THE ORIGINAL RIO VISTA COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER JUNE / JULY 2010 Harbordale Elementary Happenings…..page 5 Pet Corner…..page 6 The Green Corner…. pages 8 & 9 Pink Shovel…..page 10 Jackie talks about…..page 12 Rio Vista Fitness…..page 15 By William Hoffman….Architect TM
“Greening” Your Home with Reclaimed Lumber TM THE ORIGINAL RIO VISTA COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER JUNE / JULY 2010 Salvaged, reused or reclaimed materials reduce the demand on virgin material, reduce waste and reduce the associated environmental impacts of obtaining those materials. Exam- ples of these materials include beams and posts, flooring, paneling, doors and frames, cabinetry and furniture, hard- ware and decorative items. Use of salvaged material can also add character to your building project and is well suited for architectural details. Some salvaged materials can be more costly than new mate- rial due to the high cost of labor involved in the recover and refurbishing processes. The advantage to using these materi- als is that they are often of a higher quality and more durable. Certain materials are impossible to duplicate and may well be worth the additional cost. A considerable selection of sources is typically found in New England, the Pa- cific Northwest and California. Finding these materials locally can be a chal- lenge, but they are available. Most re- claimed lumber comes from timbers and decking rescued from old barns, factories and warehouses. Reclaimed or antique lumber is used primarily for decoration and home building and is often used for siding, architectural details, cabinetry, furniture and flooring. Here in Florida, with its relatively brief history, the resources for these materials are less abundant. Several unique materials, indigenous to this area and that can be found locally are Heart Pine, Dade County Pine and Old Growth Heart Cypress. Heart Pine or Longleaf Southern Yellow Pine, comes from the “heart” or the tree, thus making it dense, strong, and highly resistant to decay and insect damage. Generally, it is no longer available for harvesting; therefore, most usable lumber must be obtained through the salvage process. Dade County Pine is a subspecies of Heart Pine. At one time, Dade County Pine grew between the Everglades and the At- lantic Ocean in South Florida. Dade County Pine closely re- sembles Heart Pine in appearance and equals it in strength and durability. The chief difference between the two is that Dade County Pine tends to be even denser. Like its northern relative, original growth Dade County Pine has been almost completely harvested. Old Growth Heart Cypress is a type of wood that is also highly resistant to decay, which makes it especially desirable for exterior applications such as trellises, rafter tails, garage door paneling, window trim, shutters and the like. Old growth material is milled from felled trees, known as “sinkers” and is retrieved from rivers and swamps throughout the Southeast. Old Growth Heart Cypress lumber is available in solid or "pecky” varieties. Some cypress has a “black” or “colored” appearance, which is somewhat rare, yet extremely hand- some. The "peck" or textured appearance in pecky cypress varies from light to heavy. It occurs because of the wood be- ing attacked by a natural fungus and is not due to insects or worms. Once the tree is harvested, the pecking cannot con- tinue. There are many reasons for using reclaimed lum- ber. Using these materials is considered sustaina- bly correct, speaks to philosophies referencing the use of “good” materials, the wood’s unique appearance, and the wood’s physical characteris- tics such as strength, stability and durability. These materials may be more expensive on the front end, but pay for themselves in the long run. The difference in quality is well worth the difference in cost. The one source I’m aware of to purchase reclaimed lumber in South Florida is the OLD FLORIDA LUMBER COMPANY located in Fort Lauderdale. About the Author: William Hoffman is an architect & LEED (Leadership in En- ergy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional who designs and builds sustainable new homes & home renova- tions. He welcomes your comments and questions. In this Issue… Harbordale Elementary Happenings…..page 5 Pet Corner…..page 6 The Green Corner…. pages 8 & 9 Pink Shovel…..page 10 Jackie talks about…..page 12 Rio Vista Fitness…..page 15 By William Hoffman….Architect
Transcript
“Greening” Your Home with Reclaimed Lumber
TM
THE ORIGINAL RIO VISTA COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER JUNE / JULY 2010
Salvaged, reused or reclaimed materials reduce the demand on virgin material, reduce waste and reduce the associated environmental impacts of obtaining those materials. Exam-ples of these materials include beams and posts, flooring, paneling, doors and frames, cabinetry and furniture, hard-ware and decorative items. Use of salvaged material can also add character to your building project and is well suited for architectural details.
Some salvaged materials can be more costly than new mate-rial due to the high cost of labor involved in the recover and refurbishing processes. The advantage to using these materi-als is that they are often of a higher quality and more durable. Certain materials are impossible to duplicate and may well be worth the additional cost.
A considerable selection of sources is typically found in New England, the Pa-cific Northwest and California. Finding these materials locally can be a chal-lenge, but they are available. Most re-claimed lumber comes from timbers and decking rescued from old barns, factories and warehouses. Reclaimed or antique lumber is used primarily for decoration and home building and is often used for siding, architectural details, cabinetry, furniture and flooring. Here in Florida, with its relatively brief history, the resources for these materials are less abundant. Several unique materials, indigenous to this area and that can be found locally are Heart Pine, Dade County Pine and Old Growth Heart Cypress.
Heart Pine or Longleaf Southern Yellow Pine, comes from the “heart” or the tree, thus making it dense, strong, and highly resistant to decay and insect damage. Generally, it is no longer available for harvesting; therefore, most usable lumber must be obtained through the salvage process. Dade County Pine is a subspecies of Heart Pine. At one time, Dade County Pine grew between the Everglades and the At-lantic Ocean in South Florida. Dade County Pine closely re-sembles Heart Pine in appearance and equals it in strength and durability. The chief difference between the two is that Dade County Pine tends to be even denser. Like its northern relative, original growth Dade County Pine has been almost completely harvested.
Old Growth Heart Cypress is a type of wood that is also highly resistant to decay, which makes it especially desirable for exterior applications such as trellises, rafter tails, garage door paneling, window trim, shutters and the like. Old growth material is milled from felled trees, known as “sinkers” and is retrieved from rivers and swamps throughout the Southeast.
Old Growth Heart Cypress lumber is available in solid or "pecky” varieties. Some cypress has a “black” or “colored” appearance, which is somewhat rare, yet extremely hand-some. The "peck" or textured appearance in pecky cypress varies from light to heavy. It occurs because of the wood be-ing attacked by a natural fungus and is not due to insects or worms. Once the tree is harvested, the pecking cannot con-tinue.
There are many reasons for using reclaimed lum-ber. Using these materials is considered sustaina-bly correct, speaks to philosophies referencing the use of “good” materials, the wood’s unique appearance, and the wood’s physical characteris-tics such as strength, stability and durability. These materials may be more expensive on the front end, but pay for themselves in the long run.
The difference in quality is well worth the difference in cost.
The one source I’m aware of to purchase reclaimed lumber in South Florida is the OLD FLORIDA LUMBER COMPANY located in Fort Lauderdale.
About the Author: William Hoffman is an architect & LEED (Leadership in En-ergy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional who designs and builds sustainable new homes & home renova-tions. He welcomes your comments and questions.
In this Issue…
Harbordale Elementary Happenings…..page 5
Pet Corner…..page 6 The Green Corner…. pages 8 & 9
Pink Shovel…..page 10
Jackie talks about…..page 12
Rio Vista Fitness…..page 15
By William Hoffman….Architect
2 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
Alessandra Armerique 16 Aloha Bugs 16 Broward Health 7 Brickell Bay Realty Group 14 Club Sweat 16 dfb Pilates Studios 11 Dinnen Electric Service 3 Downtown Development Authority 13 Edgmiami.com 16 Fred Hunter’s Funeral Service 12 Gordon Photography 6 Holland Garden Center 10 Jimmy John’s 5 Layton’s Garage & Auto Storage 16 Magic Gardens 10 Mind & Body Solutions 15 Slice Pizzeria Restaurant 14 Spa & Lunch at the Ritz 15 State Farm 16
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The Rio Vista News is your Original Community Newsletter delivered to the Rio Vista neighborhood and surrounding businesses.
Copyright 2010, 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 advertising or copy they regard as harmful to the public good or deemed to be libelous. The publisher is not responsible for typo-graphical errors, omissions, copy or photo misrepresentation by advertiser. Liability shall not exceed the cost of the portion of the space occupied by such error or advertising items of information. Under no circum-stances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, incon-venience, 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.
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I would like to thank our advertiser’s who have been there for us from the beginning and those who have just joined us! THANK YOU! We have been blessed the past couple of month’s with beautiful weather, and Summer is the time to pay for it! As you probably know we
are in the Hurricane season, so preparation is key! It is a good idea to have your electronic files on disc and stored in a safe area, and that means all of your family photos too! Having a plan to secure your house and yard is vital also. I also wanted to give mention to the families in the Gulf who are affected by the tradgedy which will eventually effect us all, and wish them strength in the coming months and years! Thanks for reading The Rio Vista News, your hometown newsletter!
The Rio Vista NEWS 3
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This June, unplug from technology and visit 17 local museums, unique attractions and cultural centers for the price of one mem-bership. Broward Attractions and Museums Month (BAMM) offers members of one of 17 participating cultural institutions in Broward County, Boca Raton and Delray Beach free general admission to all participating venues during the month of June: JOIN ONE, EXPERIENCE THEM ALL.
Why not step away from your computers, televisions and game consoles, get out of the house and explore the arts and attrac-tions? Each of the participating museums and attractions offers a little something for everyone. Current and new members of these museums and attractions will receive free entry with proof of membership. Special events may not be included. Experience the diverse cultural treasures that Broward County, Boca Raton and Delray Beach have to offer.
“South Florida is a prime destination with a unique array of activi-ties and attractions to enjoy,” said Mary Birch-Hanson of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. “We are pleased to offer BAMM in June 2010. Whether a person has been a longtime museum supporter or has just signed up, the program enables everyone to experi-ence the attractions and cultural scene for the price of one mem-bership.”
In celebration of this month-long celebration of culture, an official BAMM kick-off event will take place on Tuesday, May 18, from 4 pm -6 pm at the Ft. Lauderdale History Center, 219 SW 2nd Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, 33301. Various local cultural/tourism officials will be in attendance. Participating institutions include: African-American Research Library and Cultural Center Art and Culture Center of Hollywood ArtServe Bonnet House Museum & Gardens Cinema Paradiso Cornell Museum of Art & American Culture - Old School
Square Flamingo Gardens
Fort Lauderdale History Center IGFA – Fishing Hall of Fame International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum Historic Stranahan House Museum Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale – Nova Southeastern University Old Davie School Historical Museum Old Dillard Museum Plantation Historical Museum Seminole Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum The Children’s Museum Boca Raton Our Sponsors this year include: WLRN 91.3FM Classical South Florida 89.7 Creativexchange Ettractions.com Broward county Cultural Division Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitor Bureau For more information on BAMM and/or the kick-off event, please log on to www.bamminfo.org or call Mary Birch-Hanson at 954.364.5205
Unplug and Celebrate “Broward Attractions and Museums Month (BAMM)” June 2010
2010 Starlite Musicals start Friday, June 18 The 32nd Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Depart-ment proudly presents the Starlight Musicals concert se-ries. These FREE outdoor concerts provide a great way to enjoy the summer with family and friends. The series fea-tures an exciting line up of bands ranging from pop to coun-try, rhythm and blues to tropical rock. The shows take place on the football field at Holiday Park, which is located at East Sunrise Boulevard and Federal Highway. Residents and visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and coolers. Please note that pets are not permitted in the park. We look forward to see-ing you out there this summer! TENT-FREE ZONE - In order to accommodate all of our guests, we have implemented a tent-free zone. All tents are required to be placed in designated areas along the back
and sides of the football fields. Please remember to lock your vehicle and never leave valuables inside your car. RECYCLE! easily and proudly at Starlight Musicals. Recy-cling bins will be provided throughout the park. For more information, please call the Parks and Recreation Special Events Hotline at 954-828-5363. 2010 Scheduled Performers: June 18 - VALERIE TYSON BAND (Rhythm & Blues) June 25 - SHADOW CREEK (Country Music) July 2 - HIGHER GROUND (Motown) July 9 - CURBSTONE (50s, 60s, 70s & Beyond) July 16 - BRASS EVOLUTION (10-piece Show Band) July 23 - MARY WASHINGTON BROOKS (Blues) July 30 - VIVA CLASSIC ROCK ‘n' ROLL (Classic Rock) August 6 - JIMMY STOWE & THE STOWAWAYS
Starlight Musicals 2010 starts Friday June 18th
4 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
Important Phone
Numbers
Beach Conditions 954.828.4597 Fire Department 954.828.6800
(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 Romney Rogers 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 Croissant Park Pool 954.423.1068 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, Taxes954.831.4000 Recycling 954.765.4999 Streets & Hwys Div 954.974.4100 State Health Dept 954.467.4700 John Rodstrom, Jr 954.357.7007
It’s the closing moments of another Funky Fish Kids Day adventure. Every Girl Scout has a huge grin across her face. They have just returned from a full day jammed with exciting ad-ventures of snorkeling, boogie boarding, and skim boarding in the ocean. But, this day isn’t over yet. Not until each one of them gets to open their own personal creation – a Funky Fish tie-dye t-shirt. One of the girls, Amanda, walks up to collect her shirt during graduation at the end of the day. Her smile is impossible to erase. She can hardly contain herself as she blurts out, “This is the best day of my life!”
Funky Fish Kids Day offers adventures every day, year-round to chil-dren ages 4 to 17. Any child can sign up. Chil-dren will learn cool facts about the ocean, receive a snorkeling lesson in the pool, and sit down for a picnic lunch. After that, it’s off to the ocean for an awesome adventure. All activities take place under the watchful eye of highly-skilled, CPR certified instructors who come from a vari-ety of backgrounds as dive instructors, profes-sional skim boarders, and college athletes.
Funky Fish takes place at many well-known resorts on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and will soon be in Miami. They can also travel on location to create a customized birthday party for truly special day. Funky Fish has operated in South Florida for over sixteen years.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER AWARD WINNING ADVENTURE
Telephone Local 954 712-9900
Toll free 1 866 728-2201
Mailing Address 1533 NE 3rd Avenue
Fort Lauderdale Florida 33304
Sarah-Jayne Brown, President Funky Fish Kids Day, Inc
Visit us on the web: www.riverviewpublishing.com HARBORDALE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAPPENNINGS
Well, here we are at the end of the school year. It sure went by fast. We are anxiously awaiting the demolition of the old buildings which should take place sometime in June. Once the buildings are down, they begin the final phase of the construction project. We are hoping that by August when we return to school everything will be com-pleted. We are in the process of trying to raise funds for a new playground as with all the budget cuts we will not be receiv-ing a new playground any time soon. If you know of any-one that would like to contribute to the playground fund please have them contact me for information or they may make a check out to Harbordale School Association and send it to the school at 900 SE 15th Street Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 and note on the check it is for the playground. All donations are tax deductible and we will provide you with a thank you letter including our Federal ID number. The month of May was a fun time for the kids, as we had career day with over 40 Businesses come in to school and talk to the kids about their professions. We would like to thank all of the different businesses/parents that came and spoke to all the kids. May also brought Mother’s Day which is a fun time for the kids. We once again partnered with Publix and decorated cakes for our moms. We reached a
new record this year of decorating 162 cakes in 1 hour and 20 minutes. This is such a great activity for the kids and I know our moms loved getting their cakes. Thank you to the awesome team that works in the Bakery on 17th street. Great job as usual. As we move towards the end of the school year, we are busy planning for next year. We will be doing our fundrais-ers again next year with a few new additions so look for new events coming your way in September. As always, you may find information on our website at www.harbordalehsa.com or feel free to contact me through email @ [email protected]. Thank you to everyone who has supported our school this year! Without our community support we would not be able to raise the much needed funds to supplement the budget cuts from the school board. We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to seeing everyone again next school year. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable summer. Cici Kelly President Harbordale School Association
6 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
PET CORNER Flea and Tick Products: Deadly For Pets??? Environmental Protection Agency Says Products Kill Hundreds, Injure Tens of Thousands of Pets Per Year
Products intended to treat cats and dogs for fleas and ticks kill hundreds of pets each year and injure tens of thou-sands, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednes-day as it outlined plans to make the products safer. The EPA said it will develop stricter testing and evaluation requirements for flea and tick treatments that are applied to a pet’s skin. The agency also will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need to say more clearly how to use the products. The EPA’s effort follows in-creasing complaints from pet owners that the “spot-on” products have triggered re-actions in dogs and cats, ranging from skin irritation to neurological problems to deaths. Cats and small dogs appear particularly vulner-able, the EPA said, espe-cially when given products intended for larger animals. Steve Owens, assistant ad-ministrator of EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, said new restrictions will be placed on flea and tick products, with additional changes for spe-cific products likely — includ-ing possible changes in some product formulas. “These are poisons,” Owens said. “These are products designed to kill fleas and ticks — and they do their jobs.” The EPA is committed to better protecting the health and safety of pets and families, Owens said, but added that pet owners “need to carefully read and follow all labeling before exposing your pet to a pesticide.” The agency announced last April it was increasing scrutiny of topical flea and tick products because of the growing number of bad reactions reported. The EPA said it received 44,263 reports of harmful reac-tions associated with topical flea and tick products in 2008, up from 28,895 in 2007. Reactions ranged from skin irrita-tions to vomiting to seizures to, in about 600 cases, death of an animal. An EPA spokesman said he did not have a breakdown of
how many deaths were dogs and how many cats. Dog and cat owners say their pets have suffered burns and welts on their skin; started to drool excessively; begun to shake uncontrollably; lost control of their legs or experi-enced other neurological problems after using the flea and tick treatments. A 2009 study by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported that the majority of illnesses linked to proper use of topical flea and tick products were mild. Cats were more susceptible than dogs to illnesses and deaths from misuse of the products, the report said.
“The important take-home message is that although adverse reactions can occur with all flea and tick prod-ucts, most effects are rela-tively mild and include skin irritation and stomach upset,” said Dr. Steven Hansen, ASPCA veterinary toxicolo-gist and senior vice presi-dent for animal health ser-vices. Pet owners should keep us-ing the products as directed when faced with a flea infes-tation, Hansen said. Georgia-based Merial Ltd., which makes the popular Frontline tick and flea treat-ment, defended its product and disputed the EPA data. “The number of adverse events reported for Frontline has remained consistently low since the product’s intro-duction in 1996,” the com-pany said in a statement e-mailed to reporters. The vast majority of reactions are mi-
nor, the statement said. In a 29-page report, the EPA said the majority of problems for dogs occurred in smaller dogs, weighing 10 to 20 pounds. Some incidents occurred when products intended for larger dogs were given to smaller animals, the report said. Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, miniature poodles, Pomerani-ans and dachshunds were among breeds where problems occurred the most, the EPA said. Similarly, many problems for cats occurred when they were given treatments intended for dogs. The EPA is likely to require companies to revamp labels to clarify that products intended for dogs should never be used on cats, Owens said.
The Rio Vista NEWS 7
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8 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
Fred and Chelsea Marando are working with Florida’s best conventional and organic growers to provide customers with the freshest quality produce. Supporting your local farmers boosts the economy, betters the environment , and preserves the open
spaces that make our country so productive.
We are a proud distributor of a large variety of your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs harvested by our local farms. Weekend Downtown Farmers Market opens 9am - 3pm.
1401 SW First Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 954.713.6441 [email protected]
The Urban GSW 14th ST &
WHERE FRESH PR @ The Farmers
RECYCLED, REFUANTIQUE ARCH
GARDEN E3 BLKS NORTH OF BROWA
JUST NORTH
MEET
The Rio Vista NEWS 9
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A walk through Eastside Antique Market & Architectural Depot is like stepping back in time. Ray and Barby Oktavec's 10,0000 sq. ft. unique and "green" store consists of eclectic treasures from around the world. We love re-purposing old items into something new and different. We have a great collection of iron, wood and stone architec-tural elements. Garden statuary, urns fountains, chandeliers and much much more. Our newest
addition is Studio " B " where artist Bob Scott creates beautiful sculp-tures and other objects that are made from totally green materials. A must see! Please stop by Ft. Lauderdale's " Green Corner ".
Spring is upon us and it’s time to do the work that will help your garden thrive throughout the coming growing sea-sons.Take a walk through the garden and have a look at your plants. Notice if any have discolored or unnaturally curled or eaten looking leaves, or branches that are crawling with ants or dark colored branches.You are looking for the signs of pest insects.
In my garden I spied white fly already, and some scale on a couple of plants. Treat those problems first. Stay away from chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbi-cides.
For a quick, easy, safe and cost effective remedy for pests and fungi, fill a water soluble fertilizer hose applicator with 1 part cheap cooking oil, 1/2 part liquid dish soap and 1/2 part alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Fill the balance with water and mix. My applicator holds about 8 ounces. So I put an ounce of cooking oil, 1/2 ounce of dish soap, and a 1/2 ounce of hydrogen perox-ide. Don’t use the mixture on new seed-lings.
I used it on everything that showed the signs of pests. And on plants showing signs of fungus. Due to our unusually cold and wet winter here in south Florida, I had several potted Cocoplums in duress due to a fungus. Be sure to soak the plant as well as the soil around and under the plants to be sure you have smothered your little gar-den pests and fungi.
This is a simple topical mix so it does not have any residual effect in your garden.
You might also try Neem oil, from the
Neem Tree, as a pesticide or fungicide.
Copper fungicide is also considered safe and is used on organic crops.
After you have any pest problems ad-dressed, it’s time to prune off any winter burn or any plants that are looking leggy and need to be filled out, as well as any plants that are getting too large and need to be thinned.
To thin a plant, cut the branches out at the base of growth, at the Y joint where it con-nects to another branch or to thin it even more, cut the branch back all the way to the base at the soil.
To encourage a plant to grow fatter and fuller, cut it back at the tops of branches. Cut back 4 to 6 inches if you are trying to maintain it’s height and let it get taller. Cut back harder, as much as half the plant, if you are trying to keep it short or if it is really leggy and needs a lot of help.
Next it’s time to weed. If you aren’t the type who likes kneeling in the gar-den, plucking the weeds from the soil by hand, then use vinegar to kill the weeds.
Unlike many of the chemical pesticides on the market, vinegar will not buildup in the soil and cause herbicide toxicity which will weaken your plants over time.
Keep in mind the vinegar will kill whatever you spray and is not selective. So take careful aim. I put my vinegar in a small gallon sprayer and use it on weeds that are not too close to my plant’s roots.
When the weeding is done, it’s time to top dress plants with a good compost or composted animal manure. Remem-ber healthy soil is not just dirt. It’s alive and teeming with microor-ganisms important to the health of your soil and your plants.
Spread the compost around the area of the root of all your plants, or if you have enough, top
all of the soil bed with the compost.
This will help put important beneficial fungi and bacteria in the soil, creating a healthy living soil and a symbiotic relationship be-
tween roots and soil. Doing this regularly, at least each spring, if not several times a year, will make your plants healthier and more disease and pest resistant.
I add horse manure compost from a local horse ranch to my compost. And top dress with the horse manure compost in spring. This way I’m certain that I’m not using a product filled with estrogens and antibiot-ics, and God knows what else, used in the feeding of food animals. Remember mad cow disease was discovered to be a result of forcing cows to be cannibals, feeding them their own dead.
Mushroom compost has also been found to be a fine soil additive with nutrient value.
Next it’s time mulch. Be sure to use a natu-ral mulch and not a dyed recycled con-
struction debris wood mulch. The construc-tion debris mulch has been found to have formaldehyde and arsenic in it by Univer-sity of Miami and University of Florida re-searchers.
So, though it sounds like a good thing in theory to buy a recycled product, in this case it is not! When children and pets walk on it and when you are applying it, these carcinogens can be absorbed into your skin. The theory is that the plants will take the poisons up into them. Well often this is true. If you are growing food crops or herbs you are likely to be eating these poi-sons if you are growing in recycled wood mulch. These products, like the other chemical products put more dangerous pollutants into the soil, water supply and the air.
Also, stay away from unnatural, manufac-tured mulches, like rubber or plastic. These products do not break down in the soil and provide no nutrient value to your soil or plants the way natural mulches do.
Continued on page 12……………….
The Rio Vista NEWS 11
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The Fort Lauderdale History Center/Historical Society (FLHC) will open its new exhibit, My Work Among the Flor-ida Seminoles, a photographic exhibit by James Lafayette Glenn on April 1st at the History Center’s New River Inn. The exhibit runs through July 11, 2010.
The exhibit contains photographs taken by the Reverend Dr. James Lafayette Glenn during his years as special commissioner to the Seminoles of Florida, from 1931 until 1936. The photographs on display in combination with docu-ments, manuscripts, and additional photography make up the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society’s James L. Glenn Collection. These images and documents depict Seminole life in the Everglades during the 1930s.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday noon to 5 p.m. and admission is $10 per person. For more informa-tion please contact FLHC at 954-463-4431 ext. 20.
Located on the New River, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society tells the story of our community’s history from the Pioneers of Fort Lauderdale to the present day through its four historic structures: 1905 New River Inn, which houses
the Museum of History and was the first building in Broward County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the 1905 Philemon Bryan House, a four-square Vernacular style house; 1905 Acetylene Building, which produced acetylene gas to light the New River Inn; and the 1907 King-Cromartie House Museum, which belonged to one of the first pioneer families in Fort Lauderdale.
The site also includes a replica of the first Broward County school house and the Hoch Heritage Center, a public re-search library that holds the largest collection of material related to greater Fort Lauderdale, including more than 250,000 historic photographs.
The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment Consortium is a cul-tural partnership between the Performing Arts Center Au-thority, Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Grand Opera, Concert Association of Florida, Inc., Fort Lauder-dale Historical Society, and Historic Stranahan House Mu-seum. It is supported by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau.
Florida Seminole Exhibit Fort Lauderdale History Center’s New River Inn 231 SW 2nd Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
12 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
Pick Up!Pick Up!
It’s It’s the LAWthe LAW
Jackie talks about……….. Spring, a sprucing up time in Rio Vista
RON KELLEY
I was looking at the calendar thinking it should be the end of March, not the middle of May. Spring is my favorite sea-son of the year and it will soon be over and the hot summer will be here. I am enjoying the spring time left by driving through the neighborhood starting on Rio Vista Blvd and ending on 12th Street. I am awed by the beauty of the trees and flowers, especially the golden Tabebouia, commonly called the “Gold Tree”. As the flowers fall on the ground or the hard pavement they transform a dark surface into more of a garden path. Helping with this transformation are the bougainvilleas, a vine that climbs walls or fences with color-ful bracts, usually purple. Bougainvilleas, can turn a small white house into a thing of beauty. A large clay pot filled with a mixed assortment of colorful impatients placed near the front door welcomes friends and neighbors. On my drive through the neighborhood I am aware of the golf carts passing me. I know today the carts are transpor-tation for residents, but when I grew up and played outside the carts were at the golf course and bicycles provided our transportation. We rode to the beach, to our friends and went on errands for our parents. Softball games like work-up were played in the street with a clear understanding that cars and trucks had priority on the street. Kids got out of the way. No rudeness was allowed and it was enforced by the parents. You had to follow the rules if you wanted to play. When parents rang the dinner bell or sent a brother to get you, usually about 6pm, the street was clear until the next day.
I mentioned in my last column that I would be recognizing our advertisers. Fred Hunter’s Funeral Service is my choice for this issue. Fred Hunter’s has been in business since 1890. Fort Lauderdale is one of his locations. Hunter’s aims to create good memories in all that they do. The profes-sionals who make up the staff are very experienced and long time, ranging in service from about 15 to 50 years. Ron Kelly, Managing Director, has 50 years service and he is the person who supplied me with information mentioning some sprucing up. Taking place at the Eighth Street loca-tion the exterior has been pressure washed and new land-scaping in the front of the building is in progress. Hunter’s is different from other funeral services because it is in a remodeled home built in the 1920’s and it fits in with many of the surrounding homes which have maintained their original architecture. Talking about sprucing up makes me think of spring cleaning and that is taking place throughout Rio Vista, window washing, painting, re-landscaping so best I close so I can do a little spring cleaning myself. Jackie
Pink Shovel Continued from page 10…………. Their manufacture also puts pollutants into the atmosphere.
Choose a natural product. Use bark chips, dried leaves, hay, pine needles and the like. You get the picture. In my area, we can buy maleluca bark, eucalyptus bark, pine bark, and even cypress.
Though cypress comes from a native plant and may be best to forgo.
Spread your mulch about 3 inches thick. Thick enough to help keep weeds at bay and help hold moisture in the soil, and pro-tect plants’ roots from the heat, without depriving the soil of oxy-gen.
Be sure to leave a little breathing room close to the trunks of plants and trees.
Water well and let nature take it’s course.
The Rio Vista NEWS 13
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14 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
EDGEWATER HOUSE CONDOMINIUM
Fort Lauderdale’s best kept secret !
2 Bedrooms 1 Bath Priced from $179,000
Rentals from $1000 monthly
College Students First Time Buyers
Out of State Relatives Live close to family & friends
in Rio Vista
This is an opportunity to make a good deal before the
Tunnel Park is developed
Marianne Winfield Brickell Bay Realty Group, LLC.
954-801-4915
Broward Residents Only Call: Lee Wagener Art Gallery Rotating Art Exhibits Location: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Calls to Artists
Florida Residents Only Call: Bus ArtWrap Location: Rental Car Center (RCC) Shuttle Fleet at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Deadline: July 8, 2010
The Broward County Commission’s Cultural Divi-sion Public Art and Design Program is seeking to commission a Florida professional artist to create an original design for the consolidated Rental Car Center (RCC) Shuttle Fleet ArtWrap project at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Participating artists shall create original and vivid designs that are reflective of the unique character-istics of Broward County’s community. The se-lected design, which shall serve as a welcoming remark to Broward County visitors, will be featured as an artwrap on the shuttle buses that transport visitors to and from all airport terminals to the Rental Car Center. The artwraps shall be fully im-plemented by October 2011. The total budget established for the design phase and implementation oversight of the design is $15,000.
The Broward Cultural Council invites professional Broward County artists to apply for rotating exhibi-tion opportunities at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s Lee Wagener Art Gallery located in Terminal 2 - Departures Level. This gallery program offers Broward County artists an excellent opportunity to exhibit their work in a prominent, high-traffic area in Terminal 2 that is accessible to the general public. Artworks demon-strating high artistic quality that appeal to and are appropriate for a diverse audience are encouraged. Artists selected will be required to provide art-works for one (1) exhibition for 18 running feet of wall space on both sides of the gallery, for a total of 36 feet of wall space. Each exhibition will run for four (4) months. Selected artists will receive an honorarium of $500 upon the conclusion of their exhibition and submis-sion of a proper invoice.
The Rio Vista NEWS 15
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Summer time Out At the Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale Movita Hernandez, Spa Director would like to extend a $25 gift card to Rio Vista news readers to experience our summer spa & fitness with spectacular views of the ocean. From weekend's Beach Boot camp, poolside Yoga or midweek mini spa days it is a great reason to take time out at the spectacular Ritz Carlton!
Hope to see you there! Roxanne Salas, Fitness Coordinator
Fort Lauderdale’s Ritz Carlton only luxury spa is the perfect mid week break or relaxing weekend getaway you deserve.
John was the “General Counsel and Vice President, Human Resources for Barry University in Miami Shores and a true athlete admired by his workout buddies.
He always found time to train hard for his competitions but on Labor Day weekend 2009 he was diagnosed with late stage colon cancer. He passed away just 15 weeks later on December 14, 2009. His service was held at Barry University with over 300 people in attendance. His wife Vanessa helped him through his transition with strong faith, love and purpose.
“Brit and friends, thank you for taking the ini-tiative to pull together a RioFit event to
benefit John’s Memorial Foundation. Thanks again to those who donated their time and parents that brought their kids for a fun inspiring fitness making it a memorable event..Looking forward to next year’s bigger and better “. Vanessa Walker
Rio Vista Fitness
Roxanne Salas At Home Personal Fitness [email protected] 954.540.9642
Spa and Fitness ~ Two hours - $150 60-minute semi-private fitness class
and a relaxing 50-minute massage afterwards. Join motivating fitness expert, Roxanne Salas, for an hour
of spectacular oceanfront sunrise or sunset body conditioning of your choice. All levels are accommodated.
Spa & Lunch ~ $125 Choose one from a selection of 25-minute spa treatment.
Massage, Facial, Manicure and Pedicure, then relax on our beautiful pool deck and
enjoy our enticing Spa Lunch.
Rox Yoga for kids & face painters
Rox teaching Yoga
Kids obstacle fitness
Adults obstacle fitness
RIO FIT PRESENTS FAMILY FUN & FITNESS DAY in Honor of JOHN A WALKER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
16 Your Hometown Newsletter
June / July 2010
Sea Turtle Nesting Season
The 2010 sea turtle nesting season – March 1 through July – is still here and Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department encourages beach residents and beach users throughout Broward
County to be aware that these large marine reptiles are visiting our beaches at night with regularity. If you wish to participate in organized tours to witness the nesting ritual, contact the Broward County Sea Turtle Con-servation Program at 954-519-1255. If you see hatchling turtles heading in the wrong direction, call the sea turtle emergency response cell phone at 954-328-0580.
ENJOY A DAY WITH THE KIDS AT A DISCOUNTED RATE
June 5 & 19, 2010 1/2 Price admission for Adults and Free for Children 12 and under
July 3 & 17, 2010 1/2 Price admission for Adults and Free for Children 12 and under
Aug 7 & 21, 2010 1/2 Price admission for Adults and Free for Children 12 and under
900 N Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.563.5393
