Our City Hollywood: December 2022

329 SE 3RD ST

1/1 + glass enclosed balcony. Beautiful neutral toned tile floors & impact windows. 1 assigned parking spot close to the front door and plenty of guest spots. Well maintained, lobby secured building with pool and clubhouse. Excellent location, minutes to the beach. $153,000

137 GOLDEN ISLES DR

LOWEST PRICE ON GOLDEN ISLES DRIVE! 1/1.5 with GORGEOUS water views from every room! All tile floors, updated kitchen, baths & walk in closets Lobby secured building with pool, BBQ, community dock & 1 assigned parking spot on the 2nd story parking garage. 1.3 miles to the beach!

900 RIVER REACH DR

Spacious, 1/1 with updated, open kitchen, walk in closet with built ins, tankless hot water heater, newer A/C and in-unit washer & dryer. East Ft. Lauderdale community with fabulous amenities. Unbeatable location just minutes to Las Olas, dining, shopping, beach, FLL airport and major highways.

9823 MALVERN DR

2/2 + den. One car garage, and two parking spots. Vaulted ceilings with sky lights. Freshly painted inside. Tile roof (approx 4 year). Large eat in kitchen. Large master Bedroom suite with walk in closets and a master bathroom with roman tub and shower. Screened patio and nice size backyard

PUBLISHERS

Christy & Terry Jaillet publisher@ourcitymedia.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Christy Jaillet ART DIRECTOR Tom Rowe

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Alana Brodie ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Nancy Koval nancy@ourcitymedia.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

John Brodie, Denise Caligiuri, Adrienne Collins, Caleb Furlong, Mariem Garcia, Carlos Medina, Kenny Rodgers, Silvia Silva CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Terry Jaillet, Dr. Robert Donoway, Jon Duka, Bruce Iden, Josh Levy, Dr. Carlo Messina, Frank C. Ortis, Dr. Isabel Suate ADVERTISING INFO sales@ourcitymedia.com

Small acts of kindness can be contagious. A few years ago, when our kids were in Elementary School, Christy dropped them off at school and decided to go to the drive-through at a coffee shop. When she got to the window, with her credit card in hand, the barista told her that the driver of the car in front of her had already paid for her order. Christy looked up, but the other car had already sped off, having accomplished their covert act of goodwill. Christy decided to pay the kindness forward, as did the car behind her. A chain reaction of friendly gestures began as the next car carried on giving the gift of a cup of cof fee as well.

We visited Deerfield Beach this weekend. We saw a mother, who was busy with twin young girls while her older son played in the surf. The tide slowly carried the boy down the beach, as it tends to do. The mother tried to get his attention over the sound of the surf to no avail. Seeing the distress on the mom’s face, a couple offered to watch the girls while she went to retrieve her son. All was well when they returned. We were grateful the kind couple was there to help the mom.

These simple gestures of doing good remind us of President George H. W. Bush’s 1989 inaugural address. He spoke about a thousand points of light. Individuals across the country do “good deeds” for the betterment of all.

Let’s make this holiday season a time when we all look out for each other. Be one of those points of light with an act of kindness.

Sincerely,

December 2022 Calendar

DECEMBER 3

Candy Cane Parade

The Candy Cane Parade is one of the longest-running holiday parades in the country. It started back in the mid-1950s by a group of Hollywood merchants as a way to draw patrons to their shops and busi nesses. Today it features dozens of lighted floats and vehicles with parade participants tossing out candy canes and starlight mints all along the parade route to the thousands of spectators who line the Broadwalk. The parade begins at 7:00 p.m. on the Holly wood Beach Broadwalk at Scott Street and heads south to Harrison Street. Compli mentary bleacher seating will be available at various locations along the parade route from Garfield Street to Polk Street. Parade emcees will be stationed at Charnow Park at Garfield Street and at the Hollywood Beach Theatre at Johnson Street.

DECEMBER 7

Full Moon Drum Circle

Bring a drum or percussion instrument to the ArtsPark and participate in a guided drum circle. All skill levels welcome. Meet at the Palm Court (West Side). 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at ArtsPark at Young Circle, Hollywood.

DECEMBER 9

Evening of Energetic Jazz and Holiday Music

The Friends of T. Y. Park is presenting an Evening of Energetic Jazz and Holiday Mu sic Featuring Broward College Community Big Band (20-piece Ensemble). Hosted at Pavilion 12 at T.Y. Park. 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

DECEMBER 10

Winterfest Boat Parade

The 51st annual Winterfest Boat Parade will kick off in downtown Fort Lauderdale at 6:30 pm. The Parade starts at Stranahan House, traveling East along the New River in Fort Lauderdale to the Intracoastal Waterway as it continues North to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. It’s 12 Miles from the “Best Show on H20.” The Parade takes approxi mately 2 and 1/2 hours to view from one loca tion (starting locations stagger as you travel north). For more info, visit www.winterfestparade.com.

DECEMBER 4

Hollywood Historic Walking Tour

Join locals on a guided walking tour of historic downtown Hollywood. The walking tour sets out on the first Sunday of each month at 11:00 am from the northeast cor ner of Hollywood Boulevard and 21st Ave. It is a wonderful way to learn about Holly wood’s past and how the city has grown into the dynamic community it is today. For more info visit www.HollywoodHistoricalSociety.org.

DECEMBER 9

ArtsPark Movie Night

See a free family-friendly flick every Friday. Lawn seating. Bring a blanket or beach chair. As a reminder, City parks are plastic and foam-free. Single-use items, like plastic water bottles, are prohibited on the grounds. ArtsPark Amphitheater, 1 N Young Circle. The movie starts at 8:00 pm. For more info, call 954-921-3404.

DECEMBER 11

Ready to Rock: Memories of the Hollywood Sportatorium

Join Stacy Adams, Author and HHS Board Member, as she gives a lecture on the history of Hollywood’s Sportatorium, the indoor area that was formerly on Pines Boulevard until it was demolished in 1993. The Hollywood Historical Society sponsors monthly lectures on local historical topics at the Stirling Road Branch Library, 3151 Stirling Road. For more info, call 954-923-5590.

December 2022 Calendar (CONTINUED)

DECEMBER 17

Christmas Near the Beach

DECEMBER 12

Hollywood Golf Classic

The Greater Hollywood Chamber of Com merce will be hosting its 39th Annual Golf Classic at the Club at Emerald Hills. Shot gun is at 11:30 am, and the Awards recep tion, starts at 4 pm. Golf classic sponsorship packages are now available. For more infor mation or to register for the event, please call the chamber at 954-923-4000 or visit www.hollywoodchamber.org

Christmas Near The Beach is your home town Christmas. For the past 15 years they’ve celebrated the wonder of Christ mas with the community creating a holiday tradition. The festival marks a beautiful time when family and friends gather to make memories for a lifetime. The joy of seeing Santa, singing Christmas carols, listening to holiday music, and eating tasty treats, combined with the pure love of Christmas, make this festival a nostalgic and heartfelt experience. 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the Arts Park at Young Circle. For more info visit www.christmasnearthebeach.com

DECEMBER 24

Santa Visits South Florida

Listen for the sirens and wait curbside for Santa and his elves arrival. They will be trav eling around South Florida on Christmas Eve delivering presents to all the boys and girls. For more information visit emailsanta.com

DECEMBER 17

Downtown Hollywood Art Walk

The Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk is back! This monthly event is open to all. Explore all that downtown Hollywood has to offer:! Visit galleries and shops while enjoying art, cultural entertainment, live music, murals, and more! Artisan Market, 6pm-11pm; Mural Tour, 6pm-7pm; Gallery Tour, 7pm8pm; Impulse Art - fusion of music and foot painting, 8pm-9pm. For more info visit floridashollywood.org/ArtWalk/

DECEMBER 16-18

The Nutcracker Christmas music embodies the spirit of the season. Treat your ears to classical Yuletide tunes and buy your tickets to see The Nut cracker, presented by the International Bal let Company. More than 130 cast members pirouette across a wintry stage to recreate the classic, fantastical children’s ballet tale that has drawn sold-out crowds for the last 12 years to the Coral Springs Arts Center. Matinee and evening shows are available. For tickets, visit www.thecentercs.com

DECEMBER 25

Christmas Day

The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is the focus of the holiday as well as good will, miracles, and time spent together with family and friends.

DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Eve

Wishing all our readers a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year from all of us at Our City Media!

n 2008, The Cardboard Boat Race in Hollywood was created to bring the community together for a fun family-friendly event while showcas ing the City of Hollywood Marina’s facility and amenities. The festivities were initially organized by the marina staff, but within three years the race grew, and the Hollywood Special Events team was brought in to share the responsibility while the Marina then transitioned to become a division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts.

The annual event at the Hollywood Marina is a huge hit for families with budding mariners. Each team got the opportunity to build their perfect vessel and take it on a cruise.

Participants got into the competitive spirit by constructing a boat out of cardboard on-site for their team. They may also be constructed off-site, but competitors find it more exciting to design, construct, paint, and name their vessels with their fellow mates, all to win the title in the many fun categories. But it’s the coveted trophy that everyone paddles for.

“It doesn’t take long for wet cardboard to sink, but with expertly applied duct tape in strategic locations, crews can make a sea-worthy vessel float just long enough to make their way around the aqua course,” explained Joann Hussey, City of Hollywood Communications Manager.

“The Cardboard Boat Race is a fantastic community event that brings friends and families, area schools, clubs and organizations, and land lovers together for an exciting day of good-natured racing competition on the water,” added Hussey.

This year, the competition was tough, but not for the courage of the mighty crews, the cardboard boats would have been lost!. Congratulations to all of the competitors and the luck winners who took home a trophy!

This year featured dinosaur boats, some space-age-looking ones, and quite a few sailors who got soaking wet. It is amazing what a bit of ingenuity, some old boxes, and a lot of duct tape can accomplish.

We can not wait till next year!

Hollywood Candy Cane Parade

Nothing will get you in the holiday spirit like Hollywood’s Candy Cane Parade. The annual celebration features dozens of floats, marching bands, and revelry. Thousands of young spectators will catch as much candy as they can hold from parade participants, who are eager to share their loot.

The Candy Cane Parade on Hollywood Beach is one of the longest-running holiday parades in the country. It started back in the mid-1950s by a group of Hollywood merchants as a way to draw patrons to their shops and businesses.

Today the parade features dozens of lighted floats and vehicles with parade participants tossing out candy canes and starlight mints all along the parade route to the thousands of spectators who line the Broadwalk.

The parade begins on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk at Scott Street and heads south to Harrison Street. Complimentary bleacher seating will be available at various locations along the parade route from Garfield Street to Polk Street.

The hosts and emcees of the event will be stationed at Charnow Park at Garfield Street and at the Hollywood Beach Theatre at Johnson Street.

2022 will mark the 66th annual parade. Perhaps the biggest draw of the night is the very last float, featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus!

▸ The Hollywood Candy Cane Parade will be held on December 3rd. The parade begins promptly at 7:00 pm on the Broadwalk on Hollywood Beach. For more info contact the City of Hollywood Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts at 954-921-3404.

KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AT THE

By Terry Jaillet

“Christmas Near the Beach” Brings Joy to Young Circle

By Jon Duka

In 2007 Mickey and Deena McDaniel decided to put together a Christmas Party for Hollywood and surrounding areas. They called the small event Christmas on the Beach. The party was well received and became an annual event. In fact, after several years of great success, it became clear that they needed a larger venue.

“In 2007, my husband came to me and asked me to put together a Christmas Party,” said Deena McDaniel, co-founder of the event, “In six weeks, the show was literally thrown together... We’ve since grown from a few hundred to over six thousand in our audiences.”

The larger audiences forced a move for the FREE show to the Arts Park at Young Circle,

and a name change for the event to Christmas Near the Beach.

This year’s show will start at 4:00 pm. The show is open to all and free of charge. Every year the stage floods with local talent! Artists donate their gifts, blessing South Florida! AND, of course, a visit from St. Nick’s will highlight the night.

Keeping in with the South Florida theme, chil dren watch Santa arrive in a classic red car with a surfboard led in by a rousing marching band! He then takes the stage to visit the live Nativity scene, where he honors the wiggly energetic and sometimes not so silent, “Baby Jesus,” presenting him with the very first gift.

After his arrival, Santa will spend time in “St. Nick’s Beach House” where kids are welcomed to tour his living room and head over to his sleigh for a free photo and chat with the jolly ole guy himself.

Throughout the night the stage will display amazingly talented artists. Bands, dancers, and even a rollerblading Grinchy are set to perform! “Christmas On The Beachside,” an original song written and performed by Nashville recording artist Austin Adamec has brought the crowd to its feet every year.

▸ Christmas Near the Beach will be held from 4:00 pm till 9:00 pm on December 17, 2022 at the Arts Park at Young Circle on Hollywood Boulevard. For more info visit www.christmasnearthebeach. com or call 573-280-8486.

The Mental Game of Golf

By Dean Sklar, PGA Professional

olf is a sport where players can get consumed by emotions, distractions and negative thoughts. These factors can make a golfer feel “out of control” resulting in two reactions: giving up (going through the motions to just finish the round) or forced play (trying harder by adjusting mechan ics or over-analyzing their play).

The most optimal mindset for peak performance requires that you avoid engaging in over-thinking and over-an alyzing while playing. In the heat of the moment, pressure and mistakes can seem overwhelming but if you can commit to adopting the right mindset and spend the time to train your mind, your golf game will soar. Always remember, your emotional reaction, your thoughts and your focus are 100% within your control – you just need to learn how to do it. Here are four tips on how to adopt the right mindset.

TIP #1: Competitive Routine

Your pre-shot routine is the key to calm your mind and body. The last part of your routine should signal your mind and body that you are fully ready and committed to THIS shot. Try including the word “Ready!” at the end of your routine for emphasis.

TIP #2: Focus on Task

Always focus on the process of performing a task… not the outcome. Ask yourself, “What exactly do I need to do in this moment?” Choose your strategy for the shot, align your shot, perform

Gyour pre-shot routine, trust and swing. Anything more than that is useless noise.

TIP #3: Thought Control

You will have thousands of positive, negative and neutral thoughts throughout a round of golf. You may not be able to control which thoughts come into your mind, but you can control what thoughts you grab on to and buy in to.

I like this analogy. Imagine your mind is like a fish tank. Different fish swim into your awareness like thoughts. It is up to you to decide which ones you want to focus on. The cute small blue and yellow spotted one or the ugly gray and black fish. Tell yourself that just because a thought comes through your mind, it is your choice whether you stay with this thought or not. Let go of self-defeating thoughts and choose self-enhancing thoughts. Try to do this in your next practice round.

TIP #4: Anxiety Management

Begin to recognize your troublesome thoughts that lead to worrying before and during your performances. Train yourself in relaxation techniques (ie: deep breath ing, imagery) to reduce your stress levels. It is important for you to equip yourself with diverse strategies to regain the calm, clear mind and automatic execution required for peak performance, especially in critical moments during a tournament. You wouldn’t just bring one golf club to a tournament because you know you will face many different shot situations; you bring a variety of clubs to best attack each shot. The same should be true for your mental game. Having a selection of optimal mindset tools and strategies at your disposal prepares and arms you to face the various challenges that you will come across during a round of golf.

▸ PGA Professional Dean Sklar is a member of the Quarter Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite group of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 25 years. If you would like to talk to Dean about your golf game, contact him at Dean@SklarTeam.com or visit Rose and Dean Sklar at Coldwell Banker online at www.SklarTeam.com.

BENNETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HOLLYWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ennett Elementary School and Hollywood Park Elementary School were designated as National Banner Unified Champion Schools by Special Olympics. The national honor recognizes schools for having inclusive school cli mates that exude a sense of collaboration, engagement, and respect for all students and staff.

Receiving the National Banner distinc tion means that Bennett Elementary and Hollywood Park Elementary meet 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. These standards were developed by a panel of leaders from the Special Olympics and the education community.

The primary activities within these stan dards include Special Olympics Unified Sports® (in which students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), inclusive youth leadership, and whole-school engagement. The schools also demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan to sustain these activities.

“This national recognition is a huge win for Bennett Elementary School, Hollywood Park Elementary, and our District,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “The award carries a message that our schools are places where everyone belongs. It represents the commitment our students, teachers and staff have for providing the message of inclusion.”

Bennett Elementary and Hollywood Park Elementary are two of 13 Florida schools to receive this national distinction. The schools received a banner to display on campus and are included on a list of schools around the country that have achieved this status.

A Special Olympics Unified Champion School celebration and presentation of the prestigious banner was held at Bennett Elementary and Hollywood Park Elementary. Mark Thompson, regional director of Developmental Sports Programs, Southeast Florida Special Olympics, presented the banner to the school community.

It’s Tournament Time! Hollywood Chamber Golf Classic Tees Off December 12

The Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 39th Annual Golf Classic on December 12th at the Club at Emerald Hills. It is an oasis for tournament goers to enjoy a challenging, yet fun game of golf while relaxing and networking in the comfort of a private club. Golfers will have the chance to challenge their game on the scenic course that is perfect for all levels of golfers.

“Networking on the links is a proven method to grow business while having fun. The Classic is known for creating business opportunities while enjoying the scenic and relaxing atmosphere a round of golf guarantees to provide,” said Marie

Suarez, Greater Hollywood Chamber Executive Director & CEO. “It’s a fun way for people to get involved with their chamber and network with over a hundred of corporate members and business leaders.”

Proceeds from the golf tournament will support programs and educational services the chamber offers to its members, advancing its mission to “foster a business climate that promotes success, integrity, and excellence for our members and the greater Hollywood community.”

The tournament also features fun contests including “Hole in One” for a Hollywood Kia car. In 2016, Dan Serafini from GG’s Waterfront Bar &

Grill, impressed all participants by hitting a shot that won him the Hole in One prize, a Hollywood 2017 SUV KIA Sportage.

“We always support the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s golf tournament because it’s always such an exceptional event,” Serafini said. “In 2016, it was even more exceptional for me because I made a hole-in-one.”

Shotgun is at 11:30 am and the Awards reception, featuring a fabulous silent auction starts at 4 pm. Golf classic sponsorship packages are now available.

▸ For more information or to register for the event, please call the chamber at 954-923-4000 or visit www.hollywoodchamber.org

Historic Stranahan House to Host Victorian Christmas Tours

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) welcomed 15 new officers to the force on October 15th. The newly sworn officers will support the mission and vision of the City Commission to enhance public safety.

Historic Stranahan House Museum will be decking the halls, the walls and more with spectacular Victorian era décor for the Victorian Christmas Tours in December.

“This is a favorite holiday tradition,” said Christine Yates, president of the Stranahan House board of directors. “The Victorian Christmas Tours are magical and take us back to the holidays in another era. The décor is truly breathtaking.”

Stranahan House will be transformed to capture the grandeur and glamour of a traditional Victorian Christmas. Costumed tour guides in fabulous gowns and waist coats narrate the origins of many holiday traditions and demonstrate how pioneers celebrated Christmas as they take guests on a whimsical journey of Christmas past amid picture-perfect Victorian era décor.

Built in 1901, the Stranahan House is the oldest and most historically significant surviv

ing structure in Broward County, Florida. Built by founding father of Fort Lauderdale, Frank Stranahan, the structure served as the pioneer wilderness' trading post, post office, bank, and gathering place.

After marrying the area's first school teacher, Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the building became their home and later a boarding house, a restaurant, and now a museum. Sitting on its original location in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Historic Stranahan House Museum remains a connection to the past while operating as an educational center, cultural destination, and community event space.

Tours are one hour and are scheduled from FridaySunday, December 16-18 and Friday, December 23. There is a maximum of 10 visitors per tour. Tickets are $25 for non-members and $20 for museum members

and can be purchased at www.stranahanhouse. org/events.

▸ Stranahan House is open for daily guided tours and offers virtual experiences and in-person events throughout the year.

To stay updated with events, visit www.stranahanhouse.org

Sparking the Joy of Reading at Driftwood Middle School

One hundred media centers are being renovated at schools throughout Broward County as part of the SMART Bond Program, which focuses on improvements in the areas of Safety, Music and art, Athletics, Renovation and Technology.

At Driftwood Middle School, renovations to the space were completed in August 2022 and included new carpeting, furniture and technology. The staff at the school is excited about how the new space is impacting student learning. “Everyone has questions they want answered and it starts with reading books,” said Lauren Martino, Media Specialist at the school. “One question will lead to the next, that’s how kids gain knowledge and opinions and their passions. Books are life.”

Media center improvements are a significant scope of the SMART Bond Program, consisting of a $20.5 million investment across the District – including Apollo Middle, Attucks Middle, Boulevard Heights Elementary, Driftwood Middle, Hollywood Hills High, Hollywood Park Elementary, McArthur High, Oakridge Elementary, Sheridan Hills Elementary AND South Broward High. The upgraded centers are equipped with new technology, books, supplies and furniture that help enhance the learning experience for students across the school district.

The renovated center at Driftwood Middle was designed to be more spacious, giving students more room to connect and learn together. The school was allocated $8,930,700 from the SMART Program budget to improve the media center, as well as their music/art labs, roofing, electrical systems, fire sprinkler systems, HVAC systems, and safety/security.

To highlight the impact of the media center renovations at Driftwood and other Broward County Public Schools, the ‘What SMART Means to Me’ campaign launched a new initiative titled Sparking the Joy of Reading. The campaign consists of a series of videos featuring school staff and students discussing how the media centers have impacted their schools.

Driftwood Middle’s new media center is featured in the video campaign. The school’s upgraded space incorporates modern learning styles and provides resources that support the school’s curriculum to help students improve their literacy skills at their own pace. Students are provided with a variety of new books that

pique their interest, encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

The SMART Bond Program has invested about $1.4 billion in improving the quality of the BCPS educational experience, making a positive impact on the lives of students and staff, and giving communities across Broward County something to be proud of through renovation.

To highlight the impact of the media center renovations at Broward County Public Schools,

the “What SMART Means to Me” campaign launched a new initiative titled Sparking the Joy of Reading. Follow along with the progress of media center improvements across BCPS, by visiting the SMART Futures website (www. bcpssmartfutures.com). The SMART Futures website serves as an accessible, easy-to-use, comprehensive place for school communities and key stakeholders to find information about all SMART projects and the latest happenings in the Program.

1300 S Federal Highway www.shenaniganssportspub.com 954-981-9702

Shenanigans was voted the No. 1 sports bar in town and Best Chicken Wings in Florida, Shenanigans’ locations are the perfect place to catch a game or a great meal with friends and family.

Eastside 4 am is open late! They have outdoor seating and feature all-day food and drink specials. East Side has delectable barbecue items fresh from the smoker, along with a convenient drive-thru win dow for takeout.

Your longtime home for Miami Dolphins action also has newly-in stalled HDTVs for all the home teams and all the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL action.

Best Eye Care Provider

Dr. Alan Mendelsohn Eye Surgeons & Consultants

4651 Sheridan Street, Suite 100 www.myeyesurgeons.com 954-894-1500

The doctors at Eye Surgeons & Consultants, Alan Mendelsohn MD, FACS and Nathan Klein, OD are experts at enhancing vision quality and eye health for the entire family. They offer care and treatment for patients throughout their lives, including LASIK vision corrective sur gery, cataract and glaucoma care, primary eye care, curing dry eye, and much more.

Visiting Eye Surgeons & Consultants’ beautiful offices make going to the eye doctor a treat rather than something to dread. The on-site optical laboratory and a vast selection of designer frames make vis iting the office a treat. It’s no wonder Eye Surgeons and Consultants was voted Best Eye Care Provider in Hollywood.

School Choice Applications Accepted Through February 3, 2023

School-aged children living in Broward County are assigned to a school based on their home address and grade level. Parents can, however, apply for their child to attend a school other than the one their child is assigned school. The period where parents can apply for their child to attend a different school, or the school choice application window, opens on December 1 and will be closed on February 3.

School Choice

By state law, students may apply to attend any public school that has not reached capacity, regardless of their home address. To determine which schools are accepting applications, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) reviews enrollment data and projected students.

Parents may request a school that is accepting applications by complet ing a School Choice Application during the application window.

School Choice Applications are awarded using a computerized random selection process. If more seats at a school become available during the School Choice process, additional selections from the application pool will be made. There is no guarantee that a child’s application will be granted.

How to Apply

There are three alternative options avail

able for families. These options include Magnet Programs, Nova Schools, or a reassignment School. Parents can submit one application for each option per child. Applications must be submitted on BCPS’ website prior to February 3.

Parents will be notified if their child was selected on February 10 for NOVA, March 3 for Magnet schools and March 17-24 for reassignment.

HOLLYWOOD UPDATE

By Mayor Josh Levy

ear readers of Our City - Hollywood, This year, on the revenue side, the city with the 2022 holiday season in full swing, I hope you and your families are able to enjoy precious time and joyous occasions with one another.

For this mayor’s update, and in light of the recent tidal flooding that the east coast of Florida experienced mid-November together with Hurricane Nicole’s storm surge, I’d like to share some updates on our city’s coordination with our government partners for reducing the impact of tidal and rainfall flooding in our city.

As we are now well aware, higher seasonal tides are a growing concern for all coastal communities, especially when a hurricane is approaches at the same time those seasonal king tides. The City has been working on both short-term and long-term solutions to address tidal flooding, leveraging millions of dollars in federal, state and local dollars to improve our defenses.

Short-term solutions include maximizing ongoing maintenance and upgrades to the storm drain system, adding axillary pumps and pumping stations where appropriate, and using new technologies like permeable materials when undertaking improvement projects in areas of concern.

Longer-term solutions include installing tidal flooding control devices (flap-gates), elevating roadways in low-lying areas, continuing dune replacement projects, and

Dbeach renourishment programs.

For tidal flooding mitigation by improving shorelines, we were awarded a $14M Resilient Florida grant to augment existing city GO Bond funding ($15M) to address flooding from sea level rise in the public shorelines of the low-lying Hollywood Lakes neighborhood. Phase I is in design and focuses on areas where no current shoreline protection exists. Phase II will improve areas with existing shoreline protection.

On the barrier island, in coordination with Broward County and FDOT, flap gates and control valves were also installed in some areas central beach to reduce tidal water from flowing into and out of the storm drainage system. We also received a Resilient Florida grant to address pump station needs and the Hollywood CRA is investing close over $50M in south Hollywood beach to improve the existing drainage system, incorporating permeable hardscape to increase the percolation of surface water, undergrounding overhead utilities, and modifying the street profile of the streets by elevating the road height to reduce persistent flooding, reduce traffic congestion, and improve connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. Dune planning is also underway with concepts for a walking/bicycling path as part of the dune design for the south end of the beach.

The Army Corps of Engineers & Broward County are currently working on the Segment 3 Beach Renourishment Project as well. The project is halfway done at Mizell-Johnson State Park and once the park segment is finished, it will move to

bring sand to Hallandale Beach then to Hollywood beach. Hollywood will receive 170,000 – 200,000 cubic yards or more of sand to raise the beach and extend it out, as the federal permit provides.

Work is underway at Balboa Street and Surf Road to repair the road’s washout from King Tide impacts. The area will be built up with a ramp/physical barrier to block sea water while providing beach access for emergency vehicles. Once the renourishment project reaches this location, the County will be adding new dunes at the Balboa location.

Broward County also received a Resilient Florida grant ($18M) to raise and improve intracoastal shoreline of the County’s Hollywood North Beach Park, north of Sheridan Street. The City also enacted an ordinance that requires waterfront property owners to maintain their private seawalls at a higher elevation, to prevent their proper ties from becoming a source of tidal flooding.

To address rainfall flooding, Phase 1 of our Citywide Stormwater Master Plan is now complete, and we are progressing on to develop a comprehensive stormwater model and action plan to update and improve our stormwater utility. Millions of dollars in storm drainage improvements will follow.

The City was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program to update the City’s Floodplain Management Plan. We were also awarded a Resilient Florida grant to aug ment existing funding for a new project to restore stormwater drainage and treatment functions of neighborhood swales in several areas of the city through projects dubbed “Recapture the Swale.”

Also, the 45 acre Sunset Golf property on Johnson Street that the City purchased, is proposed to be the home of a new nature preserve and passive public park with additional stormwater drainage capacity for the surrounding area.

As you can see, lots of projects are underway as we confront and adapt to a changing climate and we thank you for your support on personal investment in this collective mission.

Sincerely,

Things got weird at Hollywood’s annual Halloween celebration, Hollyweird. Downtown Hollywood was taken over by goblins, vampires, and superheroes as boys and girls of all ages dressed up.