PLACE OF HOPE RECEIVES $100,000 DONATION FROM MOSS FOUNDATION
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – Yesterday, Place of Hope humbly accepted a donation of $100,000 from Moss, a leading national construction management company.
Moss’ donation will go towards Place of Hope’s Building Hope Annual Fund Leadership Society at The Leighan and David Rinker Campus. This fund has been established to help ensure affordable housing, programs, and services for kids aging out of foster care, homeless youth, single moms with children, and those in Place of Hope’s program who have been impacted by human trafficking.
“We are so thankful to partner with the team at Moss and receive such a generous donation to the homeless and aged out foster youth in our care,” said Charles Bender, Place of Hope Founder and CEO. “Given all that has happened over the past year, it has become paramount to raise support through this fund as we continue to take in kids who need housing, support, and services in southern Palm Beach County.”
The Moss Foundation stated, “Moss has embraced the opportunity to partner with Place of Hope by becoming a Building Hope Leadership Society, Visionary Partner. We pride ourselves in honoring relationships and giving back to organizations who share our common values.”
Place of Hope at The Leighan and David Rinker Campus is dedicated to providing a stable and loving family environment for hurting children and their families. For more information visit www.placeofhoperinker.org or contact Lisa McDulin at lisam@placeofhoperinker.org to become a Building Hope Annual Fund Leadership Society Partner.
Tucked away all the way back in horse country in Wellington, Florida is a little slice of farmland home to some of the most exotic animals in the world. You’d never know it was there, unless you were looking for it and lucky for me and my family, I had my eye on the Wellington Conservation Center for quite some time now. I truly didn’t know what to expect and I can honestly say my family and I were blown away. It’s a place where rehabilitated animals go to get a second chance at life, a place where unwanted, abandoned and injured species find their second home and a sanctuary where each sweet soul has a truly unique story to be told. From orphaned birds, to mammals and everything in between their website says they “specialize in conservation of South American exotics who are endangered from habitat loss and poaching,” a truly commendable feat.
If you ask my 4-year-old daughter Vera, her favorite animal on property was the unnamed little kitty, the horse we were able to feed apples to and the little bunnies she was able to snuggle up with. My son was thrilled by the lemur who grabbed bananas off a stick with his lefty hand and my husband thought the pot belly pigs were a sight to see. I especially loved getting up close and personal with the Brazilian Porcupines named Bonnie and Clyde and the 2-toed sloth family, especially the momma and baby duo. Feeding the sloths lettuce was an incredible experience, we won’t ever forget! I still have fomo that we never were able to get a front row seat to see the sloths while on our honeymoon to Costa Rica ten years ago and now I can finally say I was able to interact with them right in our very own backyard! How cool is that?!
From wallabys to foxes and even a crab-eating raccoon that bunks up with a Patagonian Cavy, the amount of animals we encountered exceeded our family’s expectations and I’m sure won’t leave you on the side of disappointment! Cole was an exceptional and knowledgeable host on the farm and we can’t wait to come back soon!
Sloths and lemurs are one of the primary focuses of the center due to the fact that these animals are an endangered species. The Wellington Conservation Center is a non-profit organization and they receive all of their funding through donations from their tours, grants, trusts and local sponsors. Tours are by appointment only taking place Wednesday through Monday and offered three times daily. Adults are $20 and kids 6-10 are $15. Those 5 and under are only $5. To book a tour call 954.448.1044. For more information visit their website at wellingtonconservationcenter.org.
(West Palm Beach, FL – April 2, 2021) The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County (LWVPBC) today invited concerned adults to two timely, informative and FREE Zoom Conversations in April and May:
Wednesday, April 7 at 6 pm
Conversations with the League:
Palm Beach County Schools
Guest Speaker: Edward Tierney, Chief of Staff for the School District of Palm Beach County, the 10th largest school district in the nation and fourth largest in the State of Florida.
Background: How is the School District working to close the “digital divide” in Palm Beach County, and how is the District preparing for its next strategic plan, including using community input and lessons learned to inform where resources should be focused in the years ahead. Tierney, who has worked for the District for 8 years and has held a variety of positions from Behavior Intervention Associate to Principal of John I. Leonard High School, will discuss the current legislative session and court rulings, and how they may affect the School District.
Guest Speakers are the Co-Chairs of the LWVPBC Healthcare Issue Group:
+ Nancy Gau, a retired Clinical Laboratory Director who currently sits on the Board of the Palm Beach County Alliance for Mental Health.
Photo of Nancy Gau
+ Dr. Brent Schillinger is a dermatologist, past president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society, and a member of its Covid-19 Pandemic Response Task Force. He currently chairs the society’s Opioid Health Care Response Team.
Dr.Brent Schillinger
Topic: The effort to expand Medicaid in Florida, an update on how the effort failed in the 2021 Legislative session and next steps.
About the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County:
The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County is a nonpartisan political organization of women and men of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging informed and active participation in government through education and advocacy. The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed. For more information, please visit www.lwvpbc.org or www.facebook.com/lwvpbc.
Annual, celebrated “Armory Artist Show” and “Armory Instructor Show” on display at the Armory Art Center in two vibrant exhibitions through April 17th
By Laura Louise Tingo
March 30, 2021 – West Palm Beach, Fla. – The Armory Art Center is proud to present its largest and best-attended exhibition of the year with its exciting, anticipated 2021 “Armory Artist” and “Armory Instructor” shows. These widely celebrated and looked forward to annual exhibitions are a stunning showcase and sale of art by artists attending and instructing studio classes in all departments at the Armory. The exhibition is free and open to the public through April 17, in the Armory Art Center’s exquisite Montgomery Hall and East Gallery, 811 Park Place, in West Palm Beach. Gallery Hours for all exhibitions are Tuesday – Friday 10:00am-4:00pm, Saturday 10:00am – Noon; Closed Sunday and Monday. Temperature checks and facial coverings required for entry.
Both the “Armory Artist” and “Armory Instructor” shows promise a fine demonstration of the creativity and talent available in the educational programs and shines a light on the Armory’s expert and talented instructors from each of its departments. Painting, photography, and jewelry creations are some of the mediums that will be on shining display in this beautiful, anticipated annual array of original artists’ works, by Armory artists.
“We invite the community to discover this exemplary sampling of diversity and skill-set available for everyone to experience and enjoy at the Armory with this outstanding show of works by our professional artist educators, and the talented works of our dedicated studio artists,” said Dr. Tom Pearson, CEO, Armory Art Center.
Armory artists exhibiting in this year’s spectacular “Armory Artist Show” to-date, include Jackie Reed and Hilary Pulitzer; Armory artist instructors exhibiting in the “Armory Instructor Show” include: Mary Tidy Coyle, Barry Schein, Jerry Ginsberg, Sara Bookspan, Alicia Jane Boswell.
To learn more about the Armory Art Center’s programs, or to make a donation, call 561.832.1776 or visit armoryart.org.
Exhibiting Artist Instructor BIOs provided:
Mary Tidy-Coyle In my work I am interested in how an environment can influence who we are, and how personal experiences shift perception. By sifting an experience through the creative process – I can record, document and reflect. My process is based on working in a series, in which I explore an idea, or subject, through multiples. My use of materials is based off of my subject matter, allowing me to work in a wide variety of media and techniques; from utilizing technology through filmmaking to something as traditional as painting. When working in more traditional materials (painting & drawing), I often rely on Art History and the formal elements to guide me – in my collection of landscape paintings – which are based on my travels and living experiences in different regions of the United States. I look to such artists as Richard Diebenkorn, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler. While experiencing such diverse landscapes and environments I become inspired creatively, particularly as I ponder our current environmental climate crisis. The idea of a contemporary artist approaching the landscape – a historically traditional subject matter – may seem irrelevant, but I disagree. The landscape has never been more significant as it is today.
Barry Schein is an award-winning commercial photographer and educator. During his career he has created photography for many nationally branded Fortune 500 companies and their advertising agencies. He’s a recipient of an EMMY award for his work at NBC TV in New York as well as an Eastman Kodak Professional Photographers award. Both Nikon and the international journal Graphis have recognized his work. Mr. Schein’s work is in a number of private collections.
Jerry Ginsberg is a freelance photographer whose Nature, landscape and travel images have graced the pages and covers of hundreds of books, magazines and travel catalogs. He is the only person to have photographed each and every one of America’s National Parks with medium format cameras. His works have been exhibited from coast to coast and have received numerous awards in competition. Jerry’s photographic archive spans virtually all of both North and South America.
Sara Bookspan a Bay Area native, and recent west coast transplant, discovered her love of clay at a very young age. Her love of art led her to pursue a Bachelor of Art Education with emphasis in ceramics from Humboldt State University. Working with her mentor, Joel Magen of Dark Horse Pottery, she honed her skills in wheel thrown and hand-built production pottery. It was there that she developed a deeper understanding of the meditative process of working with clay. Looking to pair her passion for education and ceramics, Sara went on to receive a Master of Special Education and two teaching credentials from Portland State University with the goal of becoming an art therapist. Knowing that art truly has the power to change the human experience, Sara brought this same passion to her work in the Peace Corps where she started several small income-generating projects in her host country, Kenya. Her projects were focused on expansion of local arts within the Deaf community which included beadwork, textiles, and of course ceramics. Taking art and education to the next level, Sara became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, and uses art as part of her method to teach life skills to individuals with special needs. She founded a ceramics program at Victory Academy, a school for children with autism located right outside of Portland, Oregon. Through this program students learned the foundations of working with clay and its relation to accomplishing daily living skills while simultaneously exploring their creativity. Now in Florida, she is actively working as a behavior analyst with the special needs community. In her free time, she continues to pursue her love of ceramics by creating primary altered wheel thrown forms that resemble components of the natural environment. She is extremely excited to be working with The Armory and cannot wait to explore the wild world of clay with her new learners. What’s to be expected in a class with Sara? Learner’s will enhance mindfulness and artistic independence through learning the basics of handbuilding techniques, glazing, fundamentals of wheel throwing, while of course learning to become artistic clay rebels!
Alicia Jane Boswell received her MFA in Metalsmithing/Jewelry from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has attained positions of visiting professor, Jewelry & Metalsmithing artist-in-residence, Studio technician, Museum Exhibitions Assistant, and visiting workshop instructor at arts & crafts education centers around the United States & Internationally including The Center for Enamel Art, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, the Society of Florida Goldsmiths, and The Textile Support Group Pavia Italy & Wollongong Australia. In 2013 she was honored to be invited to assist and display work in a small workshop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ratti Textile Center which coincided with the exhibition “Gems of European Lace” 1600- 1920. In April of the same year, she was invited by the Textile Support Organization in Pavia Italy to exhibit work, lecture and teach a small textile/lace jewelry workshop. Alicia also has had the pleasure of exhibiting at SIERAAD the International Jewelry Fair in Amsterdam. Her work can be found in public & private collections, including the Enamel Arts Foundation & The Lace Museum in Sunnyvale California. Alicia resides in West Palm Beach Florida, where she is the Jewelry & Metalsmithing Department Manager at the Armory Art Center & presently teaches enameling & advanced metalsmithing workshops & classes. She also continues to pursue her studio practice with commissions and limited production work. Alicia currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida where she is the Jewelry & Metalsmithing Department Manager at the Armory Art Center.
About the Armory Art Center: The Armory Art Center’s art school and galleries provide creative opportunities to enhance your life. The Armory has served the community for over 30 years. The mission of the Armory Art Center is to inspire the creation and experience of art and the Armory’s vision is to be the leading community resource for arts education. Serving over 3,000 students annually, the Armory Art Center offers 160 courses per term in six terms throughout the year to students ranging in age from pre-school to retiree. Classes in drawing, painting, photography, jewelry, fiber & textiles, ceramics, and sculpture are held in 12 state-of–the-art studios. Twelve exhibitions are hosted annually in three galleries. Exhibitions, lectures, and special events are open to the public. For information, visit www.armoryart.org or call (561) 832.1776. The Armory Art Center is located at 811 Park Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
An updated, fresh, and tasty day of delight is in store for your Wee Royals! With COVID-19 safety measures in-mind, The Royal Poinciana Plaza has planned a “hunt” like no other. No chaos or tears over unfound eggs this year, peeps! At check-in, registered honey bunnies will receive an eco-friendly market bag, a festive face mask, and a Royal treaure map marking magical locations for egg-hunting! From a Funfetti Forest to a Sunny Slime Lagoon, help your little chicks fill-up their market sacks with a handful of individually wrapped and carefully prepared holiday eats and treats.
Of course, there’s more! Playful and quirky Easter installations in our courtyard nooks will make for unforgettable photo moments, and fashion bunnies will be back in their Spring/Summer 2021 best! Get your minis signed-up, join for a stress-free family activity, and then treat yourself to lunch and a glass (or bottle) of wine at Sant Ambroeus or Palm Beach Grill.
Ridiculous and Incoherent were two brothers born to a mother named Who Cares and a father named Why Bother.
Life takes us to a point we may think about abstract things that hardly affect us, such as should pregnant women get vaccinated during a pandemic, or should we spend time and money on colonizing Mars. Well, this column’s purpose is intended to deliver some perspective on all vagaries of life. Please don’t hesitate to offer your two cents to the subject matter, I would love some response from you on your thoughts, if you think it’s worth your time.
Our Precious Lives in a Vortex
Ridiculous and Incoherent were two brothers born to a mother named Who Cares and a father named Why Bother.
Ridiculous spent most of his formative years questioning historical facts as those published in books distributed to young children.
Incoherent, on the other hand, questioned nothing, therefore was a huge source of completely useless information.
Of course, because numerous warnings by scientists were ignored by parents, electronic devices, in many cases, became an uncontrollable addiction among new generations.
Most waking hours spent by children were devoted to only three pastimes considered necessary: one being television, another the cell phone, and a third called the computer that also added to the lack of time given to the supervision of young minds.
Little thought had been given to how to deal with the never-ending surge of new, exciting and irresistible gadgets flooding the market almost daily, just as long as Who Cares and Why Bother were happy with their children’s progress.
How wonderfully delighted were the parents that could now detach themselves from the boring and tedious task of assisting their children in the learning process.
Before very long, children being detached from their parents became so commonplace that conversation between them both had become a rare occasion.
So, there they were, becoming less and less a family that would learn from each other, regarding the most basic facts of living together and loving one another.
Life at this moment in the world, that now includes a worldly pandemic, only exacerbates this serious problem. The disastrous conditions at our Southern border, created by the last Administration in dealing with children has caused, not only caused malnutrition, but mental impairment, as well. With at least five hundred still missing, it’s beyond anyone’s imagination what steps should be taken.
We can’t expect help anytime soon from a Government that can’t agree on anything. Both party’s defiant refusal to work peacefully together is only adding to the number of rebellions we are facing, more and more frequently. No one can expect to be safe in a country that has completely lost its way. Do you?
Our forefathers really hoped that bringing the Civil War to an end would be the beginning of a new existence, a new experiment, where peoples of all colors and creeds could live and work together in peace and harmony, not only for themselves, but for the good of their country. Will they be proved right . . . or will that experiment have been in vain?
Until we get truthful answers, we will live through some form of hell, so hold on close to your very dear ones, and never lose faith in the power of love.
Yes, living our precious lives in a vortex could be a sad ending to a potential life of great accomplishment.
A wonderful summer salad, especially with zucchini from the yard or the farmer’s market. Tip: Smaller zucchini usually have more flavor than the big ones.
Prep:
10 mins
Cook:
15 mins
Total:
25 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cubed zucchini
7 saffron threads
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch ground turmeric
salt to taste
freshly ground white pepper
½ lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Directions
Step 1
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook onion and garlic until softened, about 4 minutes. Add zucchini, saffron, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until zucchini are softened but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Step 2
Drizzle zucchini mixture with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with mint. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Greater Palm Beach Rose Society (GPBRS) will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, April 26, 2021, at 7:00 PM virtually via GoToMeeting.
The brief business meeting will be followed by a presentation “Things (about roses) I Didn’t Learn in Kindergarten.” An updated (2021) program that recounts valuable lessons I have learned about growing roses, many through making mistakes, in 50 years of rose growing by Bob Martin.
Bob Martin is the 56th President of the American Rose Society, the nation’s largest plant society.
Bob has been growing roses for nearly 50 years. He and his wife Dona live in Escondido, California, where they maintain a rose garden of more than 600 roses of all types. He is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian, an Accredited Horticultural Judge and an Accredited Arrangements Judge.
Bob is well known as a humorous and effective speaker and rose evangelist, having spoken at 24 American Rose Society national conventions, at district conventions in all of the 18 ARS districts, and more than 250 times at rose societies and garden clubs throughout the U.S.
Bob is also a prolific writer, having authored more than 700 published articles on roses. He is the National Editor of Horizon Roses, an annual review by the nation’s top exhibitors of new exhibition roses. Bob is also the author of the book “Showing Good Roses”, and maintains a website covering U.S. rose shows at www.roseshow.com. Honored for his lifetime contribution to rose education, Bob was a 2009 recipient of the ARS Klima Medal.
Photo of Bob Martin.
To attend the club’s meeting as a guest, please RSVP to Maria Wolfe at 561-386-4903. Greater Palm Beach Rose Society is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that has been promoting rose growing for over 40 years. . Its motto is “Gardening Makes a World of Difference. The club is a member of the American Rose Society (ARS). For more information, see www.GPBRS.org
For years I’ve gallivanted around the globe spending so much time flying that my youngest grandson used to think I lived in an airplane. This past year of stalled and later limited travel took a toll on me and I’m itching to get back out there. But what happens when we all start traveling again?
Without incessant crowds arriving on mega cruise ships, throngs of tourists rushing for Instagram-worthy photos at the world’s most popular destinations and fewer planes flying through the air, our planet received a much-needed break. Will we ruin all that when we release the world again? We don’t have to. By focusing on sustainable travel, we adventurers can satisfy our wanderlust while helping the planet and supporting local businesses along the way. Here are three options to consider.
Up Up & Away!
Take the Road Less Traveled
With international borders closed, national parks soared to the top of everyone’s travel plans. Sales for RVs ramped up and cabin fever faded away as Americans made a beeline to popular destinations. Predictions indicate the road trip and nature-based trend will continue. And, as Americans receive vaccines, we’re likely to see even more visitors to the best-known national parks—especially the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Utah’s Mighty Five.
To avoid the crowds, consider a national monument. For example, Arizona’s Chiricahua National Monument contains 17 miles of hiking trails meandering amid spectacular pinnacles of balancing rocks that were created from a volcano eruption millions of years ago. Unlike the Grand Canyon, which receives more than five million visitors a year, Chiricahua receives roughly 50,000, making it a virtually undiscovered treasure. If you choose to explore this worthy stop and the Grand Canyon in one trip, schedule your trip for March through May or September through November when daytime temperatures are cooler and the crowds are thinner.
Beauty without the crowds at Chiricahua National Monument
Avoid Peak Season
National parks aren’t the only places best visited in off-peak season. Have you ever been to Rome in the summer? I made this mistake a few years ago. Not only was it brutally hot, but the throngs of tourists made it impossible to get anywhere close to iconic attractions such as the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum. The same holds true for other popular destinations during peak seasons. Sadly, areas that display treasures of cultural heritage or nature’s wonders are often visited by tourists who trample the grounds, are careless with their litter, or neglect to treat the site with the respect it deserves.
Do yourself and the destination a favor by scheduling your travel in the off-season, or at least the shoulder season between peak and off-peak. Spreading the crowds throughout the year eases the strain on popular destinations. You’ll also benefit from better deals on lodging and fewer people jockeying for prime selfie positions at major landmarks.
Summer crowds in Rome
Support Small Businesses and Tour Companies
Located roughly 150 miles north of the Artic Circle, the Swedish Lapland is home to reindeer, moose, an abundance of fish and some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. In the winter, it transforms into a wonderland as the rivers freeze and the Northern Lights dance in the sky overhead. When the snow melts and summer arrives, the Midnight Sun shines. Introduced to this special little piece of the planet five years ago, I’ve returned with friends several times. Each time, we stay at the Lapland Guesthouse where owners, Johan and Eva Stenevad welcome us like family. Choosing a family-owned and operated guesthouse ensures an authentic experience in any destination, but this is particularly true at the Lapland Guesthouse. For our winter visits, Johan takes us ice fishing, snowmobiling to visit reindeer and on safaris to catch the brilliant display of the Northern Lights. Meals are locally sourced and expertly prepared in a cozy dining room where we meet guests from around the world. This small, intimate experience lures me back year after year.
Snowmobiling in the Swedish Lapland
A few years ago, as I began planning an African safari for a group of friends, the options presented to me were overwhelming. While there were literally hundreds to choose from, I chose a smaller, family-owned company. Born in a village at the edge of the Serengeti, Top Guides Safaris’ owner, Victor Nyakiriga, began tracking the animals with his grandfather as a toddler. Today, he personally chooses and trains his guides. Trips are completely customizable and sustainability along with wildlife conservation remain at the forefront of each of his safaris.
Top Guides Safari in Tanzania
Experiences like these yield priceless memories along with an intimate look at a destination free of large resorts. Now more than ever, small family-owned businesses benefit from our patronage. When millions of travelers focus on the little things, big changes result. Let’s all do our part to change the travel landscape when the travel gates fly open.
