RVN Dec08/Jan09

THE ORIGINAL RIO VISTA COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER December 2008 / January 2009 TM

JACKIE TALKS…... about Holiday Traditions Thanksgiving gives way to Christmas and Rio Vista lights up with Holiday spirit. Holiday decorations turn our neighborhood into a spectacular showplace with inflated Disney characters, trees covered with glowing lights, lovely wreaths, red poinsettias and favorite Christmas mu-sic all welcome our friends and families. The lighted homes along the The New River provide a beautiful setting for the annual Boat Parade, December 13, at 7pm. If you miss the parade a private boat ride down the River and into the Intracoastal Waterway is most enjoyable, espe-cially if you have visitors. Favorite land spots to watch the Pa-rade are next to the Stranahan House and from Abreu Place on North Rio Vista Blvd. and S.E. 9th Avenue. Speaking of the Stranahan House you will enjoy a visit to the House over the holidays. It is a beautifully decorated by Flow-ers and Found Objects Florist on Las Olas. Barbie Keith and Ellen Murton deserve credit for their roles in the operation of this Historical Landmark. Also, our Seminole Indian friends have been involved in this project. The angels are flying and the live camels are back to be a part of the 25th Anniversary of the Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant hosted by the First Baptist Church in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Tickets can be ordered online at www.christmastickets.com. The presentation is in two parts, a holiday revue with wonderful singing and dancing and part two is the Christmas story. The performance is best suited for elementary age students, older students and adults. There are about 1500 unpaid volunteers, including the Choir and Orchestra of 250 people. The onstage volunteers are all members of the church, and the church is like a second home during rehearsals. These performances go beyond Fort Lauderdale, they reach 30 countries, millions of people and homes via television. By the end of this year 375 perform-ances will have taken place over 25 years. The Pageant has been presented to 903,600 guests. Now that’s impressive. My informants, committee heads Sandy Casteel and Sue Gallion with husband Bob are longtime church members and volun-teers. They tell me that the volunteers feel this participation in their gift to our community. What a gift….Thank you! Moving from downtown back to Rio Vista, here are some holiday traditions from neighborhood friends, thanks to my friend Shannon Smith.

Shelly Lehman (921 SE 5th Court) makes egg nog, just add cream and Maker’s Mark to it and sprinkle freshly grated nut-meg on top. Shannon Smith (924 SE 5th Court) makes candies. Her hus-band, Jason’s favorite is my Mom’s recipe for sugared pecans. 1 cup Brown sugar, ½ cup White sugar, ½ cup water, 2 heap-ing cups of pecans, and put sugar and water in a deep sauce-pan over low heat. Stir until dissolved. Cook until syrup spins a thread, 240 degrees. Remove from heat, add pecans and stir until grainy. Spread on wax paper and separate with a fork before they cool, and Enjoy! Lucy Moses (805 SE 7th Street) – gathers with all of her large family, many of them Rio Vista residents as well, at one of their homes and spend the day together. Margie Parker (1115 SE 5th Court) – After dinner on Christmas Eve we like to go caroling at a couple of houses in Rio Vista. Out oldest daughter, Gracie sings and the rest of us play mara-cas, bells and tambourines. Rick and Dede Hunter (1005 SE 6th Court) – celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. Dede’s mother is Dutch, and it is a Dutch tradition. They put out wooden shoes the night be-fore, and St. Nicholas brings a chocolate letter of each child’s initials and a few little goodies to fill the shoes. A big hit at the Slack’s house (1102 SE 7th Street) are Ann’s homemade gingerbread men, decorated by hand by our young neighbor’s and friends. Last are the Keysers, Sandy and Matt- their Santa Claus with sleigh has landed on their roof for many holidays, hope we see it this year! I am closing with the times and places for nearby candlelight church services. This seems an appropriate way to end the holiday traditions and to wish our friends, neighbors, readers a Joyful Holiday and a Healthy New Year!

Rio Vista Community Church 5:30 & 7:30 pm

First Presbyterian Church 5pm Family 8 & 10 pm candlelight communion

First Baptist Church 5, 7 & 11pm

First United Methodist 7pm Family 11pm candlelight communion

St. Anthony’s Church 4:30pm Christmas Eve 12 midnight Mass

Jackie

2 The Original Rio Vista Community Newsletter

December 08 / January 09

The Rio Vista NEWS 3

Visit us on the web: www.riverviewpublishing.com

Support Our Advertisers

Abernathy’s Auto Paint & Body 14 Big Image Signs 19 Broward Health 6 Cabot Homes, Wiley Hinton 14 Camille Dixon 14 Core Focus 13 Club Sweat 14 Dinnen Electric 14 Downtown Development Authority 16 Drs Dixon & Dixon 12 Dynamic Fitness 5 East Coast Sprinkler 7 Edge Pilates 12 Edgewater House Condominium 17 Fish Lauderdale 11 Fred Hunter’s 17 Giorgio’s 14 Grace Café and Galleries 4 Hans Johnson Plumbing & Air 14 Holland Nursery 12 Hugh Turner Pest Control 10 Kaizen Martial Arts 15 Parker Yacht Mgt. 11 Prudential, Phil Keagy 18 Riverside Hotel, Las Olas 2 The Prissy Hen 12

From the Publisher…………..

Well, here we are and another year has almost gotten by us again. The good thing is that is that the Holidays are here, which of course means different things to all of us, but one thing we have in common is family, which I am very grateful for this year. I also am thankful for the winds of change that have come to our Federal Government. We will be voting for change in our own City Government come February 2009! Make sure you listen to ALL of the candidates January 29th, 2009 at the City Hall, commission chambers on the 1st floor beginning promptly at 7:00pm. I welcome any and all comments to the Publisher and encourage you to express your opinion about our Community or any other issues in this publication!

Happy Holidays,

The Rio Vista News is the Original community newsletter delivered to the Rio Vista neighborhood and surrounding businesses.

Advertising Rates and Info…….

Articles In This Issue Jackie Talks 1 Egovernment 5 Can you spare a minute? 7 Harbordale News 7 Health News 8 Art NEWS 9 Economic Fallout 10

Pet Corner 11 The Garden Spot 12 Winterfest News 15 New Years Eve 17 FLIFF/ Cinema Paradisio 19 Miss Harryette Johnson 19 Got a Complaint 20 Important numbers 20

The Rio Vista News Call Clay Wieland at 954-240-8909

Or email to [email protected] Send mail to: RiverView Publishing

513 SE 9th Avenue Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

Business Card 2 h x 3.5 w $45

1/4 Page 4 3/4 h x 3 3/4 w $100

1/2 Page 4 3/4 h x 7 1/2 w $185

Full Page 9 5/8 h x 7 1/2 w $325




Visit us on the web: www.riverviewpublishing.com Fort Lauderdale opens new doors with ‘egovernment’

The City of Fort Lauderdale’s egovernment ini-

tiatives use technology to provide residents, businesses and visitors with convenient access to information and service delivery. The result? Improved efficiency and accountability.

Four key components help serve the public:

ü Access to information: Citizens have easy access to Commission agendas and back-up documents, public hearing schedules, notifica-tions, City goals and objectives, contact informa-tion, departmental information, special events, recreational opportunities and more.

ü Enhanced two-way communications: Users

can engage in dialogue with the City, asking questions and making comments or sugges-tions.

ü Conduct transactions: Users can schedule

permit inspections, pay for a permit, request building permits, request a business tax receipt, pay a parking ticket, register for recreational activities and more.

ü Emergency communications: Users can reg-

ister for emergency alerts and view online emer-gency information posts on the City’s web site.

You might call the result of the egovernment initiative: eparticipation. Now over 10,000 people visit the City’s web site each day! The City’s egovernment initiative is a key component of an overall plan to enhance public access and keep the community informed. The 24-hour customer service call center, cable TV channel 78, radio station 1610 AM and hundreds of City newsletters, brochures, mailings and fliers are all geared toward raising awareness by sharing as much information with as many people as possible. City of Fort Lauderdale Online Services Here are just a few of the many things you can do on the

City website at www.fortlauderdale.gov:

• Register for Emergency City News • Check current beach condit ions • Watch Commission Meet ings • Register your House Alarm • Purchase a Resident Parking Card • Pay your Uti l i ty Bi l l • Sign up to Receive City News Alerts • Apply for a Job • Find Upcoming Events • Submit a Vendor Bid • Apply and Pay for a Bui ld ing Permit • Review Proposed Master Plans • Register for Park Programs • Locate a Park





Wow can you believe the holidays are upon us…... It seems like we just had the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch and now Thanksgiving has come and gone. Well here it is December and we are excited that our new construction will begin while the kids are all out on Winter Break. Our Pumpkin Patch was a huge success and thor-oughly enjoyed by all. We had a great time riding through Rio Vista on the Quarterdeck Fire truck in costumes selling pumpkins so a big thank you to all of you who purchased pumpkins from us. What a fun way to support your local school. Thank you to all of you who came by the patch and purchased from us as well. It was really great chatting with so many people who went to Harbordale themselves or whose children went to Harbordale. It was great to do a fundraiser that involved so many from the neighborhood and the community so thank you again for your support. We have lots of fun things coming up after the 1st of the year that we would once again love to see friendly faces from the neighborhood attend. On January 30th at 5:30 we are holding our annual Spaghetti Dinner in the school cafe-teria. Dinner includes Spaghetti, Salad and Garlic or Regu-lar bread. Adults Tickets are $7.00 and kids are $5.00. Tickets may be purchased at the door. We will be having a D.J. for entertainment and spin art for the kids. The fifth

grade class will be selling water, sodas, and dessert. Our cookie dough sale begins on January 15th and there will all kinds of goodies in the catalog to tempt you, so be sure to open your door when your neighborhood Harbordale student comes a knocking. We are in planning mode for our Spring BBQ which will once again be held on April 24th at Floyd Hull Stadium off of State Road 84 and we hope to have the bounce houses, bungee jump, rock climbing wall, giant slide, and the dunk tank again this year. This is great fun for elementary school aged kids so stay tuned for more details in a future newsletter. The food will once again be catered by Out-back Steakhouse and will be awesome. Thank you again for all your support and we hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season. We will be perform-ing at Christmas on Las Olas again this year, so if you are out and about head down towards The Cheesecake Fac-tory and we will be there singing our hearts out for all of you. Cici Kelly, President Habordale School Association

CAN YOU SPARE A MINUTE?

Would you like to help make a child with cancer smile? Freedom Waters Foundation (FWF) offers those opportunities through the FWF Weller Day Program, which are yacht outings for children with cancer or other life threatening illnesses and their families. If you have a boat that you enjoy and would like to share your experience by giving the opportunity to individuals who may not otherwise be able to enjoy the relaxing, therapeutic effects of boating and being on the water, FWF would like to work with you in "Making it Happen!" We will invite families that are referred to us from the local hos-pitals, coordinate the day with you, and be present to assist you as you cruise along the intercoastal waterway, for a three hour, easy lunch cruise.

Freedom Waters Foundation is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization provide boating opportunities and marine related edu-cation for people with disabilities and youth at risk. We accomplish this through providing accessible sailing programs; yacht outings for those who are ill, with a special con-centration on children with cancer and their families; and through fishing and boating programs for youth at risk. We also organize and support: fishing tournaments, regattas and other programs designed for those with disabilities/economically challenged youth.

And, most recently, FWF has started working with the chil-dren’s home, in the Bahamas, where we have brought numer-ous donated items, such as: books, clothing, food, toys, sus-tainable education, and are now working on rebuilding their potable water tank.

Please visit the Freedom Waters Foundation website at: www.freedomwatersfoundation.org or contact Debra Frenkel at (305) 588-2082 for more information.

“A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFOR-MATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE 800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, AP-PROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.” - #CH20286

HARBORDALE ELEMENTARY HAPPY HOLIDAYS



WASHINGTON - Someone in your house have the sniffles? Watch out for the refrigerator door handle. The TV remote, too. A new U.S. study finds that cold sufferers often leave their germs there, where they can live for two days or longer. Scientists at the University of Virginia, long known for its virology research, tested surfaces in the homes of people with colds and reported the re-sults Tuesday at the nation's premier conference on infectious diseases. Doctors do not know how often people catch colds from touching germy surfaces as opposed to, say, shaking a sick person's hand, said Dr. Birgit Win-ther, an ear, nose and throat specialist who helped conduct the study. Two years ago, she and other doctors showed that germs survived in hotel rooms a day after guests left, waiting to be picked up by the next person checking in. For the new study, researchers started with 30 adults showing early symptoms of colds. Sixteen tested positive for rhinovirus, which causes about half of all colds. They were asked to name 10 places in their homes they had touched in the pre-ceding 18 hours, and researchers used DNA tests to hunt for rhinovirus. "We found that commonly touched areas like re-frigerator doors and handles were positive about 40 percent of the time" for cold germs, Winther said. Hot spots for germs All three of the salt and pepper shakers they tested were contaminated. Other spots found to harbor the germ: 6 out of 18 doorknobs; 8 of 14 refrigera-tor handles; 3 of 13 light switches; 6 of 10 remote controls; 8 of 10 bathroom faucets; 4 of 7 phones, and 3 of 4 dishwasher handles. Next, the researchers deliberately contaminated surfaces with participants' mucus and then tested to see whether rhinovirus stuck to their fingers when they turned on lights, answered the phone or did other common tasks. More than half of the par-ticipants got the virus on their fingertips 48 hours after the mucus was smeared. The study was sponsored by Reckitt-Benckiser Inc., makers of Lysol, but no products were tested in the

research. The study, designed by doctors with no ties to the company, was an effort to lay the groundwork for future research on germs and ways to get rid of them. In a separate study, the university's Drs. Diane Pappas and Owen Hendley went germ-hunting on toys in the offices of five pediatricians, three times during last year's cold and flu season. Tests showed fragments of cold viruses on 20 per-cent of all toys tested — 20 percent of those in the "sick child" waiting room, 17 percent in the "well child" waiting room, and 30 percent in a sack of toys that kids are allowed to choose from after be-ing good for a shot. "Mamas know this," Hendley said. "They say, 'We go to a doctor for a well-child checkup, the kids play with the toys and two days later they have a cold.'" There is no proof that the remnants themselves can infect, but their presence suggests a risk, said Dr. Paul Auwaerter, an infectious-diseases special-ist at Johns Hopkins University. He was familiar with the study but had no role in it. Doctors have long advised frequent hand-washing to avoid spreading germs. Wearing surgical masks and using hand sanitizers also can help, a novel University of Michigan study found. About 1,000 students who live in dormitories tested these measures for six weeks during the 2006-07 flu season. They were divided into two groups: those who wore masks, and those who did not wear masks. The group who wore masks re-ported 10 to 50 percent fewer cold symptoms — cough, fever, chills — than the group who used no prevention measures. Researchers note that the study was not "blinded" — everyone knew who was doing what, and mask wearers may have been less likely to report cold symptoms later because they believed they were taking steps to reduce that possibility. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention paid for the study. The conference was a joint meeting of the Ameri-can Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Dis-eases Society of America.

Doorknobs, TV remotes are germ hot spots

Cold sufferers leave remnants of the bug there, where it can live for days

Health NEWS



Art NEWS

Through December 31 Tinomana. Tahitian artist & ArtServe member Tinomana will display his original Polynesian artwork. IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum 954-225-6760 Through January 1, 2009 Memories an Exhibition by the Bonnet House Fine Artists. New River Inn 954-463-4431 Through January 4, 2009 Nothing Moments. Art and Culture Center of Hollywood 954-921-3274 Through January 4, 2009 Elections in Broward County Exhibit- Tap into the History of Broward Elections. Bonnet House Museum and Gardens. New River Inn 954-463-4431 Through February 23, 2009 Picasso/Luna. Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale 954-525-5500 Through September 30, 2009 Under The Influence. Girl's Club 954-828-9151 November 6, 2008 – March 2, 2009 Coming of Age: American Art 1850s-1950s. Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale 954-525-5500 Through September 30, 2009 Under The Influence. Girl's Club 954-828-9151

ART AROUND TOWN

For information on these events and others, please visit broward.org/arts Please confirm before you go!

Events are subject to change.

December Ocean Dance Patrons bring lawn chairs to enjoy renowned dance companies on stage under the stars at the Hollywood Art & Culture Center. Call (954) 921-3274 for more information. Candy Cane Parade A Holiday themed parade on the Hollywood Boardwalk features floats, marching bands and popular children’s characters. Call (954) 921-3404 for more information. Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade As part of the month-long Winterfest holiday celebration, spectators line shorelines as the grand marshal boat leads more than 100 spectacularly lighted vessels from near Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades north on the Intracoastal Waterway. Call (954) 767-0686 for more information. Holiday Fantasy of Lights Tradewinds Park illuminates for the holidays with drive-through displays for all to enjoy. Call (954) 968-3880 for more information. Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade Billing itself as the nation’s oldest boat parade, the Pompano Beach holiday extravaganza begins on Lake Santa Barbara and moves north to Deerfield Beach. Call (954) 941-2940 for more information.

Woodstock Arts & Crafts Festival In Sunrise at Welleby Park, this quarter-century-old event features hand-crafted arts, international foods, kid’s rides, Santa Claus, entertainment, and more. Canned food donations can substitute for admission fee. Call (954) 747-4600 for more information. Weston Art Festival For more than a decade, the city of Weston has showcased artists at Weston Town Center with free admission. Call (954) 472-3755 for more information. January Las Olas Art Fair Music and food combine with a weekend outdoor art festival featuring national and interna-tional exhibitors, along Las Olas Boulevard. The fair has grown to a point where “Part II” encores occur, typically in February, sometimes in March. Call (954) 472-3755 for more information. Orchid Show The Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society blooms anew at the annual Orchid Show at Fort Lauderdale’s War Memorial Auditorium at Holiday Park. Call (954) 828-5380 for more information. SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk becomes a jazz domain on the first Sunday each month with multiple stages along historic New River. Picnic baskets, blankets, chairs, dogs and children add to festivities. Call (954) 828-5363 for more information.

Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute’s Artist Micro Credit and Business Plan Clinic Final workshop

Date:Saturday, December 6, 2008 Location:ArtServe, 1350 East Sunrise Blvd. Fort Laud, FL 33304 Time: 9 AM – 2 PM Free Workshop



Economic Fallout in Fort Lauderdale By: Romney Rogers

As the economy continues to decline, our neighborhoods, downtown and the beaches will all cer-tainly experience the impact. The obvious problems are already apparent in the form of vacant properties due to foreclosures, increase in crimes to property and home-lessness.

The City of Fort Lauderdale is addressing the problem of deteriorating foreclosed properties by issuing citations and proactively intervening with lenders who are foreclosing. If you have any problems with abandoned houses on your street, you may find help by calling the City’s Code Enforcement Division at 954-828-5207 or email: [email protected].

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department, through its special Street Crimes Task Force, is trying to attack the crime problem before it gets worse. A recent Sun-Sentinel article describes the unit as a “40-man force that has already gotten some good reviews from several neighborhoods.”

Homelessness in our community is on the in-crease and we know it will only get worse as our econ-omy falters. Two to three percent of the U.S. population (5-8 million) has experienced at least one night of home-lessness and Florida has the second largest homeless population in the country. It is estimated that over 5,000 people are considered to be homeless in Broward County alone. Presently, there is an effort being coordinated by the County’s Homeless Initiative Partnership (HIP) to count and survey the homeless population.

However, homelessness is a very complex issue. If it were simple, we might have addressed it effectively decades ago. Serious mental and emotional illness, sub-stance abuse and poverty all contribute as major root causes. Of course when you add declining economic conditions to those causes, the situation is exacerbated.

Addressing the homeless issues will take a col-laborative effort to be effective. Like most community problems, a coalition of the public, private and nonprofit sectors will need to work together. If you are interested in addressing this issue you can start by informing your-self of the magnitude of the problem at hand and volun-teering to help. A good start for information would be to go to HIP’s website, www.broward.org/humanservices/hip.htm and check out some of the organizations such as Shepherd’s Way, Cooperative Feeding, Broward Housing Partnership or Rebuilding Together that are currently in-volved in addressing the issues.

Upcoming Candidates Forum City Elections 2009

The Council of Fort Lauderdale Civic Associations will-host two forums in support of the upcoming City elec-tions. The first on Thursday, January 29, 2009 prior to the primary, the Council will interview candidates running for office. The second on Thursday, February 26, 2009 the Council will again interview the remaining candidates prior to the general election. Both sessions will be held at City Hall in the Commission Chamber on the first floor, each beginning promptly at 7 pm. The public is encouraged to attend and participate For further information contact Betty Shelly 954-938-9230 or Genia Ellis 954-205-9648.

Please Vote!

No man can be condemed for owning a dog. As long as he has a dog, he has a friend; and the poorer he gets, the better

friend he has.

Will Rogers



PET CORNER HOLIDAY PET HAZARDS While you are busy making your festive plans for Hanukkah, and Christmas, please don't forget to include your pets. The holidays are a time for giving, but there are some things you should not share with your furry friends. Once you know the hazards, a little precaution and prevention will make holidays a happy time for everyone. Some of the more common holiday hazards include: Bones: The holiday turkey or chicken will leave a lot of tantalizing bones, but don't feed them to your pet. Beware of steak bones, too. Small bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat, stomach, and intestinal tract. Holiday plants: Holly and mistletoe are extremely poisonous when eaten. The lovely poinsettia may not be truly poison-ous but its milky white sap and leaves can certainly cause severe gastric distress. With so many hybrid varieties avail-able each year, the best approach is to keep the plants out of your pet's reach. Electrical cords: Holiday lights mean more electrical cords for kittens and puppies to chew. Be sure you have cords secured and out of the way. Candles: Lighted candles should never be left unattended and that is even more important if left at kitty's eye level or within puppy's chewing zone. An exuberant tail or a swat of a paw can turn candles and hot wax into an instant disaster. Anchor candles securely and away from curious faces and feet. Pine needles: Check around holiday trees frequently. Ingested pine needles can puncture your pet's intestines. Holiday tree: Make sure your tree is well secured. If you have a tree-climbing cat or large dog with a happy tail, anchor the top of the tree to the wall, using strong cord or rope. Preservatives often used in the water in a tree stand can cause gastric upsets, so be sure it is inaccessible or not used. Avoid sugar and aspirin additives in the water as well. Ornaments: Sharp or breakable ornaments, dreidels, and even aluminum foil should be kept out of reach. String ob-jects, especially tinsel and ribbons, are to be safeguarded at all costs. They are thin and sharp and can wrap around in-

testines or ball up in the stomach. Stress and company: With everyone coming and going, watch out for open doors and sneaky pets. Make sure your pets have updated collars and tags on in case of escape. Microchipping your pet will also help if your pet escapes. All pets should have at least two forms of id on them at all times. Ask guests to keep an eye out for pets under foot and remind them that sometimes your normally friendly dog or cat may be less than willing to deal with enthusiastic children and rooms full of unfamiliar people. Pro-vide a special quiet place with a blanket and fresh water for your pets to retreat to when the festivities get too stressful. • Before traveling with your pets, make sure they have all required vac-cinations and health papers. If they are on medications, have enough to last through the trip plus an additional 5 day supply to be safe. • When traveling by air, be aware of airline restrictions regarding outside temperature and number of animals allowed per flight. Someone may have already booked a pet, and there are no more allowed. Each airline handles pet differently, please contact your carrier for more information.

• Remember that even the most gentle and trusting pet may bite when in pain. Train your dog to a basket muzzle by placing treats in the bottom of it. Basket muzzles provide protection for you and anyone else helping with your pet and allow them to pant and breathe easily. You can also use a soft towel or cloth strips and remove it as soon as possible so the pet can breathe more easily. When dealing with cats simply placing a thick towel over their head may calm them down and decrease the chances of being bitten.

• Too many treats during the holidays can expand your pet’s waist line, so monitor the amount of goodies and remem-ber that food is not love and extra attention will give you the same reaction as a treat.



The Garden Spot Holland Garden Center (est 1967) by Sandy Keysers

Color for the Holidays Want to color up December days? Look no further than poinsettias. Try them in pots and as eye catch-ing Yuletide arrangements. Harvested by the Aztecs for the ruddy dye, the poinsettia was brought to North America in the 1820’s by the United States Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, for whom the plant is named. Nearly a century later the Ecke fam-ily, German immigrants living in Southern California be-gan selling the December show-stoppers as a cut flower at their roadside stand. Today the Ecke’s produce 90% of the worlds poinsettias. More than 70 million poinset-tias are sold in the United States during the holiday sea-son. It is the nations number one selling plant, so bring home more than one! Breeders have experimented with the coloring of the bracts and can now offer them in cream, pink, white, lemonlime and marble. Of course the most popular color is still the traditional brazen red. Mass several plants together for impact on a shelf or table or even outside as long as they are protected from strong winds. Inside you can use cut poinsettias in vases tall or short, illuminated with tapers they create a stunning decoration for a mantle or tabletop. Dip the stems in boil-ing water for 30 seconds or sear them with a flame to stop the flowers for losing nutrients. Poinsettias need a least six hours of not too strong daylight. Keep them moist and water when the surface of the plant is dry. Never allow the plant to sit in water and avoid getting wa-ter on the foliage as this can cause black fungus spots to appear. We offer a full array of poinsettias in all sizes and many gorgeous colors. Fresh cut greenery and wreaths are also available. Call ahead for special orders. Come visit our Christmas Shoppe, lots of pretty things for Christmas decorating and gift giving.

Happy Holidays to everyone from all of us the Holland Garden Center. Thanks for making our

41st year in business a special one!

Happy New Year!





Affordable Advertising...call 954-523-3738



The Winterfest Celebration embraces the dual goals of providing a means for the community to come together and enjoy spectacular and unique events as well as attract positive national attention to the Greater Fort Lauderdale area as a tourist destination and as a great place to live and work.

Lanson Champagne Winterfest Black Tie Ball presented by Clos du Bois in associa-tion with Patron - December 6th - Hosted by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Ca-sino, this elegant affair with the JM Lexus Welcome Reception will feature a silent and live auction.

Shoreline Decorating Extraganza - De-cember 9th

Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Pa-rade - December 13th - The parade be-gins on the New River in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale and ends at Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano. Grand-stand viewing is available at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and VIP Viewing Area at Stranahan House.

So SAVE the Date: December 13th Winterfest Boat Parade “Rockin the Night Aweigh”





EDGEWATER HOUSE CONDOMINIUM

Fort Lauderdale’s best kept secret !

2 Bedrooms 1 Bath Priced from $179,000

Rentals from $1000 monthly

College Students First Time Buyers

Out of State Relatives Live close to family & friends

in Rio Vista

This is an opportunity to make a good deal before the

Tunnel Park is developed

Marianne Winfield Brickell Bay Realty Group, LLC.

954-801-4915

Downtown Countdown: Plan now to ring in the New Year with the City of Fort Lauderdale Changes in Store for Revelers this Year

The City of Fort Lauderdale is gearing up for it’s annual premier New Year’s Eve celebra-tion “Downtown Countdown”. Touted as one of the largest New Year’s Eve celebrations in Flor-ida, this year’s free event is full of fun, excite-ment and thrilling changes for both children and

adults. An estimated 100,000 to 120,000 revelers will crowd d o w n t o w n F o r t L a u d e r d a l e o n Wednesday, December 31, 2007 from 5:00 pm – 3:00 am along SW 2nd Street be-tween SW 2nd Avenue and SW 5th Avenue to

ring in the New Year. The spectacular celebration will feature a

variety of activities for the whole family from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and kids can enjoy an early Countdown at 8:00 p.m. with the lighting of the ball. The festivities include a bounce house, face painting, games and a DJ. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. This year the fam-ily activities will be held at Esplanade Park on SW 2nd Street across from the Museum of Discovery and Science. Beginning at 8:00 pm, Grindstone – a South Florida based rock band - takes center stage, but this year there are two stages so no one has to miss out on the entertainment. From 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Grindstone will be in front of Tarpon Bend.

At 10:30 pm, the second stage heats up

until the midnight the night sky comes alive with fireworks and the ball drop. The eight-foot di-ameter lighted ball (larger than the ball in Times Square), illuminated with 7500 lights will drop from the sky, at the intersection of SW 2nd Street and SW 2nd Avenue, officially ushering in 2008. The many adjacent bars, restaurants and lounges will all join in the celebration, making downtown Fort Lauderdale the most exciting place to be this New Year’s Eve.

For more information about this event, call 954.828.PARK (7275) or visit the City’s web-site at www.fortlauderdale.gov.





The 23rd ANNUAL FORT LAUDERDALE INTER-NATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES FILM AWARDS

GOSPEL HILL LANDS BEST FILM PLAY THE GAME PICKS UP AUDIENCE AWARD

BART GOT A ROOM RECEIVES THE INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE AWARD

Gospel Hill was announced for Best Film of the Fest, director/actor Giancarlo Esposito’s first reaction was to call his daughter, Shayne. As he took the mic, Esposito told a heartfelt story of how he had just gotten off the phone with Shayne; how she had fished for two hours that day and caught nothing when her friends were reeling them in. At the last minute, she caught the biggest fish. Not minutes after the phone call, Giancarlo landed his. A late entry to the film festi-val, Gospel Hill, a gripping and dramatic tale, walked away with the big catch of the night…The Seashell Best of Fest Award. The Trophy, created by Uruguayan artist, Jesus Sosa, was presented to Esposito by Professor Nelson Pilosof, President of The World Trade Center of Montevideo. The International Film Guide Award to the Emerging American or Canadian Filmmaker was presented by Sandy Mandleberger, representing Wallflower Press and The International Film Guide. The Award was presented to Brian Hecker for prom night comedy, Bart Got A Room. Mark Fienberg, director of Play The Game, received the Audience Award for Best Indie Feature. Fienberg, whose comedy Play The Game stars Andy Griffith, Doris Roberts, Liz Sheridan, and Paul Campbell, ran up to the stage to accept his honors. Fien-berg commented, “This was our World Premiere; it’s the first time Play The Game was ever shown to an audience. “I’m blown away. This is a huge honor.” Other awards: Best American Indie went to Lifelines directed by Rob Mar-gulies, Best comedy went to I Do & I Don’t directed by Steve Blair, Best Director was presented to Mark Mahon for Strength and Honour, Best First-Time Direc-tor went to Chris Mason Johnson for The New Twenty, Best Actress Comedy went to Jane Lynch for I Do & I Don’t; Best Actor Comedy went to Melik Mal-kinson for The Autuer, Best Actor Drama went to Joe Anderson for The 27 Club, Best Actress Drama was Kristin Scott Thomas for I Loved You So Long, Best On-Screen Couple went to Amy Huberman & Adam Fergus for Satellites and Meteorites, Most Creative Concept was given to Courting Condi directed by Sebastian Doggart., Best Short Film went to Animated American directed by James Baker and Joe Haidar, and Best Documentary Film went to Neshoba directed by Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano. Movie Going Audiences selected their favorites among all of the films and the festival programmers, Gregory von Hausch and Bonnie Leigh Adams select the Spirit of Independent awards (listed below) A juried festival, The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, pre-sented awards in a variety of categories for feature films, documentaries, shorts and Sunshine Celluloid (Films Made in Florida). Movie Going Audiences se-lected their favorites among all of the films.

Thanks to all for a Great Year!!!

Miss Harryette Johnson

For more than 20 years “The First Thanksgiving”, a play written by Miss Harriet Johnson has been presented by the kindergarten class of Bethany Christian school. This year it was presented on schedule with 10 pilgrims and 6 Indians, taking part in the two act play, much the same as when Miss Johnson presented “The First Thanksgiving”, at her school in 1952. Upon Miss Johnson’s retirement, permission was granted to Bethany to carry on the tradition. Miss Johnson, a former Broward County Public School teacher, left her position to open her own school in a building behind her home on SE 2nd street, in Victoria Park. The enrollment was about 15-17 children. Many of us who make our homes in Rio Vista were fortunate enough to have our children attend “Miss Johnson’s school”. The woman is a wonder when it comes to children. She hot only prepared them for 1st grade, but she taught them manners, kind-ness to others, responsibility, self confidence and proper behav-ior. Her only form of punishment that I remember was a stern voice, or the humiliation of having to sit in the old green chair for time out! Regular outings happened every week. Thursday was beach day. Each child was responsible for his or her own bag and shoes. They played in the sand, building castles and other things, they waded in the ocean and they learned about seashells and sea life. On special holidays and occasions, “Sunday School” clothes were required because they were going to Las Olas, visiting stores or to a large department store to see Santa Claus. She went all of there places with very little if any help. During a few winter months Miss Johnson’s parents came down from Georgia. Her father was a wonderful gardener and he loved caring for the school grounds. On plant he pruned was the “elephant ear” plant. The children loved it when he played with them with the pruned branches from the plant, so my youngest daughter gave him the name “Mr.Elephant Ears”. Miss Johnson has kept in touch with “her” children for years. She wrote each of them a lovely letter on their birthday’s. Unfor-tunately her vision has not been good for many years, but she remains sharp! She can no longer write her wonderful notes, however she enjoys receiving phone calls. Here is my suggestion for any and all who love this women like my family and I do. Call her on February 1, 2009, it will be her 89th birthday. You can call me at 954-522-0466 for her phone number.

Jackie

Check us out 954-525-3456 www.fliff.com

Copyright 2008, RiverView Publishing, 513 SE 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express written consent from publisher. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising or copy they regard as harmful to the public good or deemed to be libelous. The publisher is not responsible for typographical errors, omissions, copy or photo misrepresentation by advertiser. Liability shall not exceed the cost of the portion of the space occupied by such error or advertising items of information. Under no circum-stances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to pub-lish on a timely manner, except as limited to the liabilities as stated above.

Pick Up!Pick Up!

It’s It’s the LAW.the LAW.

GOT A COMPLAINT

A citizen can report a complaint by calling the Community Inspections Bureau (Code Compliance) at (954) 828-5207 or sending an e-mail to

[email protected]. A staff member will take information regarding the location and nature of the violation. The inspector assigned to the area will conduct an inspection of the property. If it is determined that a violation exists, the inspector issues a notice of violation. NOTE: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address

released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

Important Phone Numbers Beach Conditions 954-828-4597 Fire Department 954-828-6800

(Non-Emergency) Job Information 954-828-5317 Marine Operations 954-828-5423 One-Stop Shop 954-828-5191 Parking 954-828-3700

(Tickets & Passes) Parks & Recreation 954-828-7275

Police 954-828-5700 (Non-Emergency)

Water Billing 954-828-5150 Water & Sanitation 954-828-8000 City Hall 954-828-5000 Comm Hutchinson 954-828-5004 Code/Complaints 954-828-5207 Crime Alert 954-828-5377 Occupational License 954-828-5195 Planning & Zoning 954-828-5203 Mayor Naugle 954-828-5003 Mayor & Commission/Fax 954-828-5667 Festival Hotline 954-828-5363 Croissant Park Pool 954-423-1068 Crime Prevention Unit 954-828-6400 Police Hit & Run 954-828-5460 Police Narcotics Unit 954-828-5661 Broward Gen Medical 954-355-4400 Ft Laud/Hlywd Airport 954-359-1200 Bus Information 954-357-8400 Historical Commission 954-765-4670

Broward County and Florida

Auto Tags 954-765-4697 Call Center 954-831-4000 Clerk of the Court 954-831-6565 Sheriff 954-765-4321

(Non-Emergency) or 954-357-5444 State Attorney 954-831-6955 TIPS Crime Information 954-493-8477 Bldg Code Services Div 954-765-5075 Land Use & Permit Div 954-519-1250

Dept. of Planning & Jurors Information 954-831-6091 Legal Aid Services 954-765-8950 Main Library 954-357-7444 Book Renewals 954-357-7368 Property Appraiser 954-357-6830 Revenue Collection, Taxes954-831-4000 Recycling 954-765-4999 Streets & Hwys Div 954-974-4100 State Health Dept 954-467-4700

John Rodstrom, Jr. 954-357-7007

Happy Holidays

from RiverView Publishing!

Please Recycle!

Documents

RVN Dec08/Jan09