Margate Food Drive a Huge Success
Over the holiday season, Margate city staff spearheaded a Food Drive at the suggestion of City Commissioner Frank Talerico. Boxes of canned goods, along with a few turkeys, were delivered to local houses of worship and then distributed to Margate families in need.
“I believe that this program was a huge success,” said Margate Police Chief, Jerry Blough in a memo to city commissioners.
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City Donates Fire Truck to Margate Firefighters Benevolent and ‘Pink Heals’ Tour
Margate’s 1977 E-One Fire Protector Series Fire Truck refurbished in 1992 has reached the end of its service. It’s estimated worth is about $15,000 said Margate Fire Chief, Tony Stravino, and the truck is being replaced by new apparatus at a cost of about $440,000 - as it appears in the city’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget.
“You potentially could send it to South America if you could find a broker and you want to go through that process. That is definitely a possibility,” Stravino told commissioners at the December city meeting. “But it [cancer awareness] is a great cause and if it [fire truck] is going to be used for something, why not that [fundraising].”
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Recycling Christmas: Keep wrapping paper and trees out of landfills
Every year tons of discarded holiday wrapping paper and trees needlessly make it to county landfills. Much of it can either be reused or recycled, saving Mother Nature countless ‘hundreds of years’ trying to break this stuff down.
Let’s work together to reduce this year’s holiday carbon footprint.
Click for dates and locations...
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Margate Firefighters Wish Residents a Safe Holiday in the Kitchen
Though fire safety over the Thanksgiving holiday includes not dropping a frozen turkey into a vat of boiling oil in the backyard (for those who fry their birds), most residential fires on Thanksgiving Day occur in the kitchen, said Division Chief, Dan Booker for the Margate/Coconut Creek Fire Department.
Booker took time out to provide simple-to-follow tips for residents looking to stay safe in the kitchen this Thanksgiving holiday. Never leave the kitchen unoccupied when cooking, and use timers not only to cook things to perfection, but to remind yourself that you have something on the stove or in the oven, Booker said.
View Video on Fire Safety in the kitchen.
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Teach Your Kids How to Swim Early
By now many of your have read or heard the tale of Margate teens saving a three-year old boy from drowning in an East River Drive canal. The young residents were fishing on a canal edge last month when they witnessed the toddler plunge eight feet off a seawall into ten feet of water. According to first responders, the boy would have drowned if the teens didn’t pull him out of the water.
This story had a happy ending. Some don’t. Florida ranks no. 1 in the nation for drowning accidents involving children under 4. In Broward County, it’s the leading cause of death for 1-4 year olds.
Parents can do something to reverse this trend in Margate. They can get their child in the water at 6-months old, said Margate Aquatics Coordinator, Linda Neal.
“If you live in Florida, you need to know how to swim,” she said. “There’s no excuse not to. We’re surrounded by water,” she told MargateNews.net.
Read more…
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Ominous Black Smoke Cloud Drops Ash All Over City
It wasn’t a rain cloud or a storm cloud. No, the big black cloud hovering over Margate Thursday was filled with toxic smoke and ash.
Contrary to news reports published late in the day, the public was not warned of the 'controlled burn' in the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge initiated by the U.S. Fish and Game Service. Not until after the burn began and smoke drifted southeast, prompting residents to call various local media and governmental agencies about ash falling from the sky.
The air in Margate was dense and stagnant. Even the healthy found it difficult to breathe easy.
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Margate Recognizes New C.E.R.T. Graduates
Margate’s Community Emergency Response Team, or C.E.R.T., was formed about five years ago in the wake of Hurricane Wilma, a sizable storm the wrath of which called for as many emergency workers as possible to help affected communities get back on their feet.
But CERT has grown beyond just helping during states of emergency, said Division Chief, Dan Booker for the Margate Fire Department. CERT personnel can be seen aiding crowd control and resident safety at city events and assisting the city's police and fire departments when needed.
New CERT graduates were recognized at Wednesday’s city meeting for their commitment to public service. Graduates include Tammy Anderson, Beatrice Bates, Marlene Gray, Daniel Leone, Kevin Sanchez, Ashley Castaldo, Cathy Castaldo, Annie Vecchione and Ruth Dombroski.
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First Responders say seatbelts on buses may be good idea
What happens to a school bus full of children traveling 40 MPH down Rock Island Road or any other if the bus driver suddenly slams on the brakes to avoid an accident and the kids aren't wearing seat belts? I hate to fathom.
What happens if a Broward County Transit (BCT) bus gets rear-ended by a fuel taker, similar to what happened July 5 on State Road 7 in Margate?
A: 22 of 25 passengers get transported to the hospital.
First-responder on the BCT scene, Margate Division Chief, Dan Booker, told MargateNews.net that hospital transports from the accident probably would have been fewer had passengers been wearing seatbelts.
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Margate Commissioner goes to bat for City Waterways
Margate is home to roughly 22 miles of navigable waterways. Every weekend bass boats and pleasure craft idle up and down the C14 and 1-mile canals, casting for largemouth, photographing wildlife or indulging a sunset cruise.
At an April city meeting, Margate Commissioner, David McLean, said the draining of Lake Okeechobee by the Army Corps of Engineers is adversely impacting Margate canals, leaving residential seawalls to collapse. Something needs to be done, he said, suggesting the city take action.
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South Florida Water Management District sends ‘Mixed Messages' in Margate
During a “Dry Season” presentation at a March city meeting, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) representative, Carol Morris, told commissioners and the public that Lake Okeechobee - South Florida’s back up drinking supply - was two feet below historical average for the time of year.
Initially blaming low lake levels on the weather, saying last October was the driest in recorded history and months from October to February were the driest in South Florida in 80 years, Morris changed her tune after Margate Commissioner, David McLean, a lifetime South Florida resident, questioned drought claims made by the District.
“30 years ago we didn’t have shortages like this. It’s not because of the rain difference,” he said.
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Reader Opinion
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Dog Park coming to Margate
City Commissioners accepted a $75,000 Broward County grant in February to help fund what will soon be known as Doggywood Park, Margate’s very own dog park located just south of Firefighter's Park on the east side of Rock Island Road.
Head of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, George McNeill, said Doggywood will be bigger and ‘kitchier’ than Tamarac’s Gary B. Jones Park for People & Pups.
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Margate Parks & Recreation Board First Meeting
Wednesday was the city’s first meeting of the newly-formed Margate Recreation Foundation (MRF), a federal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization newly-formed to pursue grant opportunities afforded only to those nonprofits holding the 501(c)3 tax exemption designation.
Other than approving MRF by-laws, board members discussed fundraising ideas to help the Margate Youth Soccer Association raise money to install a fence to secure soccer fields at Margate’s Southeast Park.
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New Species of Whitefly Confirmed in Broward County
A new species of whitefly, the gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus), has been confirmed in Broward County, according to Commercial Horticulture Agent Michael Orfanedes of UF-IFAS Broward County Extension Education, who says this whitefly differs from the ficus whitefly that devastated so many of the county’s hedges and canopy trees during the past several years.
Read more...
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Margate Basketball Players and Coaches – ‘tis the season
Registration for the Margate Basketball League, open to both resident and non-resident children ages 6 to 16, will be held at Firefighters Park, 2500 Rock Island Road in Margate from October 31 to November 4, between 4 and 8 pm.
Attention Volunteers!
Volunteer coaches for the League are needed. Interested individuals must be available for practices in December. Games will be from 6 to 9 pm. at the Park starting at the end of January. No experience needed (a coaching clinic is provided), but volunteers must be 21 years old or older and must pass a background check.
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Motorcycle Crash takes Mother from Family
Ron and Helen Gallardo went out for a joy ride on their sport bike Saturday afternoon August 7 in the vicinity of Royal Palm Boulevard and Riverside Drive in Coral Springs. They were on familiar roads close to home and visibility that day was near perfect.
"There was hardly anyone in the street," Ron said. "Just her and me."
Ron said the driver in the car to his right suddenly moved into his lane, colliding with his bike and throwing both of them from the motorcycle. Ron was critically injured in the accident and his wife Helen, mother of three, was killed.
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Loving Kittens Need Home
Margate's Water Treatment Plant is a hostel for wayward, abandoned and lost cats. Over the last year, MargateNews.net has found four cats new homes and has reunited two lost cats with their families.
Today, we are reaching out to cat lovers around Margate to find a loving home for two healthy kitty newborns that appear to be two to three weeks old. These kittens are extremely docile and friendly and are ideal for stay at home moms, couples, seniors, working families with kids, and pet owners with one cat in search of a companion.
Read more...
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Busted curb busting tires in Margate
In response to calls and emails from residents regarding damage to their tires caused by the broken curb on the southwest corner of Royal Palm Boulevard and State Road 7, MargateNews.net asked Margate Public Works head, Sam May, if the town is responsible for repairing the curb – and resident’s tires.
May said the curb is the responsibility of the state and that residents with tire damage might consider calling FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation).
Read more…
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Atlantic Palms Moochin’ off Margate Taxpayers
Atlantic Palm residents now owe Margate taxpayers $31,000 for water, sewer services and trash pickup, which includes about $11,000 in fines and magistrate fees. They’ve been delinquent in paying the city for almost a year and have recently been given another 30 days by Margate City Commissioners to arrive at what one could only describe as a “Hail Mary” payment.
They handed a check to the city for $3,000 last week, but because they continue to use these services, their bill continues to accrue, making it nearly impossible for the association to catch up.
Click here to read more.
Reader survey on Atlantic Palms debt (results not scientific).
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Northwest Medical Center in Margate announces open heart program
Northwest Medical Center in Margate has announced establishing an open heart surgery program scheduled to begin by the end of 2010. The new program will enhance cardiovascular services already offered at the hospital, which include elective and emergent percutaneous angioplasty, state of the art coronary imaging services, expert cardiologists, radiologists and clinicians.
Click here to read more.
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Margate Drinking Water Just OK
According to reports published by the Environmental Working Group, the quality of Margate’s drinking water has improved significantly in recent years. The sum of disinfection byproducts over the legal limit dropped between years 2004 and 2008 and levels of contaminants exceeding health standards remained relatively unchanged.
Overdevelopment and urban sprawl in South Florida has resulted in drinking water laced with agricultural and industrial pollutants and a slew of chemical disinfection byproducts associated with the water treatment process.
Click here to read more.
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Don't 'Eat then Fall Asleep'
Falling asleep directly after eating can both impede digestion and lead to rapid weight gain, especially if it's a a regular habit around the holidays. Hence, its a good idea to apply some common sense to when and how much we eat and to pay attention to the benefits of exercise.
Click here to read more.
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Can a diet high in fat ultimately lead to dementia?
I’m middle aged, in decent shape and I don’t have diabetes…yet. I love pizza, bread and pasta and although I’ve cut way back on fried food, I can’t fathom a burger without a side of Five Guys fries. Sound familiar?
Obesity is a huge problem for American adults. Every day is a feeding frenzy from breakfast to dinner, high-fat foods prevail and not one of us gets enough exercise.
Click here to read more.
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Careless Coral Springs ‘Shrink’ prescribes life-threatening drug
I would be remiss as a journalist in not sharing a recent, life threatening encounter with a local psychiatrist I chose from my BC/BS provider list to assess my bipolar disorder. For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘disease,’ symptoms of bipolar include mood swings, hyper-imagination, unprovoked irritability and some of a more serious nature as manic behavior intensifies.
Click here to read more.
Reader's Letter
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The 'Palms at Atlantic' Living with Filth
With just a slight breeze blowing north, you can smell the garbage heap when pulling into the complex from Atlantic Boulevard. A smell similar to passing the dump on Powerline Road. Although garbage collection is all but halted in the neighborhood, residents of the ‘Palms at Atlantic’ keep piling it high.
Click here to read more.
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Palm Lakes Residents Looking for City Bailout
A victim to America’s declining interest in the sport of golf, the 18-acre parcel along Margate’s West Atlantic Boulevard formerly known as the Palm Lakes Golf Course has remained barren for years. The owner, Palm Lakes Holding LLC, wants to re-zone two acres of the property for a shopping mall and hand the remaining sixteen arsenic-ridden acres over to the city for a passive park.
Click here to read more.
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Project Lifesaver spares the life of wandering seniors
Two seniors too many in Margate have lost their lives this week to what may be a likely culprit: wandering caused by dementia.
Charles William Takacs, 94, was found facedown in a Coral Springs canal Thursday and Marguerite Fragapane, 71, was pulled from a Pompano canal Friday. Both Margate residents who apparently suffered from the ill-fated progressive brain disorder known as dementia that destroys memory and intellectual function.
Both were last seen wandering away from their homes on foot. Presently, no foul play is suspect in either case.
Click here to read more.
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Is Margate Rabies-free?
The chances of encountering a rabid animal in Margate are slim to none. Unlike the 60-year-old man recently bitten by a rabid fox in Boca’s South Beach Park, we’re more fortunate here in Margate.
Not only do we have our own animal control department in the city, Margate animal control officers have laid about 1,000 baits so far this year as part of a countywide effort to orally vaccinate raccoons, feral cats and foxes from rabies.
Click here to read more.
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Chinese Drywall: Fact, Fiction, Political Grandstanding
You’ve read the stories: nosebleeds; dizziness; persistent cough; itchy, irritated eyes and skin; recurring headaches; sinus infection; asthma attacks and runny nose. Your house smells like rotten eggs and the guts of your air-conditioning unit and appliances corrode quickly. It could be Chinese drywall, you could have allergies or you could be a hypochondriac.
Then again, you might just be trying to get out from underneath your mortgage since the house you bought during the boom years is worth a whole lot less.
Caveat Emptor?
Click here to read more.
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Margate Senior Center helps seniors stay cool for summer
Margate’s Northwest Focal Point Senior Center every year receives grant money from the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP) to pay the seasonal electric bills of seniors 60 and older whose electricity FPL is threatening to shut off. This year the center received four times its usual $7K allocation, or $28,000.
“It’s so much more money than we usually get,” said Project Director for the Center, Kelly D. Costa “I don’t even know if we can spend it all.”
Click here to read more.
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The Margate Swine Flu Handbook
Based on reports from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), Red Cross and Homeland Security, there are measures we can take to avoid contracting swine flu. In fact, if we all just follow some simple steps and remain calm, cool and logical, swine flu will pass us by. You may also find peace of mind knowing that every hospital in Florida, including Margate’s Northwest Medical Center, has a tactical plan in place in case swine flu goes pandemic.
Click here to read more.
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Teen Texting in Margate leads to violence
One Margate teen texted another Wednesday about how angry he was at his girlfriend and needed to find an outlet. The next day, just minutes before critically injuring another Margate teen by bashing him over the head with a skateboard, the teen texted the same friend implying little more than he found the outlet he was looking for--but wasn’t specific about it, said an eyewitness to the account.
Click here to read more.
Reader Opinion
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