A Brush with History - City of Coral Springs

Support Our Troops event honors local members of the military
As a loving mother posts a
photograph of her son, Joe Langlois,
on a City’s bulletin board, she smiles
with pride. Carole Langlois wishes
her son was by her side, but said she
and her husband support our troops
because they realize their country
needs them.
In March, Coral Springs’ residents
came together at the City’s Support
Our Troops ceremony to show their
appreciation for men and women
currently serving in the U.S. military and military veterans.
All five divisions of the U.S. military, which includes the
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, were
represented and recognized.
City officials expressed their gratitude for those men and
women serving our country and to their families and friends
who took time out of their day to honor and represent them.
To salute those men and women, the Coral Springs Charter
School Chorus sang the national anthem and ‘God Bless
America.’ Afterwards, Mayor Scott Brook acknowledged active
military members present, as well as those who have family
members in the service, and they were given the opportunity
to speak.
When Janice and Pete Minchenberg, of Coconut Creek,
won a trip to the Dominican Republic, they were elated. But
their joy quickly turned into frustration when they found out
that anyone flying between the United States and Canada,
Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean or
Bermuda is now required to present a valid passport.
To make matters worse, their local post office doesn’t
offer passport services and
Coconut Creek’s City Hall is
closed on Fridays. Luckily,
Janice and Pete were able
to take care of business at
City Hall in the Mall in Coral
Springs.
“The new law caused me
to stress out and rush to
take care of our passport
situation, but I’m glad we
can do it here all in one
shot,” Janice Minchenberg
said of the services offered
at City Hall in the Mall.
Since the beginning of
the new year, staff at City
Hall in the Mall has noticed a
Vicki DuVal, a City employee whose
son is serving in Iraq, has helped
coordinate the past two events. Her
son, Lance Corporal Troy DuVal of the
United States Marine Corps, is serving
his second deployment.
“Regardless of whether you
support the war or not, these men
and women are putting their lives at
stake, and as a community it’s nice
to come together and show our
support,” DuVal said.
Be sure to visit the City’s Web site at coralsprings.org/
militaryfamilies to access resources, to view photos of the
event, and to submit “Soldier’s Stories” of local military troops.
Memorial Day ceremony
The City will once again host its annual Memorial Day
ceremony at 9am Monday, May 28 at Veterans Park, 8601
Royal Palm Boulevard. During this ceremony, the City honors
area veterans for their commitment and service to their
country. Also visit the City’s online community calendar
at coralsprings.org/events for information about the Flag
Day celebration on June 14 as the date nears. For more
information, call 954-345-2200.
City passport processing available as new laws take effect
When applying for a U.S. Passport,
you must bring the following items:
• Proof of U.S. citizenship, such as an original certified birth
certificate, Original Naturalization Certificate or expired U.S. Passport.
• Proof of Identity – Current photo ID such as a valid driver’s license
or State Identification Card.
• Two recent, identical, color photographs.
Please keep in mind that the State Department is taking from 10 to
12 weeks to process applications due to influx. You may expedite the
process for an additional $60. For an adult passport (16 years or older)
the total fee is $97 payable in two separate checks or money orders.
The first check for $67 must be made out to the U.S. Department of
State, and the second check for $30 must be made out to the City
of Coral Springs. For children 15 or younger, the fee is $82 payable in
two separate checks or money orders. The first check for $52 must be
made out to the U.S. Department of State, and the second check for
$30 must be made out to the City of Coral Springs.
For renewals, you may download the form at travel.state.gov and
send it via mail. The renewal fee is $67.
major rush in passport applications due to this policy change.
“Our office has been extremely busy because people
love our hours and the convenience of being able to take
their photos here and apply for their passports,” Community
Relations Coordinator Marie Giacalone said.
So if you plan on traveling this summer, stop by City
Hall in the Mall, located inside Coral Square Mall at 9239
W. Atlantic Boulevard.
Passport service hours
are Monday through
Friday, 10am to 6pm, and
Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
Passport photos are also
available for $8. For more
information, call 954-344-
1828.
Passport applications
may also be turned in at
Citizens’ Service in City
Hall, 9551 W. Sample
Road, weekdays from 8am
to noon and 2 to 4pm.
This location does not
take passport photos. For
details, call 954-344-1001.
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