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Community Garden, Concert series begins, Accessible housing, Body cams and more.
Plantation’s first Community Garden is finally here. Multiple City departments and Plantation Garden Club have been working together on this project. The Grand Opening is at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 4. at Jim Ward Community Center.
Many municipalities have created versions of community gardens, and this is something City Council and I wanted to explore for our city. We finally settled on this area because it’s in an area that we think will benefit most from the food produced.
 During its first year, the garden will serve the Teen Garden Club program, where the Plantation Garden Club mentors and Parks and Recreation staff will teach teen volunteers about gardening, sustainability, conservation and fresh food preparation. It’s a great way for teens to get hands-on experience with growing food and earn service hours for school. Volunteer registration and orientation will be held at 8 a.m. on Nov. 4 at Jim Ward Community Center.
If you’re interested in sponsoring the community garden program contact Luz Reyes at (954) 452-2518 or LReyes@plantation.org.
I was delighted to present a proclamation to Maria Rodriguez, a South Plantation High custodian retiring after 26 loving years at the school. Maria arrived from Havana, Cuba in the early 1970s with her family. She learned English and graduated from South Plantation High in 1977. She served as a Facilities Serviceperson, where the faculty and staff of the Paladin Family chose her as its Employee of the Year multiple times.
She was also known for making and sharing her "Cafecito" with staff, giving them a taste of her heritage and a caffeine boost to get them through the school day.
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A cutting-edge health rejuvenation practice has opened at Market on University, creating an obvious metaphor for a strip mall that was flattened by a massive, memorable explosion four years ago. It’s called iCRYO and I gladly volunteered to enter a freezing phone booth-sized room that they said would rejuvenate me. (It did.) I got to pick my music to jump around to.
Joining a slew of recent additions, iCRYO’s opening drew a crowd of Chamber of Commerce supporters during its Oct. 24 ribbon-cutting. Padrino’s Cuban restaurant, My VLMA martial arts studio and Salons by JC hair salon have also hosted ribbon cuttings this year. StretchLab is about a month away and anchor restaurant Burton’s Grill and Bar is in the works.
Listed therapies include cryotherapy (placing your legs into freezing cast-like rubberized tubes), IV infusion and weight-loss and energizing treatments.
There are about 35 iCRYOs across over a dozen U.S. states. Go to iCRYO.com.
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Plantation Police Department (PPD) was awarded a grant for $400,000 toward the implementation of body worn cameras, from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). We’re one of 52 agencies in the nation awarded the 2023 funds. PPD has already begun the procurement process to move forward with the implementation. There are many companies that operate a body worn camera program and we have a committee to explore which one is best for us.
Learn more about the OJP Body Worn Camera Grant Program and view a list of all active PPD grants.
A walk to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation is set for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Plantation Central Park.
Miss Florida Juliette Valle is among the celebrities encouraging participants.
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The next City Council meeting is at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8. An ordinance creating tobacco-free zones in city parks is on the agenda. Preventing smoking in parks and how to reasonably enforce any ordinance has long been a discussion in many municipalities. Our take is to be more positive with the message with the thinking that a very large majority of smokers are considerate and there are more urgent matters for police.
Living in south Florida has become increasingly unaffordable for many people who work here. Lack of affordable options, which means housing that costs 30 percent of household’s income, impacts everyone: seniors, teachers, volunteer firefighters, police officers, nurses, service industry workers and businesses that depend on them...
Housing affordability was part of discussion at the last week’s City Council comprehensive plan workshop. We need a mix of affordable housing opportunities: rental apartments that allow renters to set aside savings (we were surprised to learn that in some instances renting may cost less than buying) and homes that allow owners to build generational wealth.
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The City of Plantation is working to create new housing incentives for renters and homebuyers and provide workshops to get residents mortgage-ready. Council just voted to increase the grant amount for the first-time homebuyers to $80,000 to bring it more in line with the current housing costs. We are also evaluating zoning policies to allow more affordable housing options in our City.
Broward County Records, Taxes & Treasury Division has begun accepting payments for 2023 property tax bills.
Tax bills are available to view, print and pay online. Property taxes must be paid no later than April 1, 2024 to avoid penalties.
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Our city offices will be closed on Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day. That said, information is always available via Plantation.org.
Our parks will be open from 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Pool hours are 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Tennis is 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Community Centers are 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Events
November 5: The Plantation Volunteer Fire Association BBQ returns this year at noon to 5 p.m. at Pine Island Park. This fundraiser has been an annual tradition dating back to 1957, but COVID brought about postponements in the last few years. Admission is free. Meal tickets are $15 per person if ordered in advance or $18 at the gate.
November 8: CareerSource Broward will be hosting Paycheck for Patriots at Plantation Central Park. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the first hour open to Veteran's only. You may register at Careersourcebroward.com
November 11: Our Veterans Day service at 9:30 a.m. at Veterans Park, 1776 Lauderdale West Drive.
November 11 & 12: Not Your Mama's Craft Fair at Volunteer Park. Saturday the craft fair runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meetings
We are now in November and our meeting calendar is heavily weighted toward the first two weeks of the month.
November 6: Education Advisory Board at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
November 7: Planning and Zoning at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
November 8: City council at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
November 9: Affordable Housing Advisory Committee at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
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