Poinsettia Heights Newsletter Dec-Jan 2010

THE OFFICIAL POINSETTIA HEIGHTS NEWSLETTER DECEMBER / JANUARY 2010

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THE POINSETTIA….the plant! THE HISTORY The plant we know today as the poinset-tia has a long and interesting history. The fact is, that lovely plant you place in your home during the holidays was once used as a fever medicine!

Native to Central America, the plant flourished in an area of Southern Mexico known as Taxco del Alarcon. The an-cient Aztecs had a name for this plant found blooming in the tropical highlands during the short days of winter: cuet-laxochitl. Not merely decorative, the Aztecs put the plant to practical use. From its bracts they extracted a purplish dye for use in textiles and cosmetics. The milky white sap, today called latex, was made into a preparation to treat fevers.

The poinsettia may have remained a re-gional plant for many years to come had it not been for the efforts of Joel Roberts Poin-sett (1779 - 1851). The son of a French physi-cian, Poinsett was ap-pointed as the first

United States Ambassador to Mexico (1825 - 1829) by President Madison. Poinsett had attended medical school himself, but his real love in the scientific field was botany. Mr. Poinsett later founded the institution which we know today as the Smithsonian Institution.

Poinsett maintained his own hothouses on his Greenville, South Carolina planta-tions, and while visiting the Taxco area in 1828, he became enchanted by the brilliant red blooms he saw there. He

immediately sent some of the plants back to South Carolina, where he began propagating the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens.

The poinsettia was first introduced into cultivation and commercial trade by Bar-tram’s Garden on June 6, 1829 at “The first semi-annual exhibition of fruits, flowers and plants, of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society”. The owner of the commercial nursery at the time was Col. Robert Carr, married to Ann Bartram-Carr the granddaughter of the famous American Nurseryman John Bartram. Col Carr received seeds and plants that exhibited “A new Euphorbia with bright scarlet bracteas or floral leaves, pre-sented to the Bartram Collection by Mr. Poinsett, United States Minister to Mex-ico.”

In 1834, Robert Buist, a Pennsylvania nurseryman introduced the plant to Europe under its botanical name, Eu-phorbia pulcherrima (literally, "the most beautiful Euphorbia"). Though it is thought to have become known by its more popular name of poinsettia around 1836, the origin of the name is certainly clear! THE LEGEND OF THE POINSETTIA A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Ser-vices. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.

"I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,"

said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the alter, she re-membered Pedro's kind words: "Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes." She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right be-fore their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.

Today, the common name for this plant is the poinsettia!

NEXT GENERAL MEETINGS

january 20TH

7PM at

2 The Official Publication of the Poinsettia Heights Civic Association

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2010

Publisher RiverView Publishing

“Your hometown newsletter publisher” www.riverviewpublishing.com

Advertising Clay Wieland

954.240.8909 / [email protected]

Copyright 2009, 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 ad-vertising 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 misrepresen-tation by advertiser. Liability shall not exceed the cost of the portion of the space occupied by such error or advertising items of informa-tion. Under no circumstances shall the pub-lisher be held liable for incidental or conse-quential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish on a timely manner, except as limited to the liabilities as stated above.

PHCA BOARD

President Mike Vonder Meulen

954.612.3203 / [email protected] fax 954.561.9464

Vice President

Gabriel Ocasio-Davila 954.566.5866 / [email protected]

Treasurer

Ron Weinbaum 954.566.4877 / [email protected]

Chris Engle


Timothy Lyons 954.561.9464 / [email protected]

Jessica Basi


Marlene Pagel 561.414.3297 / [email protected]

Shea Smith


Alex Collazo 954.564.0571 / [email protected]

Ken Hahn


Jon Weiss 954.565.5044 / [email protected]

Poinsettia Heights Civic Association

How It Affects the Nation We Can't Move Forward Until You Mail It Back "...an accurate count of the U.S. population forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made that end up affecting our daily lives."

-- C.N. Le, Professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst That's why it's so important that you fill in the form and promptly mail it back. Census infor-mation affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representa-tives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more. When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like: • Hospitals • Job training centers • Schools • Senior centers • Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects • Emergency services Participation isn't just important—it's man-datory.

Protecting Your Personal Information Federal law protects your identity and the

information you give us.

We depend on your cooperation and trust, and promise to protect the confidentiality of your information. Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidentiality of all your information and violating this law is a crime with severe penalties. In addition, other federal laws, including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy Act reinforce these protections. * Private information is never published It is against the law to disclose or publish any of the following information:

• Names • Addresses including GPS coordinates • Social Security numbers • Telephone numbers

We Collect Information to Produce Statistics We use your information to produce statistics. Your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. Sworn for Life to Protect Your Confidentiality All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data.

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Santa on the Beach Monday, December 21 Motorcade with Santa

12:00 p.m. Beach Arrival 12:45 p.m. Fort Lauderdale Beach Park 1100 Seabreeze Boulevard

(across from the Oasis Res-taurant)

Don’t miss Santa Claus’ traditional candy giveaway along Fort Lauderdale Beach! Santa Claus and his elves will walk along Fort Lauderdale Beach, providing beachgoers with candy canes and holiday treats. Santa's route will begin at the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Administration Building, located at 1350 W. Broward Boulevard, beginning at noon. The Santa motorcade will then travel: • East on Broward Boulevard to S.W. 7th Avenue • South on S.W. 7th Avenue to S.W. 2nd Street • East on S.W. 2nd Street to Andrews Avenue • South on Andrews Avenue to Las Olas Boulevard • East on Las Olas Boulevard to A1A • South on A1A to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (501 Seabreeze Boulevard) Santa and his elves will begin passing out treats on Fort Lauderdale Beach across from the Oasis Cafe, located at 600 Seabreeze Boulevard. They will continue walking north along the beach to Birch State Park, located at A1A and Sunrise Boulevard. For more information, call (954) 828-PARK (7275).

New Year's Eve

Downtown Countdown

Thursday, December 31 5:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.

Along S.W. 2nd Street from

S.W. 2nd to 4th Avenues Join the City of Fort Lauderdale to ring in the New Year! Family events are hosted from 5 to 9 p.m. and include DJ, bounce houses, face painting games and many more activities! Children can enjoy an early Countdown when the ball is list at 7 p.m. Come enjoy the fun and feel the rhythm when S.W. 2nd Street comes alive with live music from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Watch the lighted ball will drop from the sky at the stroke of midnight to officially kick-off 2010! Call (954) 828-5363 for more information.

14th Annual Seminole Hard Rock

Winterfest Boat Parade

Saturday December 12, 2009 at 6:30pm

Downtown Fort Lauderdale on Las Olas Blvd.

Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade Starts Downtown Fort Lauderdale on the New River and ends at Lake Santa Barbara, Pompano Beach

Phone: (954) 767-0686

One of the most visually dazzling events in the country, the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade was named one of the “Top 20 Parades in

the World” by USA Today. Thousands of brilliantly illuminated ships light up the night sky to the delight

of massive crowds during this signature annual event. Other Winterfest activities include a special Intracoastal Decorating Extravaganza where the

banks of the waterway are adorned with beautiful multi-colored decorations.



I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: my job is an awesome responsibility! Last year, my colleagues hon-ored me by electing me to be the Vice Mayor of Broward County. I have enjoyed the position over the last twelve months. On November 17th, they honored me again by electing me to be the Mayor of Broward County for the next twelve months. I look forward to the challenge. And make no mistake: in these economic times, it will be a challenge. First and foremost, I intend to use my position to continue our shared vision for Broward County. As we have done over the last 3 years, we must continue to lower property taxes and to streamline Broward’s vast governmental structure. We have decreased Broward’s annual budget by more than $300,000,000.00 since you elected me, and we have eliminated 1300 positions as we operate Broward County as a more efficient business. But our work is not yet done. In order to recover from this recession, we must see to fruition our previously approved capital projects: the expansion of our southern runway at Fort Lauderdale/ Hollywood International Airport; the expansion of our sea-port; the construction of a new downtown courthouse; and the upgrading and “greening” of our infrastructure. These projects will benefit Broward County over the next 50 years. They will create jobs. But they must be funded without prop-erty taxes. Each of these projects can be done. I will make it my top priority to keep them on track. Lastly, I was raised to believe that people are basically hon-est and want to do the right thing. And I don’t exclude elected officials from that view. But you cannot escape the fact that local government currently has an image problem. And as they say, “perception is reality.” So, I support the work of the Broward Ethics Commission. As I wrote in a recent article, this Committee was created by the voters in November 2008 and is tasked with bringing forth a Code of Ethics to be presented to the Broward County Commission. If the Commission fails to adopt the proposed code, it will be placed on the November 2010 ballot for acceptance or rejection by Broward’s voters. I intend to work very closely with this group to enact substantive ethics reform. It’s the right thing to do. It’s going to be an exciting year. I look forward to being Bro-ward’s Mayor, but my top priority is being your County Com-missioner. That’s why you elected me. My best to you and your families.

Broward County Commissioner and Mayor Ken Keechl 954 357 7004 • www.broward.org/kenkeechl

“Ask Lori…Parrish on Appraisal”

Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish Answers Your Questions

“Pre-File Now For 2010 Homestead

and Other Exemptions!”

Dear Lori, My spouse and I are first time home buyers and new to Florida. We recently bought our house and moved to Broward County. What are the re-quirements for new home buyers to obtain Home-stead Exemption?

T & S Kelly, Deerfield Beach, FL. (via email) The deadline to late file for any 2009 exemption is closed (September 19, 2009); however you can pre-file for 2010 exemptions including: Homestead, dis-ability, widow/widower, granny flat and portability. To be eligible for a 2010 exemption, you must be on title and make the property your permanent residence by January 1, 2010. You are also eligible if you hold a life estate interest in the property or reside on the property owned by a Trust and live there pursuant to the terms of the Trust. Applicants must be a US Citizen, a Permanent Resident Alien, or hold “PRUCOL” asylum/refugee parole status in the US. You must be a registered Broward voter or file a notarized Declaration of Domi-cile form with the Broward County Recording Office. Applicants must either have a Florida Driver’s Li-cense or Florida ID Card (for non-drivers). You can-not use a “Valid in Florida Only” driver’s license and cannot keep a valid driver’s license in another state. Homestead Exemption does not transfer. If you had Homestead on a previous property, you must file for a new Homestead Exemption once you have pur-chased and moved into a new permanent residence. Remember: It is unlawful to claim an exemption if you or your spouse are claiming a Homestead or other permanent residency-based tax exemption or credit in any other county, state or country. To pre-file for Homestead Exemption, simply go online at www.bcpa.net. Just click the big yellow button near the top left of our homepage to get started. To file for any other exemptions, visit our “Download Forms” page to find the appropriate appli-cation. If you prefer to file in person, you can visit our Main Office or our West Broward Branch Office and we will assist you in filing your exemptions. Should you have any questions, please contact our Customer Service & Exemption Department at 954.357.6830.

MAYOR KEN KEECHL UPDATE Looking Out for District 4

as Broward County’s Mayor



THE TROPICAL ARCHITECT By William Hoffman…Architect

Screen Rooms Growing up in Miami, one of the most pleasurable memories from my youth was sitting out in the screen room of my parents’ home during one of those classic torrential South Florida down pours. Being inside pro-tected from the rain, but at the same time, still being very much a part of the outdoors. The impact on the senses was one that has stayed with me all these years, the smell of the rain, that classic feel of the South Florida humidity, the lush view of our tropical garden responding to the nitrogen rich rainwater and the sound of the rain beating down. By virtue of our geographic location here in South Florida, we are lucky enough to live in the only subtropical region of North America. This good fortune should be one celebrated by taking advantage of the outdoors. Moreover, there is no better way of doing this than by the addition of a classic Florida screen room to your home. A screen room is not a screen enclosure. A screen enclosure is what you see enclosing a swim-ming pool, with a screen roof. What I mean is a real room, with a ceiling overhead and a roof that in contiguous with the existing roof of your home, the only differ-ence between an enclosed room is that it has large screen open-ings rather than windows opening up to the outdoors. Why a screen room? For me it’s beyond the sensory elements of being apart of the outdoors. The addition of a screen room will: • Increase the size of your home visually and tangibly • Create a transition space where you can connect to the out doors

and with nature, at the same time keeping “out of the weather” • Act a passive cooling element to your home Typically, the dividing wall separating the air-conditioned portion of your home and the screen room is built such that it will have the capability of opening wide. This could be a wall of french or sliding glass doors. The transparent nature of these two choices will create a feeling of expansive-ness taking your eye from an interior space through the screen room and then into the outdoors. This kind of manipulation of space is best illus-trated in a traditional Japanese home where the exterior walls slide back and out of sight opening the interior to a space visually protected from the outside by a privacy wall that is placed at the perimeter of the property. This expanse of outdoor space now is captured and perceived as a private space extending from the interior of your home to the “visual stop” created by the privacy wall. Screen rooms also act as “transition spaces,” an intermediate space, that connects the outdoors with the indoors. Similar to an entry vestibule that is a space used to connect your home’s public spaces to the outdoors at the entry to your home. The screen room would connect the interior of your home hopefully to a nature rich privacy space on your property. This could be off the room living, family room, kitchen, bedroom etc. Screen rooms also create a passive cooling feature for your home. Pas-sive cooling is cooling by natural or low-tech means vs. the use of an air conditioner, by opening your home’s exterior doors and windows to the outdoors. Passive cooling techniques in South Florida are influenced by three issues: temperature, humidity and airflow. Humidity remains con-stant, but we can influence temperature and air flow. Temperature is mod-erated with the use of appropriate wall and roof insulations. The wall of

french or sliding glass doors, referenced earlier in the article, open wide to allow for an increased air flow, while the screens keep your home insect free. Increasing the airflow through your home will help you stay comfort-able during the months of the year that your home could open wide to the outdoors. This would be after that first cold front makes its way south, until April or May, or about half the months of the year. If you want to create more space, open your home to nature, keep it cool at the same time and an experience a tropical sensory experience, during one of those dumping South Florida rainfalls, think about the addition of a screen room to your home.

About the Author: William Hoffman is an architect & LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional who designs and builds sustainable new homes & home renovations. He welcomes your comments and questions. Contact info: Phone 954-561-1642 or through HoffmanArchitecture.com Photo description: Dolphin House Screen Room Fort Lauderdale Florida

Bill Sanders Photography

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Back in May 2006, there was a pretty significant change to the tax laws involving converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. In the year 2010, everyone can convert their traditional IRAs to a Roth IRA - and that's an opportunity that not everyone had in the past. This article will address the Roth IRA conversion rule change that goes into effect in 2010. I will also run through some of the strategies that indi-viduals can use to take advantage of this change, starting today. Roth IRA Conversion Rules Under the current tax law for Roth IRA conversions, individuals were per-mitted to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. There were only two stipulations that taxpayers had to worry about – 1) paying taxes on the converted money and 2) an income limit which determined eligibility to convert. Converting an IRA to a Roth With a traditional IRA, money can be placed into the account on a pre-tax (tax deductible) and after-tax basis. That investment is allowed to grow on a tax-deferred basis until withdrawn during retirement. If an individual wanted to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. they had to pay federal income taxes on any pre-tax contributions as well as any growth in the investment's value. After all, once converted to a Roth, all of the invest-ment could now be withdrawn on a tax-free basis in retirement. Income Limits on Conversions Unfortunately, the tax law also contained a provision limiting who could make a conversion. Upper income taxpayers (those with adjusted gross incomes of more than $100,000) whether single or married were not eligi-ble to make such a conversion. In addition, if you earned $120,000 or more ($176,000 for married joint filers) then you also weren't eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA for 2009. These two tax laws effectively precluded upper income taxpayers from enjoying the benefits of a Roth IRA. They couldn't convert their tradi-tional IRA to a Roth and they could fund one either. IRA Conversions in 2010 But back in May 2006, President (at the time) Bush signed a $70 billion tax cut provision that changed the eligibility rules for Roth IRA conver-sions. Starting in 2010, taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income of more than $100,000 will be allowed to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. This change applies to all years beyond 2010 - and the income taxes due on the 2010 conversion can be spread over two years. So the 2010 conversion amount may be included as taxable income in the 2011 and 2012 tax returns which allows for a taxpayer to spread out the tax hit. Conversions in subsequent years are included in income during the tax year in which the conversion is completed. Removing the Roth IRA conversion cap however doesn't mean anyone can fund a Roth IRA, but it does mean that anyone can convert an existing IRA to a Roth IRA. Taking Advantage of the 2010 Rule There is a way for all taxpayers, regardless of income, to take advantage of this change in the tax code - start funding a traditional IRA right now! Even if you don't qualify to make Roth IRA contributions or traditional IRA contributions on a before-tax basis, you can still make after-tax contribu-tions to a traditional IRA. If you invest in a non-deductible IRA in the tax years 2006 through 2010, then you can convert those IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2010. Most investors shy away from making non-deductible contribu-tions to an IRA because they are not tax deductible, the investment growth is fully taxable, and because they are subject to minimum distribution rules and they offer only a minimal tax shelter. But by converting these non-deductible IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2010 many of those disadvantages disap-pear. Roth IRA Conversion Examples There is one important rule to keep in mind when it comes to converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA - you need to pay federal income taxes on any portion of the conversion that you haven't already paid taxes on. Example 1 Let's say you started to fund traditional IRAs in 2006 and by 2010 you've got $20,000 in your account. Furthermore, let's say this account consisted

of four years of $4,000 non-deductible contributions - a total of $16,000 in non-deductible contributions and $4,000 in account growth. In this exam-ple, you'd need to pay income taxes on the $4,000 in fund growth when you convert to a Roth IRA. But the good news is you'll never have to pay income taxes on this account again.

Example 2 In this second example, let's assume that you funded the that same tradi-tional IRA with pre-tax dollars, meaning you were able to take a deduction on your tax return for the money placed in the traditional IRA. In this ex-ample, you haven't paid income taxes on any of the money in the account, so when you convert it to a Roth IRA, taxes are owed on the entire ac-count balance. In this case, you'd have to pay income taxes on all $20,000 in your fund.

Example 3 If you have an existing traditional IRA (with tax-deductible contributions) and you start to fund a non-deductible IRA, then you need to be aware that tax rules state that any conversion is done on a pro-rata basis. Let's say you had $100,000 in a regular IRA and you had $25,000 in a non-deductible IRA. If you wanted to convert $25,000 to a Roth, then you'd owe taxes on $20,000 because the pro-rata share of your non-deductible contributions is only $5,000.

Deciding to Fund a Roth IRA While it might be very exciting for some individuals to learn that they can use this 2010 law to convert an IRA to a Roth IRA, it's important to men-tion that Roth IRAs are not for everyone. You might also want to run through some what-if scenarios using a Roth versus Traditional IRA calcu-lator (search online for a free one). It's always best to make an informed decision and if you ever have a question about what's right in your particu-lar situation it might be a good idea to consult with a tax professional be-fore deciding if taking advantage of the rule change in 2010 is right for you.

Should I Convert my IRA to a Roth IRA in 2010? by Ron Weinbaum, CPA



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 (Non-Emergency) 954.828.5700 Water Billing 954.828.5150 Water & Sanitation 954.828.8000 City Hall 954.828.5000 Comm Rodstrom 954.828.5004 Code/Complaints 954.828.5207 Crime Alert 954.828.5377 Occupational License 954.828.5195 Planning & Zoning 954.828.5203 Mayor Jack Seiler 954.828.5003 Mayor & Commission/Fax 954.828.5667 Festival Hotline 954.828.5363 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 (Non-Emergency) 954.765.4321 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, Taxes 954.831.4000 Recycling 954.765.4999 Streets & Hwys Div 954.974.4100 State Health Dept 954.467.4700 John Rodstrom, Jr 954.357.7007

Ways to try to defeat the flu

Do you want to avoid the flu? Do you wonder how you can stay healthy? With the possibil-ity of worldwide pandemic flu, all of us need to just be more aware and careful. Just follow these few simple steps to help keep your fam-ily safe and healthy.

Step 1 Get a flu vaccination if you are over 50, have a chronic illness or care for some-one with an illness or are around children. The shot decreases your chances of getting the flu, especially for people over 65 years old. The seasonal flu vaccine doesn't protect against swine flu. Do get vaccinated against seasonal flu, when that vaccine becomes available. Seasonal flu can be serious, especially for infants, elders, and people with weak immune systems. The CDC notes that seasonal flu or its complications kill an average of 36,000 people per year in the U.S. and hospitalize more than 200,000 people. Getting vaccinated each year against seasonal flu is the single best way to protect against seasonal flu, according to the CDC.

Step 2 Take precautions. Wash your hands, I repeat, to avoid the flu wash your hands frequently. Take time to learn how to wash your hands. Everyone should try to wash your hands for around 20 seconds.

Step 3 Wet your sponge or dishcloth and then pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then you'll have safe, germ-free tools to use. For items that you can't micro-wave, such as faucet handles, a household cleaning solution containing hy-pochlorite is the best for cleaning, but be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Step 4 Don't count on a face mask to prevent swine flu infection. According to the CDC, it's not clear how effective face masks are at preventing the transmission of the H1N1 or seasonal influenza viruses. The same is true for N95 respirators worn snugly over the face as filters. The CDC doesn't recommend face masks or respirators in most settings to avoid catching swine flu, except if you're at high risk of severe illness from influ-enza and are caring for someone who has a flu-like illness, or for high-risk peo-ple who can't avoid being in a crowded setting where the swine flu virus is pre-sent. But the CDC does recommend that sick people wear a face mask to avoid spreading their illness if they must be in close contact with other people. If you do wear a face mask, don't reuse it. Face masks should be worn once and then thrown out.

Step 5 Wash your hands often.

Step 6 Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Step 7 Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Step 8 If you've got flu-like symptoms, avoid others until you've been free of fever for 24 hours. Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Step 9 Stay at least 6 feet away from people with flu-like illness.

Step 10 Don't hold or attend a swine flu party. The guest of honor at a swine flu party is someone who's got swine flu.

continued on next page……………………..



defeat the flu continued from page 8………… The point is for other guests to catch the virus in the hopes that they'll have a mild illness and gain immunity so that they won't get sick if the H1N1 virus worsens. That's a bad idea, according to the CDC, because there's no way to know whether swine flu will be severe or fatal in swine flu party guests -- or anyone else that they, in turn, infect.

Step 11 The custom of shaking hands, hugging or kissing is strong and not doing so would probably not go over well. Still maybe em-bracing: Placing one’s hands together in a Namaste position, The fist bump, Bowing, Waving, Blowing a kiss, or Crossing your arms over your chest would be ways to greet folks and reduce the risk of spreading germs.

Plant poinsettia. After the holiday cut to 12" - 18". We will remind you to cut again in May and over the summer. For holiday blooms, no cuts after September! Think of your holiday poinsettia plant like it's your Christ-mas tree. Chances are good that you wouldn't tear a branch off the holiday tree and start munching on it. Like-wise, with the poinsettia. Experts say if your child or pet ate 10 or 12 poinsettia leaves they might get sick, but that's highly unlikely. Researchers at Ohio University found that a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 1.25 pounds of poinsettia bracts (about 500 to 600 leaves) to exceed the experimental doses.

Many annuals can be added to the garden —torenia, coleus, marigold, vinca, impatiens, cos-

mos, ageratum, celosia, portulaca, salvia, gloriosa daisy, nasturtium, alyssum, cornflower, pansy, petunia, dianthus, wax begonia, hollyhock, verbena, sweetpea, larkspur and calendula.

This is a good month to plant roses, or transplant any-thing hardy. Any woody plant can be installed now if you have an adequate water supply to irrigate until the wet season begins in June. When transplanting trees: Water first, then dig the root ball 18 inches deep and 1 foot wide per inch of trunk. Citrus: Leave unripened fruit on the tree. Flavor does not improve once it is picked. Succulents: Guard against overwatering. This is their dormant season and overwatering can induce rot. Check irrigation systems frequently. Water about twice a week if there is no rain. New growth has slowed down or is hardened off and some pests may go dormant. But keep alert for spider mites and thrips, which can do a lot of damage to crotons, avo-cados, mangoes, copperleaf and some citrus. These suck-ing insects attack the leaves, causing a stippling pattern and a brown spot in the center of the leaves.

Garden Tips

(Limit one coupon per work order. Exp 1.31.2010) (Limit one coupon per work order. Exp 1.31.2010)

(Limit one coupon per work order. Exp 1.31.2010)



PET CORNER First Time at Dog Beach

On Sunday August 30th, my wife and I decided to finally go to dog beach in Fort Lauderdale. We had wanted to go for a while but were a bit concerned being that the designated area is at a busy intersection. We had just spent a beautiful afternoon by the beach and headed over to the area when it opened around 5 PM. We have 2 dogs and nei-ther had ever been in the ocean due to the restricted areas and times they are allowed on the beaches in Fort Lauderdale. We parked the car at the meters be-hind Holiday Inn and decided to hide our valuables in the car be-cause we knew that we would be watching the dogs and not our valuables when we got to the beach. (I grew up by the beach and know that criminals target the area for tourists). Once we arrived at the beach, we were immediately accosted by a parks officer. He stated that we needed a permit to have to dogs on the beach. I explained that it was our first time there and we were not familiar with the regulations and permit process and he in turn explained that we could pur-chase one at the parking meter kiosk by the road. So instead of all of us crossing the busy intersection again to get money, my wife volunteered to run back to the car herself. During the awkward 10 minutes we waited in violation, the officer watched us with a look of disdain while he checked the other dog owners for permits. As the beach was relatively crowded with owners and their pets I wondered how he could keep track of everyone because he certainly did not waste any time to check us for permits. After what seemed like an eternity my wife finally retuned with her card to buy our permit. So I kept an eye on the dogs while she went to go get it. After returning with our permit we thought we could finally relax and teach our dogs to swim. But before we had a chance to, the officer comes back over to check our permit. He then states that we would need a permit for each dog. At this point I am getting frustrated that he did not mention that in the first place while my wife jokingly claims that he is picking on us during playful banter with the officer. Of course she complies with his request and walks back over to the kiosk to get another permit. As luck would have it, my wife paid for another permit however the kiosk is now out of paper. As she returned to her family the offi-

cer comes back over and demands the permit. We tried to explain we had paid but the machine was out of paper. He insisted that we had to have it and told us to wait up at the kiosk and that someone was coming to replenish the re-

ceipt paper. I could not believe what I was hear-ing. I then asked if he was serious and that even though we had paid for the permit, he would not let us stay because of dysfunctional city machinery. He claimed those were the rules and that he could not allow us on the beach. At this point, I figured even if we did get the other permit the har-assment would not end. The injustice I felt was immense as we packed our things and left the beach disgusted by the big ordeal this particular parks officer made over malfunctioning city prop-erty. Our first time at dog beach turned out to be a miserable experience. Since Poinsettia Heights is a pet friendly commu-nity, I only hope that we can band together so that the City of Fort

Lauderdale will become more sensitive to pet owners and consider less restrictions or a 24 hour dog friendly beach in a safer area. I am sure there is room for one on our beaches. Please feel free to contact our city commission if you would like to see some changes made so pet owner can enjoy our beaches with our pets. I have. Captain Alex Collazo

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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 in-

spection 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 re-leased in response to a public records re-quest, do not send electronic mail to this

entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

Poinsettia Heights Newsletter Dec-Jan 2010

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Transcript of Poinsettia Heights Newsletter Dec-Jan 2010