree with your assessment, 

and give serious thought to the reasons why or why not. Your true 

friends will celebrate your happiness and empathize with your 

heartbreak. P 

- Dr. Renae Lapin 

ASK DR. RENAE is an advice column 

for teens with advice from 

real teenagers. We are currently 

recruiting interested middle and 

high school students to help provide 

advice to their peers. 

All advice is reviewed, selected 

and screened by Dr. Renae Lapin, a licensed 

marriage and family therapist currently 

CALLING 

ALL 

MIDDLE AND 

HIGH SCHOOL 

TEENS 

working for the Broward County School Board’s Family Counseling 

Program. Dr. Renae has 32 years’ experience as a family counselor 

and has been writing a monthly column in the Parklander for the 

past six years on school related and parenting issues. Your advice 

will be published anonymously (but you can tell your friends that 

it is yours!). Teacher recommendation and parent permission required. 

Interested? Write to ASK DR. RENAE for an application at 

askdrrenae@att.net. 

If you are a teen with a question or problem for which you would 

like advice from a peer, write to ASK DR. RENAE for a confidential 

response to your question printed in the Parklander. No names or 

identifying information will be published. Please give your age and/ 

or grade level in school, and let us know if you are a guy or girl. All 

inquiries should be directed to: askdrrenae@att.net. Make sure to 

include ASK DR. RENAE in the subject line. 

70 


(754) 245 - 2674 

CELEBRATING 15 YEARS IN CORAL SPRINGS 

the PARKLANDER 71

PARKLAND LIBRARY EVENTS 

February 2015 

Register Online at www.cityofparkland.org/library or call 954-757-4207 

KNIT N KNOWLEDGE 

Monday, February 2 - 10:30am 

Do you enjoy knitting? Bring your own projects, tips, techniques 

and ideas to share with fellow knitters at the Parkland Library. 

MINECRAFT CLUB 

Wednesday, February 4 - 4:00pm 

Are you crazy about Minecraft and just can’t stop building? The 

Parkland Library’s Minecraft Club is right for you. Kids will get the 

chance to build, explore, share, and learn the basics of Minecraft. 

Participants must bring their own device with Minecraft already 

downloaded. Parkland Library card required to register. 

ALL BOOKED UP: 

THE INVENTION OF WINGS 

BY SUE MONK KIDD 

Saturday, February 7- 10:30am 

Read the book and join us for a discussion 

and refreshments. The story 

follows Hetty “Handful” Grimke, a 

Charleston slave, and Sarah, the daughter 

of the wealthy Grimke family. The 

novel begins on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, 

when she is given ownership over 

Handful, who is to be her handmaid. 

The Invention of Wings follows the next 35 years of their lives. 

Inspired in part by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke (a feminist, 

suffragist and, more importantly, an abolitionist), Kidd allows 

herself to go beyond the record to flesh out the inner lives of all the 

characters, both real and imagined. 

VALENTINE STORIES AND SWEETS 

(ages 7 and up) 

Monday, February 9 - 3:30pm 

Give your heart to books this Valentine’s Day and join us at the 

library for a Valentine-themed story and chocolaty craft to make 

your holiday sweet. Parkland Library card required to register. 

READER’S RING 

(3rd to 5th grade) 

Tuesday, February 10 

4:30pm 

Join us for a book chat for 

third, fourth and fifth graders. 

Read the book before the 

book club meets. The book 

selection for this month will 

be When Life Gives You O.J. 

by Erica S. Perl. We will talk 

about the book, eat a snack 

and make a craft. Reserve 

your copy of the book today! 

72 


HEALTH & WELLNESS 

CHESS CLUB 

Wednesday, February 11 & 25 - 4:15pm 

Parkland Library Chess Club is for children, ages 8 and up. 

Beginners can learn to play, and players meet your match! You 

must be a Parkland Library card holder to join. Children must 

be 8 years or older. Registration is required for each game date. 

Parkland Library card required to register. 

PETALS 2 PETALS: 

FLOWER ARRANGEMENT WORKSHOP 

Wednesday, February 11 - 6:00pm 

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, come make your 

own personal flower arrangement for that special someone. 

Participants will learn the meaning of different colored roses and 

how to properly arrange them for Valentine’s Day. 

TEEN ADVISORY GROUP (TAG) 

Thursday, February 12 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm 

Join TAG, the City of Parkland’s Teen Advisory Group to get 

involved and have an impact in your city. While in TAG, teens have 

the opportunity to not only obtain leadership skills but gain service 

hours through volunteering for Parks and Recreation special 

events, camp programs, and library programs. The Teen Advisory 

Group is open to all Parkland teens aged 14-18. If you have questions 

or would like to be involved in TAG, please contact Miles 

Amos at (954)757-4207 or email mamos@cityofparkland.org. 

COFFEE BAR AND 

BOOK FAIR 

Saturday, December 14 

- 10:00am to 1:00pm 

The book fair will be held in 

the library lobby. Sponsored 

by the Parkland Friends of 

the Library. 

BRICKS AND BOOKS 

Thursday, February 19 - 4:00pm 

Children ages 7 and up, bring your imagination and Lego building 

skills to the library! At each Bricks and Books meeting, we will have 

a new building challenge. Conquer each challenge with a buddy or 

work on your own. Parkland Library card required to register. 

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FILM: 

BROOKLYN LOBSTER 

Saturday, February 21 - 1:00pm 

Giorgio’s Lobster Farm has been a tradition in Brooklyn for over 

65 years. Manned by an eccentric 

crew and serving the best seafood 

in the state, the renowned 

establishment now faces grave 

financial troubles. The Giorgio 

family must find a way to hold 

on to the business or risk losing 

the cornerstone of their identity. 

Under pressure, each member 

of the family is forced to take 

a new tack in their personal 

relationships. (2005) 94 min. 

Stars: Danny Aiello, Jane Curtin, 

Daniel Sauli. Refreshments will 

be served. 

COLLAGE ART CLASS 

Monday, February 23 - 10:30am 

Learn about Amalia Amaki whose art explores African American 

life and culture through the use of photography frequently inlaid 

in boxes, quilts, and fans. She embellishes these pieces with found 

objects, like buttons, beads, flowers, and bits of fabric. Create your 

own unique button collage heart box. 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH MOVIE PROGRAM: 

GET ON UP! THE JAMES BROWN BIOPIC 

Thursday, February 25 

5:00pm 

In recognition of Black 

History month, the City 

of Parkland Library will be 

exploring the life of African 

American musician James 

Brown, better known as the 

‘Godfather of Soul.’ You 

don’t want to miss this critically 

acclaimed film starring 

Chadwick Boseman playing 

the role of James Brown 

alongside Dan Aykroyd and 

Viola Davis. Snacks and 

refreshments will be provided 

during the movie. 

TEEN MOVIE CLUB: 

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 

Saturday, February 28 - 1:00pm 

Come to the Parkland Library for another installment of the Teen 

Movie Club for the presentation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated 

turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect their 

home. Participants will enjoy popcorn, pizza, and refreshments. P 

JANUARY the PARKLANDER 2015 

73

SAVE THE DATE 

The Parkland Chamber of Commerce is planning 

an event to be held on Sunday, May 3, 

2015, from 4:00pm to 10:00pm at the Parkland 

Amphitheater. The event is to benefit Tomorrow’s 

Dreams Today, a non-profit organization 

supporting and providing programs for children 

and young adults with special needs. 

The program is expected to include a children’s 

talent show, the band Classic Rock Therapy, 

and a disc jockey doing audience participation 

activities. Prior to the program, various vendors 

and providers will be on hand dispensing 

food and products, as well as some food trucks. 

There will also be an area for children’s activities, 

including a bounce house, face painting, 

and some carnival games, as well as a display 

of antique/classic cars. 

Sponsorships at different levels are still open. For 

more information, please email Jack Kornreich 

at publisher@theparklander.com. Also, email 

him if you want to be put on the list to receive 

more information about the talent show and 

the event as it becomes available. Please put 

“Email List” in the subject line. P 

Valentineʼs Day 

Special! 

Call For Details 

74 


the PARKLANDER 75

MEDICAL 

DIGITAL 

Retinal 

IMA GING 

An important diagnostic tool 

By Tamara L. Maule, O.D. 

It’s been said that our eyes are the windows to our souls. That might be true, but more importantly, 

looking into your eyes reveals so much more about your health than just how well you see. 

Since your eyes are transparent in a way 

that the rest of your organs are not, they 

provide your eye doctor a unique glimpse 

of what is occurring in the rest of your 

body. Many eye problems can develop 

without you noticing any change at first. 

In fact, you may not even be aware of any 

damage until you have already lost some 

vision. Fortunately, most eye diseases, as 

well as many health problems, can often 

be diagnosed before they ever impact your 

vision or health. Thanks to new state of the 

art technology, such as the Daytona digital 

retinal imaging system, this view into your 

eyes and into your health is fast, easy and 

comfortable for everyone. 

The Daytona is the latest version of the 

Optomap ultra-widefield digital retinal 

imaging technology. It is a non-invasive test 

Daytona 

digital retinal 

imaging system 

and creates an instantaneous digital scan of 

the retina by capturing a 200-degree view 

in only a quarter of a second. The Daytona 

imaging system also stores a permanent 

record of your eyes for future comparison, 

which allows your eye doctor to identify 

any subtle changes that may appear over 

time. Any changes, no matter how small, 

might be an indication that a progressive 

condition exists which should be monitored 

or treated. 

With optomap 

ultra-widefield 

retinal imaging 

Without optomap 

Your retina is the only place in your body 

where blood vessels can be examined intact. 

This means that your eyes can help your eye 

doctor detect diseases such as diabetes or 

high blood pressure, or even predict the 

possibility of heart disease or a stroke. 

Monitoring your eyes for any changes is 

vital to keep you seeing clearly. And examining 

the tiny blood vessels of the eye for 

any subtle changes, such as small hemorrhages 

or emboli, is important to help keep 

the rest of you healthy. 

with autoimmune or inflammatory disorders 

are sometimes diagnosed during an 

eye exam, since changes in the optic nerve 

head appearance might occur before other 

symptoms. Multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, 

and brain tumors are just some of the conditions 

that can be found through retinal 

imaging tests. 

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible 

to the eye,” to quote H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 

And sometimes, the eye will not show us 

what is invisible unless we look inside. We 

all want to protect our eyesight, and that is 

why it’s so important to have an eye health 

examination to keep you not only seeing 

well, but also staying well. P 

Tamara L. Maule, O.D., the owner of Dr. 

Tamara Maule & Associates in Boca Raton, has 

been in practice since 1990 and uses the Daytona 

retinal imaging system on all her patients. 

Your optic nerve is another structure that 

is visible in the back of your eye. Patients 

Your retina is the only place in your body where blood 

vessels can be examined intact. 

76 


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78 


the PARKLANDER 79

MEDICAL 

COMMON, 

MANAGEABLE 

By Dr. Allison Holley, MD 

Many times, when patients hear the diagnosis of diabetes, they 

become afraid and worried. Diabetes is extremely common and 

is a chronic disease that is manageable. Diabetes is the leading 

cause of blindness, amputations, and kidney disease, but it does 

not mean that everyone with diabetes will 

have one of these outcomes. Diabetes can 

be managed by diet, exercise, oral medications, 

insulin or a combination of these. 

In fact, many people live with diabetes for 

years and are able to control it and enjoy 

happy, healthy lives. Patients who are at 

risk for diabetes due to obesity, other illnesses 

such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, or a family 

history of diabetes, should be tested for this on a yearly basis. Early 

diagnosis is one of the keys to preventing complications and progression 

of this disease. 

Once the diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes is made, it is helpful 

for a patient to attend a diabetes education class or visit a nutritionist 

which is often covered by insurance. Diabetics should have 

a yearly eye exam in order to check for diabetic eye complications 

such as diabetic retinopathy and should have a yearly foot exam by 

their primary care provider or podiatrist to check for and prevent 

or treat foot problems such as calluses, safe toenail trimming, and 

education on proper foot care. Patients with diabetes should never 

go barefoot and should always wear supportive, well-fitting shoes. 

Certified pedorthists can fit diabetics with special shoes to ensure 

a good fit that does not rub or irritate the skin. Diabetics should 

check their feet on a daily basis to find any small cuts, blisters, 

wounds, or calluses that can be treated early to prevent them from 

developing into diabetic ulcerations or infections which could lead 

to amputations. 

Patients with diabetes should 

never go barefoot and should 

always wear supportive, wellfitting 

shoes. 

The American Heart Association recommends exercising for 150 

minutes per week of moderate exercise. An easy way to remember 

this is thirty minutes per day, five days per week. For many people 

that sounds like a lot of exercise. I recommend that patients start 

slowly and increase on a weekly basis. 

For example, if the patient is not really 

doing any exercise at all, they can start 

with doing 10 minutes of walking per day 

for five days for the first week. Then they 

can increase to 15 minutes for five days 

per week for the next week and continue 

increasing the length of time as well as 

the intensity until they reach the recommended amount of time. 

Walking, swimming, biking, jogging, strength training, core exercises, 

yoga, and sports activities are just a few ways to get moving. 

If the patient has arthritis, swimming or water aerobics may be a 

good option to prevent worsening of their arthritis pain. 

There are many diets out there including fad diets. It is important 

to remember that it should not be a temporary diet to lose weight 

quickly, but a lifestyle change to lose weight in a healthy manner. 

A weight loss of one to two pounds per week is considered a safe 

amount of weight to lose. Unfortunately, there is no miracle pill 

or fountain of youth. Weight loss takes time, determination, and 

consistency. Counting calories through programs like Weight 

Watchers, free online tools, or apps for the smartphone or following 

the Mediterranean diet are healthy lifestyle approaches that 

can be sustained long-term. P 

Dr. Allison Holley, MD is a Family Medicine physician at South 

Florida Family Health & Research Centers in Plantation. 

80 


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* ADOLESCENT & ADULT WELLNESS EXAMS 

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84 


Expires 2/28/15

DENTISTRY 

Ceramic Tooth 

Restoration 

In only one visit with CEREC 

By Dr. Fabiola Liendo, DDS 

CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of 

Esthetic Ceramics) can generate high-quality 

dental restorations with the aid of 3D computer 

technology and a milling machine. 

There was a desperate voicemail left on my cell phone from one of 

our patients on a Sunday night. Janice was having a nice dinner at 

the Cheesecake Factory with her teenage boys and husband. All of 

a sudden, she bit onto something really hard, her lower right side 

started hurting and a piece of her tooth was missing. Janice knew 

she had really large old silver fillings done when she was a teenager. 

Her former dentist recommended replacing them with crowns, but 

she thought to herself - I am OK. They don’t hurt at all. I don’t 

need to have crowns. 

The next morning, our first patient of the day was Janice, a 44 

year old mom. Luckily the tooth was not hurting at that point, 

but she could feel that at least the tongue side of her tooth was 

not there anymore. Disappointed, she told 

me: “I knew this could happen, but since my 

teeth were not hurting, I just let time go by. 

I should have listened to my old dentist.” 

After evaluating Janice’s tooth, it was clear 

that her lower right first molar (her second 

tooth starting from the back as she called 

it) was missing at least two-thirds of tooth 

structure. The good news was that no root 

canal was needed, but this time a crown was 

the only option. 

After placing anesthetic on Janice’s tooth, I 

noticed extra fractures and a good amount 

of caries under the left of the silver filling. 

“I am not surprised this tooth broke, Janice. It was all decayed 

underneath that huge silver filling,” I told her, and she looked at 

me with a sad face. “Do not worry, we will get your tooth back to 

normal today,” I reassured her. 

Removing all the fractured pieces of tooth left and reinforcing 

the tooth with a build-up didn’t take too long. Then my assistant 

and I started taking optical impressions of Janice’s tooth, which is 

basically going around her teeth with a special camera that copies 

all the structures found inside of Janice’s mouth. This helped me 

create a brand new tooth, thus improving the anatomy and esthetic 

of her tooth. This wonderful technology is called CEREC. 

But, what is CEREC? CEREC is an acronym for Chairside 

Economical Restoration of Aesthetic Ceramics. Translated, it 

means that a dentist can economically restore damaged teeth in 

a single appointment, using a high-quality ceramic material that 

Before treatment, fractured tooth with an 

existing old amalgam filling with caries, 

and after, tooth restored with CEREC. 

matches the natural color of the other teeth. CEREC is comprised 

of a digital infrared camera, a medical grade computer and a milling 

machine, all located on site. The system allows dentists to 

repair a damaged tooth in one single dental visit using tooth-colored 

ceramic restorations. The camera takes an optical impression 

of the tooth, eliminating the need for uncomfortable impression 

molds, and uploads the image to the computer. Once in the system, 

we use special software to design the restoration. Then the CAM 

(Computer Aided Manufacturing) system takes over to automatically 

create the restoration while the patient waits. Finally, the new 

custom-crafted restoration is bonded to the remaining healthy 

tissue of the tooth. 

Once we chose the color of Janice’s tooth 

and the right porcelain material for her, we 

bonded the crown over her tooth. She was 

so excited to have her brand new natural 

looking tooth back. “Now I see the neighbor 

tooth with that horrible silver filling, and 

I am afraid it will also break. I will come 

back next week to have it fixed before I have 

another broken tooth.” And she did come 

back. 

Like Janice, most of us are afraid to have 

dental treatment done, but sometimes waiting 

just doesn’t mean that tooth is going to get any better. In fact, 

it could lead to more complications like root canals or sometimes 

teeth extractions, when it is too late to save the teeth. 

The ability of CEREC to meet the clinical needs of the dentist 

and the expectations of our patients to achieve the aesthetic needs 

is very well documented, and the long-term results have been 

well proven to rival that of porcelain metal restorations. Porcelain 

veneers, inlays and onlays, porcelain crowns, implant crowns and 

even porcelain bridges are now available for single-visit restorations, 

but CEREC may not apply in certain cases. A dentist’s 

judgement and a complete and comprehensive evaluation are necessary 

to determine if CEREC is right for the patient. P 

Dr. Fabiola Liendo, DDS practices at Sawgrass Dental Arts in 


86 


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88 


ADVERTORIAL 

Do you have an 

BY KENNETH N. WOLINER, M.D., A.B.F.M. 

Optimal Thyroid? 

“I have tried every diet known to man (or moms) these last few 

years – 

to no avail.” 

Alyson continued to tell me her story. “For example, this past 

summer, my best friend flew me to their home in Sonoma for an 

entire month. We ate nothing but organic everything, lean protein, 

I drank 150 ounce-plus of water a day and did a high intensity 

workout every morning mixing up interval training with boot camp 

at her gym. In exactly 30 days – I lost a grand total of THREE pounds. 

I didn’t even lose the initial ‘water weight’ everyone else loses.” 

I empathized, “It’s hard to stay motivated with minimal results.” 

“I’m willing to starve myself, if that would work. I even did two 

rounds of hCG. My wallet’s lighter, but that’s about it.” 

“The FDA recently published a website, www.fda.gov/hcgdiet, 

detailing how hCG diet products are illegal, and how restrictive diets 

such as that one can cause electrolyte disturbances, an irregular 

heartbeat and are potentially fatal.” I continued, “But looking at your 

diet history, I don’t think the problem is one of eating too much.” 

“Dr. Woliner, what else could it be? I have a friend that blew up 

taking Abilify for her depression, and another while on Actos for 

diabetes, but I’m not on any medications.” 

“It’s true that many drugs have weight gain as a common side 

effect [1]. But there are other causes of weight gain. With your 

other symptoms of cold intolerance, fatigue, and constipation, I’m 

thinking that you have an untreated thyroid condition [2].” 

“I begged my other doctors to treat me for that, but they all said 

no.” 

“Some doctors focus too much on lab tests without considering 

the patient’s history and physical exam findings [3]. Thyroid 

hormone resistance is more common than people realize.” 

Alyson sat with a puzzled look on her face. “So, even if these 

doctors said my tests were normal, I might still have a thyroid 

problem? [4]” 

“The word ‘normal’ has many meanings. There is a difference 

between ‘common’ and ‘optimal’ [5]. Rather than using a range that 

includes people who are overweight and being treated for high 

cholesterol and other conditions, perhaps it would be better to use 

narrower ranges of persons who feel ‘dandy’ [6].” 

“Does anyone even use that word anymore?” 

“My practice is built on patient-to-patient referrals. Just liking my 

bedside manner is not enough to convince your friends to see me. 

You have to glow. So yes, I do plan on making you feel dandy.” 

After finishing Alyson’s physical exam, my staff used our Korr 

indirect calorimetry machine to measure her metabolic rate [7]. 

“You’re at ‘minus 20%’. That’s one of slowest metabolism’s I’ve ever 

seen!” 

“How do we fix that?” 

“I use a holistic approach that combines behavior changes, diet, 

exercise, supplements, and of course medications [8,9]. I prefer to 

use T3 based drugs as they have been shown to cause significantly 

more weight loss than T4 drugs such as Synthroid alone [10].” 

As I ramped up Alyson’s dose of thyroid medication, her fatigue 

and other symptoms began to resolve. To be on the safe side, I 

periodically rechecked her EKG and bone density, which remained 

normal [11]. 

“Dr. Woliner, your scale says I only lost 49 pounds, but at home, 

naked, I’m down 51!” 

“ 

Thyroid hormone resistance 

is more common than 

people realize. 

“ 

REFERENCES: 

[1] Singh T. Aripiprazole-induced weight gain. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 

2005 Jun;2(6):19. [2] de Moura Souza A, Sichieri R. 

Association between serum TSH concentration within the normal 

range and adiposity. Eur J Endocrinol. 2011 Jul;165(1):11-5. 

[3] Kalra S, Khandelwal SK. Why are our hypothyroid patients 

unhappy? Is tissue hypothyroidism the answer? Indian J 

Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Jul;15(Suppl 2):S95-8. 

[4] Dickey RA, Wartofsky L, Feld S. Optimal thyrotropin level: normal 

ranges and reference intervals are not equivalent. Thyroid. 2005 

Sep;15(9):1035-9. 

[5] Gurnell M, Halsall DJ, Chatterjee VK. What should be done when 

thyroid function tests do not make sense? Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 

2011 Jun;74(6):673-8. 

[6] Shomon M. The Optimal Treatment for Hypothyroidism – 

Interview with Dr. Ken Woliner. http://thyroid.about.com. January 

10, 2011. 

[7] Kim B. Thyroid hormone as a determinant of energy expenditure 

and the basal metabolic rate. Thyroid. 2008 Feb;18(2):141-4. 

[8] Singh P, et al. The impact of yoga upon female patients suffering 

from hypothyroidism. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 

Aug;17(3):132-4. 

[9] Schomburg L. Treating Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with selenium: no 

risks, just benefits? Thyroid. 2011 May;21(5):563-4. 

[10] Celi FS, et al. Metabolic effects of liothyronine therapy in 

hypothyroidism: a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial of 

liothyronine versus levothyroxine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 

Nov; 96(11): 3466-74. 

[11] Ricken R, et al. Long-term treatment with supraphysiological 

doses of thyroid hormone in affective disorders - effects 

on bone mineral density. J Affect Disord. 2012 

Jan;136(1-2):e89-94. 

Dr. Kenneth Woliner is a board-certified family medicine 

physician in private practice in Boca Raton. He can be reached 

at: Holistic Family Medicine; 9325 Glades Road, #104, 

Boca Raton, FL 3343 ~ 561-314-0950 

the PARKLANDER knw6@cornell.edu ; www.holisticfamilymed.com 

89

HEALTH & WELLNESS 

WHAT IS 

HYPNOSIS 

and what can it do for you? 

The different reactions I get when I tell people what I do for a 

living amaze me. They think about a stage hypnotist they saw or a 

movie or television show they watched that sometimes leave the 

wrong impression about how hypnotherapy works. Hopefully, this 

article will clear up any misconceptions. 

Hypnosis is a relaxed state in which your conscious-analytical 

reasoning mind allows the hypnotherapist to have a conversation 

with your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind controls 

all the functions of the body. It is your personal operating system 

for your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and 

sex drive. Your subconscious mind stores beliefs, habits, and your 

entire lifetime of memories forever. It operates 24/7 and controls 

87-96% of your perception and behavior. 

Events happen - big and small - which cause an emotional 

reaction. These emotional reactions form a belief system in the 

subconscious mind. It’s not a coincidence that many of the issues 

plaguing you today, such as obesity, alcohol or drug abuse, stress, 

anger, sadness, trust issues, low self-esteem, fear, guilt, and the like, 

all stem from your subconscious mind. 

Hypnosis uses certain techniques, language patterns, and metaphors 

(to mention a few) to bypass what is called ‘the critical 

factor.’ This critical factor is like an imaginary line, with guards 

at the gate, between your conscious and subconscious mind. These 

hypnotic techniques allow you to implement positive thoughts, 

heal old memories and change perceptions that you have had for a 

long time. In this way, you can bring about lasting positive change 

for your greatest good. 

By Garry Melfa, CHT 

Hypnosis provides a natural, yet altered, relaxed 

state of mind. It is neither magic, mysterious, 

nor scary. You will leave feeling refreshed, motivated, 

and self-confident. 

There is a lot of information about hypnosis that can be found all 

over the Internet. Many people, however, either do not believe it 

will work for them or have fears about what would happen if it 

did work for them. Let me put your mind at ease. You will never 

do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You will not be brainwashed. 

You can end a session at anytime. You will remember the 

whole session. And, finally, you will not get stuck in a hypnotic 

state. Hypnosis provides a natural, yet altered, relaxed state of 

mind. It is neither magic, mysterious, nor scary. You will leave 

feeling refreshed, motivated, and self-confident. 

I have seen remarkable transformations and manifestations help 

clients overcome many issues - from such things as improving 

study/exam performance, stuttering, relationships, social anxiety, 

smoking, weight loss, and bad childhood situations. For me personally, 

hypnosis truly works, and it has helped me many times 

over the years. Hypnosis can also help you reach your personal, 

professional, and financial goals. P 

Garry Melfa is a Clinical Hypnotherapist (CHT) practicing at 

Millennium Hypnotherapy in Boca Raton. 

90 


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the PARKLANDER 91

GUY TALK 

By Mark Bohm 

EXERCISE YOUR 

STRESS AWAY 

Producing “happy chemicals” 

I play fantasy football. Been in the same 

league, with mostly the same group of 

guys, since circa 1998. Haven’t won it since 

that first year, and before this past season, 

hadn’t even sniffed the playoffs for a long 

time. So, with three weeks remaining in 

my league’s regular season, as I proudly 

admired my team sitting atop the standings 

in first place, I was afforded a feeling 

of fantasy league satisfaction I hadn’t felt in 

years. Eleven weeks down, only three left in 

the regular season, and I figured that probably 

even one win, in any of the remaining 

weeks 12, 13 or 14, would clinch my team 

a playoff spot. 

I never got that one win. In week 14, the 

final week of the regular season, with nearly 

a forty point lead going into Monday night, 

I sat helplessly as the Packers and Falcons 

got into a shootout at Lambeau, and my 

opponents, Aaron Rodgers and Steven 

Jackson, combined their efforts to nail my 

team’s coffin shut. My first legitimate shot 

in years for a title was dashed, and I was 

down. I hadn’t taken my fantasy participation 

very seriously for a long time, but for 

whatever reason, this past season I thought 

I had the right team and I wanted it. 

Tuesday morning, with the disappointment 

still lingering, I set out for my first 

jog in several days. I don’t listen to music 

when I run. Instead, I let my mind wander, 

I just think. And as I ran that morning, 

despite at times revisiting the football 

week that was, including the could-haves 

and should-haves of my fantasy team mismanagement, 

with every passing mile (and 

there were only about three in total), the 

gloom steadily dissipated. After a stop at 

the gym for a quick weight exercise circuit, 

I returned home feeling myself again. 

The phenomenon of exercise lifting my 

mood is one I’ve noticed for years. There 

is no doubt in my mind that, for me, prolonged 

periods without working out causes 

my mood to lean more towards irritable. 

I even used to half-jokingly tell my wife 

before leaving for the gym that I’m off to 

produce some happy chemicals in my brain. 

A recent scientific study seems to explain 

that my experience is no joke at all. A 

study conducted at Karolinska Institutet 

in Sweden, and published in the journal 

Cell, showed that exercise helped to protect 

against depression induced by stress. 

Principal investigator Jorge Ruas, PhD, 

and his team, found that mice with high 

levels of a certain protein in their skeletal 

muscle – a protein produced by exercise – 

did not exhibit depressive symptoms when 

exposed to stressors. This was in contrast to 

normal mice which did demonstrate signs 

of depression. The study further revealed 

that the mice with more of the protein 

had higher amounts of an enzyme which 

protects against a substance formed during 

stress. 

This month the Parklander is highlighting 

men’s health issues. Although we might 

typically think of men’s health as a subject 

related to our reproductive parts, our 

mental health is just as integral, if not 

more so, to feeling good. According to the 

American Psychiatric Association’s website, 

www.psychiatry.org, over six million 

men suffer from depression each year. It’s 

a serious condition that should be diagnosed 

and treated by a professional. I’m no 

mental health professional. But I do know 

that for this guy, getting in my regular 

workouts helps me keep a more positive 

state of mind. 

If and when I’m feeling glum, I’ll try to 

remember to move my lazy self off the sofa 

and get some exercise. And as for fantasy 

football, I’ll get them next year. P 

92 


the PARKLANDER 93

DIETICIAN’S VIEW 

Here are some of the more common challenges for aging people 

with diabetes mellitus that you will want to discuss with your 

provider: 

Vision Care: More than 28 percent of people over the age of 

40 living with diabetes experience diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic 

retinopathy is damage to the small blood vessels in the retina than 

can result in loss of vision. As people age their vision deteriorates, 

especially if blood glucose levels are uncontrolled. Cataracts can 

also contribute to poor vision. Poor vision makes it more difficult 

to read the directions on medications, to see blood glucose levels 

on a meter, or even to walk down stairs without falling. Have your 

vision checked regularly. 

Hearing Care: People with diabetes are twice as likely to experience 

hearing loss as those without diabetes, suggesting that it may 

be a complication of the disease. Hearing loss is a gradual process 

that occurs with age. All seniors should have their hearing checked 

on a regular basis, and those with diabetes should be diligent about 

this. 

CHALLENGES TO 

DIABETES CARE 

As you grow older 

By Nancy M. Ouhib, MBA, RDN, LDN 

Approximately one out of four Americans 

over the age of sixty have diabetes mellitus. 

Managing the disease can become more 

difficult as people enter their golden years. 

Two of the most important things aging people can do is admit 

they need help and ask for it. This applies to all medical conditions 

that may be pertinent. In regards to diabetes, a lot of people do not 

want to admit that they are not checking their glucose levels. If you 

find that you cannot comply with your self regimen, it is important 

to talk to your health care provider. Being honest will allow you to 

work together to come up with a system that is realistic for you. It 

is also important to let your provider know about any changes that 

your body is going through even if they seem minor to you. For 

example, you need to tell your physician if you are feeling weak, 

tired, or light-headed. Pay attention to your body, and when something 

does not feel right, you need to tell someone. The smallest 

change may be important to note for a person with diabetes. 

Technology: Technological advances are intended to make life 

simpler. These advances can actually make things more difficult for 

people who do not adapt well to changes in their medical devices 

or routines. There are devices in use now that track and record glucose 

levels over time. For a senior that does not understand how to 

operate the device, he may not know what the number registering 

on the device is for – whether it is today or seven days ago. It is best 

to get equipment that is as simple as possible. Make sure you ask 

your provider to explain to you how to use the device and practice 

in front of him/her until you are comfortable with it. 

Medication: Seniors should keep a card in their wallet listing 

what medications they are taking, how much and when. The same 

information should be available in the home in a visible location. 

Medications should be timed around meals or when a caregiver 

is available so that medications are taken as directed. Every effort 

should be made to accommodate the person’s restrictions and 

capabilities, so compliance can be achieved. 

Fine Motor Skills: The elderly struggle with fine motor skills, 

and these can be worsened by arthritis and vision problems. Daily 

diabetes self-care, such as picking up a test strip, loading a syringe 

or giving an injection, can be difficult and stressful. Family members 

need to be aware of this and make sure a caregiver is available 

to assist with these tasks. 

Stay Active: Aging joints, shortness of breath, slower movement, 

and fear of falling can discourage seniors from being active when, 

in fact, in most cases they need to remain active. Being sedentary 

only worsens the above challenges. People should always check 

with their provider regarding their exercise and activity level based 

on their medical conditions. 

Altering your diabetes care routine can help you to focus on safety, 

health, and less stress. This allows you to improve your daily function 

and quality of life. P 

94 


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96 


the PARKLANDER 97

GOLF GAB 

RED LIGHT–GREEN LIGHT 

A great pre-shot method 

By John Nelson 

A Full Service 

Golf Car Company 

Golf Car Sales & Expert Repairs 

954-977-4131 

Margate, Florida 

Much discussion about the golf swing has become technical and 

mechanical. Yes, it is important to understand how your golf swing 

can work best for you. Having proper swing fundamentals will 

allow you to repeat good consistent golf shots. It is also important 

to be mentally ready to hit each shot. A great pre-shot method to 

use when playing golf is Red Light-Green Light. How to apply 

this method is like using stop lights at intersections. When the 

light is red you stop, and when it is green you go. Your mind set 

needs to be in the green light mode – go with confidence! 

Prior to making a swing on 

the golf course, your mental 

thought process is to achieve 

the green light level, thus giving 

you the confidence and assurance 

to make the shot without 

any hesitations. You do not 

want to have hesitations or 

doubts when hitting your shots. 

Also, thinking about too many 

physical and technical thoughts 

creates yellow or red light scenarios 

that can result in negative 

thoughts and bad swings. While 

on the golf course, nobody 

wants to play bad golf and not 

enjoy himself. 

To achieve a green light mind 

set with a positive, confident 

and ready attitude, the player 

must do the pre-shot routine 

This photo shows a green balloon above 

my head indicating that my mind is in 

the green light mode before I swing. Be 

ready, positive and confidently committed. 

Then Go! 

consistently and correctly for each shot. A good routine would be 

having a positive objective, a correct set-up, proper yardage, and 

the ability to visualize the correct ball flight. Then take a practice 

swing and feel the swing that will be required to hit the shot. Now 

allow your mind and body to be in a positive … green light mode 

and swing with confidence and commitment. If you are not ready 

mentally, do not swing until you go from the Red Light to Green 

Light mode. Regardless of your level of play, you can benefit from 

this Red Light-Green Light method. You have to practice this 

method to achieve success. Try doing drills on the range or the 

chipping and putting green. You will be amazed at your success. 

Enjoy this method and have fun playing! P 

John Nelson is a South Florida PGA Hall of Famer and Director of 

Instruction at the Country Club of Coral Springs. He can be reached at 

its website at www.ccofcs.com. 

98 


EQUESTRIAN NEWS 

MANDY SHIPE 

An example of sportsmanship 

By Donice Muccio 

Last year, Mandy Shipe, Malachi’s student of ten years, was 

crowned Coral Springs High School Homecoming Queen. 

Mandy is very bright and has an amazing future ahead of her, 

because she is extremely reliable and self-motivated in all that 

she does. 

Mandy is kind with everyone at the barn and always willing to 

help regardless of the need. Although she has never owned her 

own horse, Mandy treated one special horse, Aladdin, as her 

own. She successfully showed Aladdin for several years at the 

Parkland Horse Show (PHA). Mandy has always been a true 

example of sportsmanship, as she never displayed any disappointment 

with her favorite horse when she didn’t have a perfect 

ride. Her real joy was being with Aladdin, and her genuine love 

for this special horse is evident each day Mandy visits the barn. 

Mandy is a senior now, which means another wonderful student 

that feels like part of the family will be leaving in the fall to attend 

college. I know when she visits her family in Coral Springs, she 

will visit her home away from home - Malachi Acres. We are 

very fond of Mandy and wish her the full life of joy that this 

special young lady gives to everyone she meets. P 

the PARKLANDER 99

PET TALK 

A Dog’s 

Purpose 

Remembering and 

Grieving for Buffy 

By Glenn Kalick, D.V.M. 

Sometimes I feel like I am as much a therapist as I am a boss to 

my employees. One day, one of our favorite patients, Buffy, passed 

away on the day of the owner’s father’s funeral. We spent a lot 

of time in the past year with Buffy and her owner. Buffy was a 

survivor of orthopedic disease, severe allergies and pancreatitis and 

was currently being treated for chronic kidney failure by coming 

in three to five times a week for fluid therapy. Buffy and her owner 

spent 15-30 minutes a night with us, and in all that time, a very 

special bond was created. 

So when Buffy passed on the night of the funeral, my staff was 

devastated not only for the owner but for themselves. They questioned 

the sense of fairness, and there was a strong feeling of 

melancholy in the hospital. I thought it would pass, but after two 

hours I needed to bring the staff together to have them talk it out. 

Many questioned religion, some were upset over the unfortunate 

timing, but I wanted to emphasize to them that I believe that Buffy 

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had a purpose. Years ago I wrote an article about an owner who 

had to put his paralyzed dog to sleep the day before his wife was 

scheduled to give birth to his twin girls, and my feeling was that 

this dog’s purpose was to make him the best father to his children 

by giving him the patience and nurturing that was necessary to 

take care of a paralyzed pet. 

Buffy was a great dog, friend, and patient, but her role was more 

than that. The owner was going through a tough time. Taking care 

of sick parents and traveling to Miami every day was stressful. 

Buffy was a happy face that greeted the owner every day after the 

trip. Even though after a tough day, coming to the animal hospital 

might not have been the perfect ending to the day, it did take her 

mind off of the familial stress. Buffy was always happy. She took 

her medicine like a champ and never acted like a sickly animal. 

Buffy went on vacation with the owners, and when she didn’t, 

everyone wanted to take care of her. 

I let the staff talk and tears were shed. However, I wanted to 

emphasize that Buffy’s purpose in life was to be the reason that 

the owner smiled every night when familial circumstances were 

not ideal and stress was high. She was one of the high points of 

the day, and a friendly face that did not care what went on during 

the day - just happy that the owner was home. Buffy’s purpose was 

to support the family in the only way she could, and when her job 

was done, her little body gave out. Buffy knew that she could not 

give anymore. She survived as long as she could, and only stopped 

when she knew that her family did not need her anymore. Buffy 

allowed the family to spend as much time as they needed with the 

father and pushed through her pancreatitis, orthopedic pain and 

kidney failure because her family needed her strength and positive 

personality. The staff listened and cried some more, but our memories 

of Buffy are for the great personality that she had. Great dog, 

great family and even better memories. P 

Glenn Kalick, D.V.M., is the owner of Brookside Animal Hospital of 


100 FEBRUARY JANUARY 2015 2015


Coral Financial Group 

an Independent Insurance Agency 

Serving Coral Springs clients 

Specializing bridal jewelry, 

loose diamonds and custom design 

since 1993 

Coral Financial Group is a full-service independent insurance 

agency specializing in personal home and auto, with a full 

range of personal and commercial coverage. The agency offers 

auto, home, boat, flood, personal umbrella, commercial general 

liability, commercial property, worker’s comp, life ... and more 

insurance, and has access to many different insurance carriers, 

not just one company. Working with a vast range of commercial 

underwriters, Coral can always offer a policy for any and all 

aspects of your business ventures, from insuring your store or 

warehouse to your commercial vehicles ... even high rise condos 

and homeowners associations. 

Owner John Amodeo, with 40 years of insurance experience, 

says, “The best part of this business is being able to help our 

clients. Insurance is something that can be very confusing and 

stressful for most people. We pride ourselves on being an agency 

that cares for its clients like our own family. We always try to 

make sure our clients get the best we have to offer, personally 

and professionally.” Following a career with Mutual of Omaha, 

Amodeo continued his passion for insurance by opening his 

own agency in his hometown of Coral Springs in 1993. And 

Coral Financial group now has 21 successful years in the community 

helping people protect some of their most valued assets. 

One of the main reasons for Coral Financial’s success is 

Amodeo’s philosophy. “We are not your typical insurance 

agency just trying to ‘sell’ you. We want to make sure you have 

the right coverage at the right price. We customize the policy 

that is right for you, not what is right for us.” It must be working 

because Coral Financial’s biggest referral source is word of 

mouth. “When you do right by a customer, they tend to send 

you many other clients.” P 

Coral Financial Group is located at 9764 West Sample Road in 

Coral Springs, between University and Coral Springs Drive, two 

doors down from Runyons restaurant. Contact them by phone (954- 

345-2600 or 954-345-2614), Email (Coralfin1@aol.com) or visit 

their webpage (www.coralfinancial.com). Office hours are Monday 

through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. 

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the PARKLANDER 101

FINANCE 

2015 ANNUAL 

FINANCE ISSUE 

Money, budgeting and finance in general. 

It’s a tough issue for the majority of us, but 

one we must all address. Should we spend 

now or save for later unforeseen circumstances 

and retirement? How much should 

we spend and how much should we save? 

Should we invest what we save or just let 

it safely sit accruing interest? Which investments 

are safe and which are risky? These 

issues and more are addressed in this section’s 

six articles. There are topics that range 

from credit unions to real estate, from Bitcoins 

to investment, and from retirement 

to the middle class. Regardless of age, we 

hope you find some answers to your questions 

on the following pages. 

IN THIS SECTION 

103 CREDIT UNIONS: A credit union executive 

compares banks and credit unions. 

104 REAL ESTATE: Five local top-selling realtors 

give their opinions of the current state of 

the south Florida market. 

106 BITCOINS: This controversial Internetbased 

currency is explained. 

107 BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS: A financial 

advisor analyzes bonds, funds and 

their ratings. 

108 RETIREMENT: A wealth manager offers 

advice for those planning to retire 

out of state. 

109 THE MIDDLE CLASS: Our middle class, 

formerly the largest in the U.S., appears 

to be shrinking. 

102 


FINANCE 

ARE CREDIT UNIONS FOR YOU? By Sandra Spence 

How are they 

different 

from banks? 

While the two entities 

provide financial services 

for the community, there 

are fundamental differences 

in philosophy and 

the way they affect 

your pocketbook. 

Credit unions are a viable alternative to 

banks. Although credit unions have been 

in America since the 1850s, the majority of 

Americans knows nothing about them. Walk 

into a credit union and a bank branch, and it’s 

hard to tell the difference. Both are likely to 

have drive thru windows, vaults and a teller 

counter with polite employees. Credit unions 

and banks are similar because both provide 

financial services to the public, have deposit 

insurance so your money is safe, and are government 

regulated. 

But this is where the similarity ends for the 

most part. While the two entities provide 

financial services for the community, there are 

fundamental differences in philosophy and 

the way they affect your pocketbook. Here 

are some of the more outstanding differences: 

PROFIT vs. NOT-FOR-PROFIT: Banks 

are profit-driven institutions, which pay 

dividends to stockholders and interest to 

their account holders. Credit unions are notfor-profit 

and return their earnings to their 

members. What does this mean? It means 

that these profits are returned to credit union 

members directly in terms of higher returns 

on investments, lower fees and rates on loans, 

and higher interest and lower fees on deposits. 

OWNERSHIP: Banks are owned by their 

stockholders. Credit unions are owned by 

their members. Each member has an equal 

say in the institution regardless of how much 

money they have on deposit. With local ownership 

and management, credit unions are 

generally more flexible in their loan decision 

process. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Banks are usually 

large regional entities with many employees 

who do not know their customers. The smaller 

size of a credit union means better service to 

its members who are generally well known by 

employees at the credit union’s branches. 

BOARD MEMBERS: Credit unions are 

governed by a volunteer board of directors, 

elected by and from the organization’s membership. 

Large banks usually have a board of 

trustees, who represent the interests of their 

stockholders. 

FINANCIAL EDUCATION: Credit 

unions assist their members and customers 

to become better-educated consumers of 

financial services. They do this with readily 

available online resources, group seminars 

and one-to-one counseling. Banks do not 

emphasize financial education. 

SOCIAL WORKS: The primary goal of 

banks is to create profits and maximize the 

bottom line. Social work in the community 

is a distant secondary aim at best. The goal of 

every credit union is to serve all their members 

well, including those of modest means. 

This people-first philosophy drives credit 

unions and their employees to get involved in 

community charitable activities and worthwhile 

causes. 

The Credit Union National Association 

(CUNA) estimated that Florida credit unions 

provided $366 million in direct financial benefits 

to the state’s 4.7 million members during 

the twelve months ending in June 2014. 

These are not mere statistics. They translate 

into real benefits for real people. Financing a 

$25,000 new car for 60 months at a Florida 

credit union, for example, will save members 

an average of $192 per year in interest 

expense compared to what they would pay at 

a banking institution in the state. 

For the consumer seeking a low cost alternative 

to banks, credit unions might provide a 

solution. The vast majority of credit unions 

are now open to the public. Credit unions 

work for their members who benefit from 

lower loan rates, higher returns on deposits, 

little or no fees and excellent customer 

service. Socially conscious consumers can 

also feel good about joining a credit union 

since these organizations pride themselves 

on serving their communities with financial 

education and charitable works. P 

Sandra Spence is the Vice President of 

Advertising and Public Relations at We Florida 

Financial Credit Union in Broward County. 

the PARKLANDER 103

FINANCE 

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE 

South Florida 

Real Estate Market? 

Five local top-selling realtors give their opinions... 

Marta DuPree 

As 2014 comes to a close, what are the 

statistics for Broward County single 

family closed sales? Comparing 2013 

and 2014, the inventory of homes rose. 

There were 4,514 single family homes 

active on the market in January 2013 and 

6,522 in November 2014 (an increase of 

44%). The number of homes closed (year 

to year) increased by 1%. In 2013, there 

was an increase in the median price of 

homes from $224,000 to $270,000. In 

2014, the median prices increased to a high in August of $290,000, 

and then saw a slow decline from September to December. 

With the inventory of available homes leveling for the last 90 

days, an increase in population, limited land in the tri-county area, 

the expansion of the airports in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami, 

international buyers, low interest rates, new mortgage products, 

investor purchases, lower gas prices and great weather, 2015 will 

be another great year for Broward County real estate. There is the 

expectation that Broward County real estate will rise at a higher 

rate than the national average. 

Marta DuPree, P.A., is with the DuPree Team and The Keyes 

Company Realtors, and has been a realtor for more than 35 years. 

Lisa S. Flickstein 

The south Florida real estate market 

is strong. According to the Broward 

County Council of Realtors, Broward 

County single family resale home sales 

are up 1.2% over the third quarter of 

2013. Townhouses and condo resales 

were down 3.5% from last year, however 

these numbers are broad and not specific 

to our very strong, local market of 

Parkland and Coral Springs. 

The housing inventory in Parkland and Coral Springs is at a nine 

year low. With interest rates under 4% and a stable market, there 

is great pent up demand. New construction sales are vibrant in 

Parkland. Demand is so high that there is a two year wait time to 

build a new construction home. This translates into a very strong 

resale marketplace. 

The days on the market for resale single family and multi-family 

homes is also at a long time low for properly priced and marketed 

properties. With the confidence back in the real estate market, 

many homeowners are choosing now as the time to either move 

up to a larger home or take this opportunity to scale back in size 

in preparation of retirement. 

Lisa S. Flickstein, P.A., is with the Berkshire Hathaway Home 

Services Realty Parkland/Coral Springs branch. She has been a realtor 

for almost 30 years. 

104 FEBRUARY JANUARY 2015 2015

Kate Fontenot 

Our market here in south Florida is 

on the move. In some areas and price 

ranges, there is extremely low inventory, 

and in others, there is a great choice of 

properties for buyers looking to purchase. 

It doesn’t seem to be a ‘buyers’ 

market or a ‘sellers’ market, but more of a 

good market for both buyers and sellers. 

Interest rates remaining low is encouraging 

buyers to stretch a little further to 

purchase that long-term home, rather 

than settling for a smaller less expensive starter home. New construction 

is everywhere, which is great for the market as a whole. 

It sends the message to potential buyers that the economy is stable 

and looks to be in the future. This is because a new build can take 

up to a year or so to complete, depending on the development. 

There are more corporate relocation buyers and sellers, which also 

sends a message about the economy as a whole. Buyers and sellers, 

who have been on the fence for the last few years, are out in numbers 

looking to upsize or downsize, but stay local. This in itself 

speaks volumes as to the strength in our local markets. Sellers are 

also realizing that in order to get top dollar and to sell quickly, 

they must prepare their homes in advance. With social media and 

the Internet, a picture speaks a thousand words. Prepare, stage and 

photograph, and they will come. 

Kate Fontenot, P.A., is with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. 

She has been a realtor for 14 years. 

Bobbi Mechler 

During my nearly thirty year south 

Florida real estate career, I have experienced 

every kind of market—hot or cold, 

buyers’ or sellers’… and now, thankfully, 

I find myself in another evolving real 

estate market. Looking back, nothing 

could have prepared me for the meteoric 

rise of the early 2000s, followed by 

the dramatic fall from grace in 2006, 

cranked, but certainly not caused, by 

Hurricane Wilma. The big question for 

all realtors from 2006 through 2010 was: How low can it go? At 

times, it seemed the capacity for the fall was a bottomless pit, and 

the mantra for every hard-working, experienced realtor was the 

Gloria Gaynor song I Will Survive! The fall, however, did have 

a positive effect on our industry. We were purged of the realtors 

who joined the industry thinking they could make a quick buck 

and the ones who were less than ethical in their shenanigans with 

lenders, appraisers and title companies. All those people, realtors 

and their accomplices, are thankfully gone. We finally reached the 

years of 2011 and 2012, which I refer to as our ‘flat line’ years 

because we had hit bottom. The fall was over, but the rise had not 

yet begun. Fortunately, for the last couple of years, the average sale 

price in the Parkland area has increased 7% each year, a substantial 

and healthy growth. The common denominator between the 

strong realtor and the Parkland market is we both have something 

of great value to offer. Hence, we have survived! 

Bobbi Mechler, of the Mechler Group, is with RE/MAX ParkCreek. 

She has been a realtor for almost 30 years. 

Grace A. Noethen 

The residential real estate market in 

South Florida has been stabilizing in the 

last few years. The market has improved 

in some neighborhoods more than in 

others, with some communities showing 

signs of appreciation. There continues to 

be a shortage of inventory in the mid to 

low price range, meaning that there are 

relatively more buyers in those markets 

than homes for sale. Buyers in these 

markets should be prepared to move quickly, as homes are selling 

at a record pace when compared to previous years. Short sales are 

still prevalent, as many homeowners still owe more than their 

homes are worth. However, sales of REOs (or bank-owned properties) 

have declined. The high-end resale market continues to 

be sluggish in some markets, due in part to the volume of new 

construction. P 

Grace A. Noethen, P.A., is with RE/MAX Advantage Plus. She has 

been a realtor for 35 years - 30 of those in south Florida. 

the PARKLANDER 105

FINANCE 

Although some may focus on the fragility of 

the Bitcoin, others acknowledge it as the first 

decentralized digital currency that could be 

the breakthrough for new innovations. 

Money Talks 

By Alexandria Ng 

As America’s economy slowly begins to strengthen once again, a 

new form of currency is introduced to the world: the Bitcoin. This 

form of international currency, accessed via the Internet, allows 

people to make online transactions without extra fees or attaching 

their identities to their purchases. Without having to be tied down 

to any specific currency, the Bitcoin can be used in almost every 

country. Many people are buying Bitcoins, hoping that the value 

will continue to increase in the future with fluctuating supply and 

demand, depending on how widely the general public accepts it as 

a new form of money. 

While many merchants and businesses endorse Bitcoins because 

of the advantage of transactions without a middleman, financial 

institutions, such as banks, reject this new idea. These financial 

organizations perceive the Bitcoin as a risk that may destroy the 

entire existing financial system. The controversy surrounds the 

idea that the Bitcoin is still a very abstract concept. The value of 

the established currency today is tied to that nation’s economy, 

and thus an exchange rate is established. However, the Bitcoin is 

merely based off of the knowledge that they are hard to come by, or 

difficult to be “mined,” as the method of obtaining them is called. 

Additionally, the anonymity of it may lead to money laundering 

or an increase in criminal activity that can’t be traced to its source. 

“The general public is not ready for the Bitcoin yet because of the 

concept itself, and the lack of understanding about the Bitcoin 

system. We aren’t ready; not until the system is accepted by major 

financial institutions,” stated Alfred Ng, a business intelligence 

analyst. 

Some countries, such as Bangladesh and Bolivia, have gone as far 

as to make the online money illegal, fining or jailing citizens who 

are found to be using the virtual currency in an attempt to evade 

taxes. The ban on the Bitcoin is also fueled by the fear that its 

lack of regulation by a specific entity will undermine the country’s 

economy. 

Although some may focus on the fragility of the Bitcoin, others 

acknowledge it as the first decentralized digital currency that could 

be the breakthrough for new innovations. Without any regulations 

or prerequisites on this public forum, transfers from peer to peer 

allow for an easier and cheaper means of commerce, creating an 

expansion of the consumer industry. As the controversy on the 

legitimacy of this new form of payment continues, public opinion 

and participation will ultimately shape the future of the Bitcoin. P 

106 


FINANCE 

BONDS AND 

MUTUAL FUNDS 

What are they and 

how are they rated? 

By Warren Marmorstein, CPA 

Before making any investment, know to what extent you are willing 

to risk loss. If the answer is “none,” stay away from stocks, 

bonds, and mutual funds. All three can lose money. The risk adverse 

investor should limit himself to banks, fixed annuities, and/or a 

fixed investment inside of a life insurance policy. Each is principal 

protected, government guaranteed and insured. 

Other factors to consider before investing include an understanding 

of whether the investment is for growth or income, taxable or 

tax free, its liquidity, earnings potential, solvency of the issuer, and 

fees. 

Working with an independent advisor, not 

captive to the house brand, will generally 

result in more objectivity to find the fund best 

suited for you. 

Bonds are issued by governments and corporations. We lend 

money to be returned at maturity, with interest along the way. 

Bonds come in many varieties, such as taxable or tax free, domestic 

or foreign, investment grade or junk, fixed or floating interest rates. 

The promise to return our money is only as good as the credit worthiness 

of the issuer. To assist in this understanding most bonds 

have ratings. Higher rated bonds pay less interest, lower rated 

bonds pay more interest. Assess your risk/reward tolerance before 

deciding what quality bond to buy. 

The major rating agencies are Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, and 

Fitch. At Standard and Poor’s, the highest rated bond is “AAA” vs. 

the lowest rated bond being “C”. Bonds rated BB and below are 

considered “junk”. If you’re buying bonds based solely on interest 

rates, you’re heading toward disaster. Many brokers “sell” bonds 

promoting high interest with no commentary about safety. Does it 

really matter how high the interest rate is if the issuer defaults? If 

your broker doesn’t talk about risk, consult another advisor. 

Buying bonds without knowing your tax bracket is a mistake. 

Paying a small amount of tax on a taxable bond with higher interest 

vs. a tax free bond is often a better net of tax result. If you don’t 

know your tax bracket, consult a CPA. 

Bond owners must stay alert to the “formula” that as interest rates 

increase, selling your bond prior to maturity may result in a loss. 

Future interest rates are likely going up, so consider selling bonds 

now. 

Mutual Funds are a diverse portfolio of securities in a single investment. 

Before buying any fund, evaluate its historical performance 

against both the index which the fund is trying to outperform 

and against the performance of other funds of the same style. 

For the ‘do it yourself ’ investor not capable of the above, reference 

Morningstar, a rating agency, that provides a one to five star 

opinion on the fund you are considering. Consult a professional if 

needed. 

Mutual funds are generally sold in three classes: Class A (front 

load), Class B (back load) and No Load; each differs by how fees 

are charged. If your broker made this selection for you, ensure it 

was in your best interest. No Load DOES NOT mean no cost. In 

fact, No Load generally has the highest 12b-1 fee. Select a fund 

based on its performance, also known as “net of fees.” Fund selection 

based on lowest fee without regard to net of fee performance 

makes little sense. 

Many companies sell their own brand. Examples include national 

brokerage firms and families like Fidelity and Vanguard. Working 

with an independent advisor, not captive to the house brand, will 

generally result in more objectivity to find the fund best suited for 

you. 

An Alternative - Certain investment types (other than stocks, 

bonds, and mutual funds) offer the earnings potential of the 

market WITH full principal protection. Bank depositors get the 

principal protection they want with the opportunity for higher 

interest. Market investors will get the earnings opportunity they 

want with safety of principal. P 

Warren Marmorstein, a 30-year CPA and financial advisor, 

is independent of brand and a member of FINRA/SIPC. 

www.MarmorsteinWealthManagment.com or 

www.MarmorsteinFinancialGroup.com. 

the PARKLANDER 107

FINANCE 

By Rodger Alan Friedman 

In retirement, many want 

to move to a state where 

they can enjoy the same 

or an even better lifestyle 

with less money. 

THREE TIPS FOR RETIRING OUT OF STATE 

A Little Planning Can Save Money 

108 

Retirees flock to Florida and Arizona 

for year-round sunshine and golf, but all 

things considered, they’re not the best 

states for happy golden years, according 

to a new survey. Along with average 

number of sunny days, factor in cost of 

living, residents’ sense of well-being, 

quality of health care, crime and, yes, 

humidity, and the best destination is 

(surprise!) South Dakota, according to a 

2014 Bankrate report. 

As this report correctly suggests, preretirees 

need to consider a lot more than 

snow days and tradition. Different states 

have different tax laws and other regulations 

that can have a major impact on 

your retirement funds. You need to be 

aware of these as you plan for where you 

want to live and how you want to live. 

Whether you’re considering one of the 

other top four “best states to retire” – 

Colorado, Utah, North Dakota and 

Wyoming, in that order – here are five 

tips for planning ahead: 

1. New state – new income tax rules. 

Get to know them! Familiarize yourself 

with the tax laws of the state you’re 

considering for your new home. Two of 

the top five on Bankrate’s list – South 

Dakota and Wyoming -- have no state 

income tax, along with five others: 

Nevada (No.18 on the list), Texas (19), 

Washington (22), Florida (39), and 

Alaska (48). Also, an itemized deduction 

in one state may not be an itemized 

deduction in another. If you use the long 

form (1040) to file federal income taxes, 

hire a reputable, experienced CPA for 

guidance. 

Look into how your new state taxes 

retirement income. States differ on 

taxing interest income from tax-free 

municipal bonds. Some states give tax 

credits; treat public and private pensions 

differently; or offer federal, military or 

blanket exclusions. 

2. If you’re married, are you moving 

to a community property state? There 

are nine community property states – 

those that divide all maritally-acquired 

assets and debts 50:50 in the event of 

divorce. (Exceptions include an inheritance 

or gift received by one spouse and 

maintained separately in that spouse’s 

name.) Community property states are 

Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, California, 


Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada, Louisiana, 

and Washington. Speaking with an 

estate planning attorney regarding how 

this issue could affect you may be money 

very well spent. 

3. Have a lawyer review your estate 

planning documents. Your existing 

estate planning documents should be 

reviewed by a lawyer in your new state 

of residence because statutes differ on 

the types of documents required and the 

powers bestowed upon each. For example, 

states are all over the map regarding 

the validity of a power of attorney document 

and the powers that may or may 

not be conveyed. 

During their careers, their acquiring 

wealth years, many people live in places 

that have lots of jobs – and the higher 

cost of living that goes along with that. 

In retirement, many want to move to a 

state where they can enjoy the same or 

an even better lifestyle with less money. 

For that, it’s essential to consider not 

only the cost of living but the state laws 

that affect your accumulated wealth and 

income. P 

Rodger Alan Friedman is a wealth manager 

at Steward Partners Global Advisory 

and author of “Forging Bonds of Steel.”

FINANCE 

By Bill Johnson 

AmericA ’S SHRINKING 

MIDDLE CLASS 

Statistics to prove the decline 

America’s middle class has eroded for decades. Salaries haven’t 

kept up with inflation. Families find it harder to pay the bills. Some 

struggle from paycheck to paycheck. 

Numerous sources document that wages have been stagnant since 

the 1970s. Purchasing power has been reduced. Medical costs and 

college tuition, among other things, soared higher than the inflation 

rate. Many families felt they couldn’t keep up. Simultaneously, 

the income of a small percentage of Americans grew dramatically, 

creating an income disparity that hasn’t been seen for generations. 

In his book, The Price of Civilization, economist Jeffrey Sachs 

At least 49 million families are considered 

“food insecure,” uncertain if they’ll 

have enough food next week. 

reports that in the early 1970s, the average pay for the top 100 

CEOs was 40 times the pay of the average worker. By 2000, it was 

1,000 times the average worker’s pay. The wealthiest one percent 

of Americans has more net worth than the bottom 90 percent, 

according to Sachs. 

University of California Professor G. William Domhoff found that 

the wealthiest one percent owned 42 percent of America’s wealth, 

and the top five percent owned about 72 percent. According to the 

U.S. Department of Commerce, the median household income in 

2013 was about $52,000, meaning half the households earned less 

than that, many a lot less. 

At least 49 million families are considered “food insecure,” uncertain 

if they’ll have enough food next week. Government agencies 

report more than 45 million people live in poverty, including one 

out of every five children in America. No security for them. No 

investments. 

What is poverty? To live in poverty means an income less than 

$24,000 a year for a family of four, $15,000 for a couple, and 

$11,000 for a single person. (Working full-time at $8 an hour, 8 

hours per day, five days per week, 52 weeks per year, earns a gross 

annual income of $16,640.) 

Scholars attribute the shrinking middle-class to 

various factors: globalization, technology that 

allows jobs to be out-sourced to poor countries, 

tax policy, decline of labor unions, and the power 

of rich and special interests to affect public 

policy and elections. 

The loss of manufacturing jobs to overseas companies in a race to 

find the lowest paid workers is surely a factor. (Even China is now 

losing manufacturing jobs to poorer countries with even lower 

wages.) 

The Maine paper industry, which thrived for decades, might be a 

micro-example of that. 

Young people once aspired to work in the mills like their parents 

and grandparents. They saw that hard work and a decent wage 

allowed them to have a home and maybe a modest camp on the 

lake. No more. Mills closed. Some fled south to non-union states 

with lower wages. Jobs were lost to foreign competition. Most 

former Maine paper workers will never again earn as much. 

American factories, steel mills, and automobile plants all lost 

thousands of manufacturing jobs. U.S. steel mills protest current 

trade policies that allow cheaper imported steel. The Congressional 

Research Service reports that at least 500,000 jobs in auto parts 

and manufacturing were lost in the first nine years of this decade. 

Look what’s happened to Detroit. Look at how much we buy from 

China. 

A generation of middle class workers spent their lives with one 

company because they felt the benefits and salary were fair and 

the company would take care of them. That security is gone. Few 

young people expect it. 

The consequence of all this is debatable, but some analysts connect 

it to the majority opinion that America is on the “wrong 

track.” Many middle-class Americans believe the economic deck 

is stacked against the average worker who can no longer get a fair 

deal in America. P 

the PARKLANDER 109

LAST WORD 

TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT MONEY 

Ages 3-5: You may have to wait to buy 

something you want. For the lesson of 

delayed gratification, create three jars, 

labeled Saving, Spending and Sharing. 

Every time your child receives money, 

divide the money equally among the jars. 

For the Saving jar, have your child set a 

goal, counting the money together to aid in 

understanding how much more is needed. 

The Spending jar is for small items like 

candy or stickers, and the Sharing jar is for 

charitable giving. 

Ages 6-10: You need to make choices 

about how to spend money. Explain to 

your child that it’s important to make wise 

choices, because once you spend the money 

you have, there is no more. You should also 

continue activities like the saving, spending 

and sharing jars, and goal-setting, and 

you should also begin to engage your child 

in more adult financial decision-making. 

While grocery shopping, explain why you 

chose generic instead of the brand name or 

talk about buying in bulk. 

Ages 11-13: The sooner you save, the faster 

your money can grow from compound 

interest. Shift from the idea of saving 

for short-term goals to long-term goals. 

Introduce the concept of compound interest, 

and have your child do some compound 

interest calculations. At this age, kids are 

trying to not save because they want to buy 

stuff. However, thinking of what long-term 

goals are and what they’re having to give 

up, can prove it’s a good decision. 

Ages 14-18: When comparing colleges, 

be sure to consider how much each 

school would cost. Explain to your child 

how much more college grads earn than 

people without college degrees, making it 

By J. Aisha Mathews 

Teaching your child the financial skills needed to navigate life is a crucial part of your role as parent. 

This should begin as early as three years old, because kids’ money habits are formed by the age of seven. 

a worthwhile investment. With your child, 

look into which schools are generous with 

financial aid, how much of it is in grants 

and scholarships, how much in loans that 

your child will have to pay back, and what 

government programs can help pay back 

those loans. As with any investment, analyze 

together whether the money put in 

will pay off in the end. A part-time job (less 

than 20 hours per week) is a good idea. 

Ages 18+: You should use a credit card 

only if you can pay the balance off in full 

each month. Teach a child that if a parent 

cosigns on a credit card, any late payment 

could also affect the parent’s credit history, 

and together, look for a credit card that 

offers a low interest rate and no annual fee. 

Explain that it’s important that the card be 

used only in case of emergencies, not for 

everyday items. P 

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110 


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Realtor Associate 

Cell 954-770-5675 

954.663.2597 

· Short Sale Specialist 

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Proudly owned by a Parkland resident 

the PARKLANDER 111

PARKLAND / CYPRESS HEAD $1,000,000 

MARBLEHEAD CONTEMPORARY! 

Sought After Location! 5 Br./4 Ba., 3 Car Gar. All Redone, 

Sleek Modern Kitchen & Baths, Magnificent Marble Floors. 

Courtyard Design, w/Guest House, Gorgeous Pool & Lawns. 

PARKLAND / TALL PINES $860,000 

WOODED PARKLIKE ACRE! 

Awesome 5 Br./5.5 Ba. + 2 Offices, 4 Car Gar., Gleaming 

Hardwood Floors, Volume Ceilings, Gourmet Kitchen w/ 

Granite, Large Master Suite w/Luxurious Bath. 

PARKLAND / CYPRESS HEAD $850,000 

SPRAWLING ESTATE! 

5,000 Sq. Ft. Big & Beautiful 5 Br./5Ba., Huge Family 

Room w/Fireplace, Custom Kitchen w/Gas Stove, Wood 

& Granite, Pool & Expansive Patio, On Builders Acre. 

PARKLAND/MEADOW RUN ESTATES $850,000 

YOUR OWN RESORT! 

Huge One Story 6 Br./3 Car Gar. On builders Acre! 

Soaring Ceilings & Windows, Split Br. Flr. Plan. Wood, 

Granite & Pool, Yard & Playground. Like None Other! 

SOLD 

PARKLAND / FOX RIDGE ESTATES $835,000 

RARE FIND 

Pristine Condition & Quality Finishes. 5 Br. 4 Ba. + Game Room 

& 3 Car Garage. Crema Marfil Marble Flrs, Wood Cabinets, Granite, 

Stainless. Outstanding 1/2 Acre Fully Hedged, Heated Pool & Spa. 

PARKLAND / PARKLAND ISLES ESTATES $715,000 

HUGE LAKEFRONT CUL-DE-SAC 

5 Br./4Ba. Exquisitely Updated. All Impact Windows, Kitchen 

w/ Huge Island, Granite, Big Family Room. Luxurious Master 

& Bath, Wood & Granite. Fenced Yard & Lovely Pool. 

112 


the PARKLANDER 115

116

feb 2015

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