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OUR COMMUNITY

from Under the Sun - Spring 2023

from Under the Sun - Spring 2023, page 9

VISIONING

Honoring the MLK Monument Award recipient

The Coral Springs Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Committee voted to award the 2023 MLK Monument Award to local educator Annejeanette Washington-Collins for her valuable service and contributions to the Coral Springs community.

A resident of Coral Springs for 14 years, Washington-Collins works at Ramblewood Middle School as an American History Teacher. In addition, she is a STEM advocate, educator, and college professor. Recently having her work noticed at the state level, Washington-Collins was named the Dr. Theron Trimble Florida Social Studies Teacher of the Year for Middle School by the Florida Council for the Social Studies. The award recognized exceptional and innovative teachers for creating meaningful lessons for their students and advocating for social studies education.

Love Serving Autism serves up confidence through tennis

As soon as Coral Springs tennis instructor, Dan Bobrow, was given the opportunity to teach tennis to local students with autism, he couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.

A longtime tennis professional and coach, Bobrow once founded a program in another state teaching the sport he loves to individuals with Down Syndrome. So, when the nationally known “Love Serving Autism” program contacted the Coral Springs Tennis Center wanting to establish a program here, Bobrow was ready.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” Bobrow said. “I knew it was something I always wanted to come back to.”

Love Serving Autism is a South Florida-based nonprofit, with programs nationwide, that specializes in therapeutic tennis instruction for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. As part of the program, Bobrow has undergone specialized training to teach tennis to those in Coral Springs and surrounding communities with unique learning needs using a specialized, visual guide, and a gentle, encouraging teaching style.

They finally feel like they’re part of something.

Most Saturday mornings at the Cypress Tennis Courts, Bobrow meets with a group of mostly preteens and teenagers to conduct the lessons. They go through simple, no-pressure drills and games, like balancing the ball on the racket, “high five” game, and lots of extra chances to try again. At the end of a six-week session, Bobrow almost always notices a stark difference in the students’ selfassuredness in their own abilities.

“The cool thing about it is that I’ve had some of the same kids since the beginning, and I’ve had parents come up to me in tears saying it’s the first time they’ve seen their kids smile,” Bobrow said. “They finally feel like they’re part of something.”

Code Compliance works to keep Coral Springs communities beautiful

Our dedicated team of Code Compliance Inspectors and Managers work daily to maintain the clean, beautiful aesthetic that makes Coral Springs a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family.

Lynne Johnson Award Winners

We’re pleased to announce the Lynne Johnson Award Winners for 2022. This program recognizes city volunteers who went above-and-beyond to support our community. The City of Coral Springs relies on its volunteers to help in our city’s success.

HOW IT WORKS:

If a resident receives a code violation, they are given the direct contact information of their community’s Code Inspector. Inspectors are encouraged to listen to residents who reach out to them and offer help, advice, and give extensions if-needed. The Coral Springs Code team lists sidewalk, roof, and landscaping violations as the top reasons why citations are issued, and they are proud to have a voluntary compliance rate of more than 80% — meaning the vast majority of cases were resolved without the need for a formal order or hearing.