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Teacher housing, Reggae education, Water academy and more.
The Broward School Board owns a 13-acre property at the southeast corner of Hiatus Road and Broward Boulevard. I initiated chats with many School Board members during our recent Broward Days event in Tallahassee about the possibility to utilize this property for teacher housing, and they appeared supportive.
As you well know, affordable housing – well, actually ALL housing – is costing so much that many people are leaving the area. So leaders have worked to find ways to support their employees and the property the School Board already owns (which would lower the overall cost of the project) could potentially be a natural fit.
If this were to move forward, the School Board would still have to firm up and approve the plans, a builder would need to be hired and our City Council would get a final approval on many details, as they do for any project in Plantation. But we're interested in working with the School Board.
I sit on the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC), and we have initiated legislation that eliminates some of the roadblocks builders have encountered.
Basically, everybody has to give a little bit, so let's be open to ideas.
 A lead-up to a Feb. 10 reggae concert outside Broward Mall drew a packed house on Jan. 20, as an informative panel entertained and informed a packed crowd at the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.
They gave a history of how reggae came to be (complete with side stories and personal details) in a panel discussion entitled “The Roots and Fruits of the Reggae Family Tree.”
Reggae Genealogy is the theme of the inaugural concert at the Broward Mall parking lot, and organizers have been meeting with administrative staff and I for months. (Read on, and you’ll see why this is a fit for us.)
Organizers are calling the Feb. 10 event “The Origins, Evolution and Influence of Jamaican Music” and will blend entertainment and education, live music and dance, archival video elements and contemporary narratives.
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Back to Jan. 20: Probably the best-known name on the panel was Mr. Vegas, a long-time reggae entertainer with more than one million followers on Facebook. He was joined by industry experts Willie Stewart, Maxine Stowe, Copeland Forbes and Abebe Lewis, who each played a role in explaining how reggae came to be. Short answer: after Jamaica gained independence from Great Britain, such forms as mento, ska, Nyabinghi, rocksteady, lover’s rock, dub led to reggae and dancehall.
The same story will be told via music and other media at the concert. Lineup includes Mykal Rose, Winston Barnes, Yvad, G Cole, Bigg G, Code Red Band and Tallawah Mento Band.
The gates open at 3 p.m. Feb. 10 with showtime at 6 p.m. Pre-sold tickets are $20 or $25 at the gate. Afternoon attendees can enjoy restaurant and artisan vendors and tours of Island SPACE Caribbean Museum inside the Broward Mall. Find tickets, general, sponsorship, vendor and volunteer information at www.reggaegenealogy.org.
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This project originates from the Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic and Cultural Education (Island SPACE), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of arts, culture, history, and educational initiatives that represent the Caribbean region in South Florida and the broader diaspora. The public is invited to visit the Caribbean museum Thursdays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. General museum entry is $10 per adult and $5 per child. Visit www.islandspacefl.org to learn more.
The Chevron station at Peters Road and University Drive is getting a necessary makeover. The City Council approved a site plan at its Jan. 24 meeting.
The new design will allow drivers for greater maneuverability around the pumps, and the convenience store portion will have a new exterior, more in line with much of the new construction going on in the Midtown area.
Officials said the station will likely close in the fall, after permitting and plans are finalized. The makeover will take about a year.
 I was happy to be among the officials who took part in the Broward Leaders Water and Climate Academy, which held its final session last Friday. County officials created the course to help us, municipal officials, have a greater handle on all things water.
Topics included: Sea-level rise, managing the more frequent rain events we have, saltwater intrusion and balancing rules that involve new homes constructed on higher ground than older homes in vulnerable neighborhoods, creating runoff that can prompt a local feud.
As County Commissioner Steve Geller once stated, “It’s hard to wrap your head around all these issues, but we don’t have a choice.”
We’ve paid more attention to making our city less vulnerable to stormwater flooding in my first year in office, including hiring a manager to make sure our canals and waterways are clear to keep water flowing. There’s a long way to go, and I’m grateful the county gave me more ideas.
We will be having our first Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Event of the year this Saturday, February 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Public Works Compound, 750 NW 91 Ave.
This event is open to all City of Plantation residents and employees, plus the residents of the City of Sunrise.
To view a list of acceptable items, follow this link: HHW Item List
If you have questions, please call (954) 452-2535.
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Events
February 3: Mayors' Chess Challenge 10 a.m. to noon at Volunteer Park. Join families, and community leaders for free and friendly meetups in support of scholastic chess. Players of all ages and skills are welcome.
February 3: Rock the Park Concert featuring Brass Evolution (Covering Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, and other popular horn bands of the 70's & 80's) at Pine Island Park. Food trucks open at 6 p.m. and music kicks off at 7 p.m.
Every Thursday: Pick up the paddle and come play! Join for Table Tennis at the Plantation Central Park Multi-Purpose Building every Thursday from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Come with family & friends or come on your own and engage in friendly table tennis games with our community. For more information call (954) 452-2510.
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Meetings
February 1: Affordable Housing Advisory Committee at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
February 5: Educational Advisory Board at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
February 6: Planning & Zoning Board at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
February 7: An ADA Transition Plan workshop at 5 p.m. and CRA/City Council at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
View all upcoming 2024 meetings and events by visiting Plantation.org/Calendar.
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