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Health and Wellness

Introduction

Several health and medical themes are being commemorated in May 2017. This week in the National Weekly’s monthly feature Health and Wellness information is provided for our readers on four of these themes:

Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Vision Health

National Nursing Week

Arthritis Awareness

 

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

It has often been reported that the various inventions of the modern world have detracted from people being more involved in taking care of their health through physical fitness.

Recently a posting on Social Media relevantly pointed out one of the greatest threat to poor health is not fatty foods, sugary drinks, or unhygienic lifestyles, but rather the chair, or in other words sitting.

The average person spends the vast majority of the typical day sitting. This include sitting around a desk or a work station at the workplace; sitting at a desk or a table in school, colleges and libraries; driving, or being driven; riding in an airplane, watching TV, reading, sitting in a barber or beauty shop, using the toilet, dining, putting a child to sleep or feeding that child, sitting in a hospital or nursing home; sitting in a waiting room, and, so on.

People spend more time sitting, attracting health issues and much less time in physical activity like simply walking. Even when some people participate in physical exercise like cycling or rowing, they are still sitting.

For people to live longer, healthier lives they should engage in more physical activity. They should exercise at least 30 minutes per day or at least 150 minutes per week.

The demands of work doesn’t make it easy for most people to engage in sports like soccer, hockey, tennis, netball, basketball, which are tremendous forms of physical activity, but it is still important that people try to include physical activity as part of the routine of their daily lives.

Ludlow Sergue, Miami physical fitness instructor and a manager of a chain of local gyms advices that regular physical fitness has the following benefits:

Improves muscular fitness, bone health and heart health in children and adults;

Lower the risk of diabetes and some type of cancers; enhances the smooth operation of the digestive system and helps overcome constipation issues. Segue says regular physical activity even enhances the effective sexual function of men, as exercise allow for the heart to pump blood readily.

What is not commonly known is that physical activity is helpful for older adults as it improves cognitive functions, and militates against memory loss and poor judgement as one ages. Physical activity also allows the body and mind to get more rest as it improves the ability to sleep longer hours.

Sergue says it is understandable some people can neither afford membership in a gym or find time to go regularly, but advices there are several other ways of being physically active. These include:

Taking a walk after dinner; walking around the work place at lunch time; walking to and fro in one’s house or apartment; jogging on the spot for 10 to 20 minutes daily, parking one’s car some distance from one’s ultimate destination so one can get in some walking; and taking stairs instead of elevators or escalators.

Sergue stressed that daily physical activity is particularly important for children, young ad older adults. He also cited that the most effective forms of daily exercise include walking, cycling, swimming and dancing.

“Physical activity shouldn’t be regarded as a hated chore we must endure. It can be fun. Regular dancing to music like soca, salsa, reggae, even in the confines of your home get the heart and muscles to work harder, and is good for one’s health,” Surgue said.

He also pointed out that working around the yard and the house including cutting the lawn, tidying the house, cooking, washing clothes by hand and ironing clothes, are useful forms of physical exercise.

He also recommends that both men and women should do regular muscle strengthening exercise like lifting weights twice per week. “Be careful not to lift weights that strain the back, or places too much strain on the muscles in the arms or legs. Physical activity is great but must be done in moderation.  People just need to try to get in 150 minutes or 2 and one-half hours weekly, whether it means going to a gym, or doing some physical activity in your home, at your workplace, around our neighborhood. Just get physical. You will be live a healthier life.”

Kirani James’ poor form puts season ‘on pause’

Kirani Jmes...has put season on pause

Grenadian Olympic gold and silver medalist, Kirani James’, has placed his competitive season on pause as he works to rebound from some below par performances this season.

James, the2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2012 Olympic 400 meters champion, has had a relatively ordinary start to the 2017 season.

At the Grenada Invitational on April 8, James was a shadow of himself even though he won the 400 meters in an ordinary 45.44 seconds.

In his next outing, in the cold and rainy conditions at the 2017 Drake Relays in Iowa, in late April, the James champion looked out of sorts and faded badly to cross the line sixth in 46.21 seconds.

The race was won by James’ perennial rival, LaShawn Merritt, in 45.41 seconds.

“Anyone who has followed his illustrious career can tell he is not 100 per cent,” said James’ coach, Harvey Glance, told SportsMax.tv. “His season is on hold for now till we get him back to that point.”

James is reportedly  suffering from a respiratory infection but Glance said he expects the 24-year-old Grenadian to be back to his best in due course.

“We have had six years of consistency and certainly look forward to many more,” Glance said.

Webb sentencing hearing delayed again

Jeffrey Webb...sentencing delayed again

The sentencing hearing for former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb has been delayed yet again by a United States court.

The former FIFA vice president, who was scheduled to face the court on May 11 has had his sentencing delayed by three months and will now face his fate in June.  Webb’s attorneys had originally asked for a six month delay, but that request was not granted.  He has agreed to a plea bargain and faces up to 20 years behind bars.

Webb, 52, was scheduled to be sentenced in June 2016 after pleading guilty to racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering in relation to millions of dollars of bribes and kickbacks in relation to regional soccer tournaments, tickets and marketing rights.

Lawyers for Webb, once thought to be a prospective FIFA president, however successfully argued for a six month delay and that pushed the date to November 18 of last year.  In November, without reasons revealed, his attorney’s once again successfully argued for another six months delay.

Webb remains under house arrest at his home in Georgia, in the United States, but had also seen conditions of the sentence relaxed allowing him to travel beyond the 20-mile restriction origally imposed.

As part of a plea deal, he agreed to forfeit more than $6.7 million.

IAAF ranks Bolt’s record-breaking performances as number one of all time

It Tuesday May 2 and we are looking at some of the top stories across your Caribbean American community. Welcome… I’m……and you’re watching CNW90. Today’s news is brought to you by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, who wants to remind you that Immunizations are SAFE, PROVEN PROTECTION.

Nominations are now being accepted for the positions of Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board Member and Advisory Board Member Alternate for the Southern USA. The office is voluntary and duration of term of office for each position is two years.  Nominations closes on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Persons applying for the position are expected to meet specific criteria, and be committed to bear certain roles and responsibilities during the two-year duration.

Jamaica’s first lady, Juliet Holness, made an impassioned plea for the eradication of child sexual abuse at last Saturday’s Protect the Children Gala at the Hyatt Regency Hotel  in Fort Lauderdale. The wife of Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness, was keynote speaker at the event. Citing statistics from the United Nations and UNICEF which showed millions of children throughout the world living in poverty and being sexually exploited, Holness noted that, “Child sexual abuse, like poverty, sickness and death, knows no boundaries, but must be stopped.”

Angry residents of North Oropouche, near Sangre Grande in Trinidad staged a fiery protest, against the poor state of the road network leading into the village. The residents blocked five roads with burning tyres on Monday morning. The demonstrators were not satisfied with the response by authorities to repair an eight-mile stretch in North Oropouche.

And in sports

Jamaica’s former world and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown recently made her seasonal 100 meter debut, with a 11.06 second clocking to beat Trinidad’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste who clocked 11.15, at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Florida.

Here’s what’s trending

The record-breaking performances of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt in the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the 2009 staging of the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany are ranked number one of all time by the governing body of track and field.

For Tomorrow’s weather forecast.

It will be partly cloudy with isolated showers in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties with a high of 86 and a low of 73. Today’s news was brought to you by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, who encourages you to Protect Your Baby, Vaccinate On Time, Every Time.  They remind you that Immunizations are SAFE, PROVEN PROTECTION. For more on these and other stories visit us at caribbeannationalweekly.com Make sure to pick your copy of Caribbean News weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.

Florida homeowners could pay much less property tax

Miami-Dade County has Mailed 2024 Notice of Proposed Property Taxes to all Property Owners

The Florida Legislature looks set to vote in favor of a measure that could eventually significantly reduce property taxes for South Florida homeowners whose property is valued over $100,000.

The possible tax reduction, if the measure is agreed, would be determined by voter’s decision on a constitutional amendment to be placed on the 2018 ballot. Specifically, the amendment would ask voters to vote for  an additional $25,000 homestead exemption for residential properties valued over $100,000. Should 60 percent of the voters approve the amendment homeowners would be relieved of paying taxes on another $25,000 of the value of their property beginning in 2019.

Florida residents who own and live in their home as their permanent resident are currently eligible to apply and receive a deduction of up to $25,000 off their property’s assessment. This provides several hundred dollars in tax savings to homeowners.

However, an increase in the homestead exemption while a positive gain for homeowners could be a pain for Florida municipalities. The measure would mean less revenue for cities and counties, forcing them to either cut back on essential services like fire and rescue services, or increase millage rates on commercial and other properties.

Preliminary estimates indicate that there could be a fall in revenue for all counties and cities in the state of approximately $644 million. Miami-Dade County, for example, could realize an annual decline of about $50 million in revenue and the city of Miami, $17 million

According to Tax-Rates.org that computes data for the Florida Department of Revenue the median property tax in Florida is $1,773 per year for a home with a median value of $182,400.

Opponents of the measures see it as a political ploy to woe voters who are homeowners to vote for Republicans in the next year’s elections.  Included on the state ballot next year are races for state governor, 27 congressional representatives, several seats in the Florida Senate and all the seats in the Florida House.

Opponents also claim any further reduction of property tax to homeowners, most of whom are from the middleclass, would be unfair as it will shift tax burden to low-income residents who are mainly tenants struggling with the cost of rental.

TT security to monitor deportees from Turkey

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi says the Trinidadians who were deported from Turkey on Friday will be closely monitored by security officials here.

Twelve Trinidadians who were detained in Turkey last year were deported via the United Kingdom and arrived here on Friday afternoon.

According to Al-Rawi, the group was met by an Inter-Agency team including Immigration and customs officials as well as security personnel.

He noted that there is outstanding information from an “official perspective from the Turkish Government”.

“There is an ongoing inquiry to be conducted and which is being conducted by law enforcement agencies.“This matter is being balanced between the requirements for due process as well as the requirements for diligence,” adding that the “Office of the Attorney General, of course, does have supervision from a ,statutory point of view for matters of anti-terrorism.”

According to Al-Rawi, the Government does not have official confirmed information from the Turkish authorities on the group, information was sent by Trinidad and Tobago’s honorary consul in Turkey.

With the lack of information from Turkey, he said Government was obliged to manage the situation with “full investigation”.

The members of the group were detained in Turkey in July 2016 with a Syrian national said to have been a recruiter with the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS).

Man’s beats wife to death in front of their four children

crime scene

A Haitian man bludgeoned his pregnant wife to death with a pipe wrench in front of their four children and then called 911 and waited outside his home for authorities to arrive, according to a Hollywood Police report.

When police arrived, they found Claude Sejour, 48, with blood on his white shirt, his hands and cheek. And inside the house, they found his wife’s lifeless body on the bed and the couple’s four children nearby.

“I did it, I finished her and called police and went outside. … I’m not crazy,” Sejour told Hollywood Police as they approached him, according to the report.

Sejour’s alleged violence, according to the report, erupted just before 11 p.m., when his wife Marie Carmel Joseph put her boyfriend on speaker phone, and he told Sejour that her unborn baby was his, according to the report.

Sejour was charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.

Before police were summoned to the house by Sejour, a neighbor was drawn there by screaming. Sejour waved the neighbor, identified in the report as Alvaro Garcia, to his frontyard and told him what he had done. Sejour was in the process of calling 911.

Garcia also called 911 and went inside the house on the 5800 block of Thomas Street and into the couple’s bedroom, where he found their eldest child, a 17-year-old girl, shaking her 40-year-old mother’s body in an attempt to wake her, the neighbor told police.

Garcia told police that he checked Joseph for a pulse, and couldn’t detect one, according to the report.

The three other children are ages 14, 12 and 4. They are all staying with relatives, according to authorities.

After he was taken to the police station to be interviewed, Sejour requested a Haitian Creole speaker, telling officers that is his first language. An officer fluent in the language interviewed him, and Sejour allegedly confessed to killing his wife after they argued.

“The pair got into an argument because Joseph was on the phone with her boyfriend and he was upset because the boyfriend stated that Joseph was pregnant,” the report stated.

Swap Shop founder Preston Henn dies at age 86

Preston Henn, founder of one of South Florida’s most popular flea market has died of natural causes at the age of 86, his attorney told Local 10 News.

Preston Henn died of natural causes Sunday at his Hillsbro Beach home, Henn’s Fort Lauderdale attorney, Bruce Rogow, confirmed.

Henn founded the Swap Shop in 1963. Today, it is home to many Caribbean delicacies. The organic markets of the Swap Shop resemble a lot of the market places found in the Caribbean. It is the ideal place to go and find ground provisions, fruits like sugar cane, sugar apples, sapodillas and more.

 

Local vendors at the flea market work toward providing household items that are usually only found in the Caribbean like Dutch styled cooking pots and wash boards.

 

Apart from the market, the Swap Shop is home to many forms of entertainment for the entire family. The Swap Shop is famous for its 14-screen drive-in theater, which is the largest drive in and largest daily flea market in the world. From the fruit market to Caribbean flags, the Swap shop is home away from home for many Caribbean people.

Bolt’s sprint records rated as top moments in IAAF history

Here comes Bolt

The record-breaking performances of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt in the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the 2009 staging of the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany are ranked number one by the governing body of track and field.

Bolt turned in the same kind of performance at the Berlin Championships as he had at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when he shattered the 100 and 200 meter records in an “astonishingly carefree manner,” states the IAAF on its website. Organizers of the August 2017 World Championships in London rated his runs in the men’s 100 meters (9.58 seconds) and 200 meters (19.19 seconds) as the best of all time. Bolt was also listed at Number 5 for his defeat of Justin Gatlin of the United States in the men’s 100 meters at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce is listed in the top 20 at Number 16 for her gold medal victory in the women’s 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4×100-meter relay at the Moscow World Championships in 2013.

The IAAF World Championships is a biennial athletics event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Originally held every four years, first in 1983, the current two-year cycle began in 1991.

Juliet Holness calls for end to child sex abuse

Holness...called for end to child sex abuse

Jamaica’s first lady, Juliet Holness, made an impassioned plea for the eradication of child sexual abuse at last Saturday’s Protect The Children Gala at Hyatt Regency in Fort Lauderdale.

The wife of Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness, was keynote speaker at the event.

Citing statistics from the United Nations and UNICEF which showed millions of children throughout the world living in poverty and being sexually exploited, Holness noted that, “Child sexual abuse, like poverty, sickness and death, knows no boundaries.”

Holness stressed the need for organizations like Save Our Boys And Girls Foundation, a non government organization she founded in Jamaica.

It assists with educating and mentoring vulnerable children, ages 6 to eighteen.

While her address was largely gender-free, the mother of two sons emphasized the importance of strong men to a stable society.

With worldwide trends showing a worrying level of boys falling into criminality, she said: “We are running a serious risk of building broken men.”

The gala’s second staging was presented by the Female Development World Organization and Kiwanis Club of Lauderhill. Three persons were honored for their work with South Florida’s endangered youth.

They are: Pastor Marcus D. Davidson who received the International Leadership Award; Juliet Murphy Roulhac, the Humanitarian Award and Barbara Weinstein, Protect The Children Freedom Award.

Holness received the inaugural Dr Rita Marley Ambassador Award from Mrs Marley, widow of reggae icon Bob Marley.

Jamaica’s new top cop to develop culture of proactive policing

ACP George Quallo. *** Local Caption *** ACP George Quallo.

Jamaica’s newly appointed Commission of Police George Quallo, has pledged to develop culture of proactive policing within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), that focuses on crime prevention.

Quallo, who was speaking at his installation as the island’s 29th Police Commissioner on Friday, noted that proactive policing will be characterized by significantly boosting the JCF’s resources and capabilities and forging new and strengthening existing partnerships.

The new Commissioner also said that central to the JCF’s focus on arresting crime and violence is the need for the organization’s intelligence capabilities to reflect the current demands.

Simultaneously, he said, the JCF’s analytical tools have to be upgraded to produce relevant and reliable information.

“I commit to ensuring that greater attention and resources are focused on the expansion and improvement of our intelligence machinery. I firmly believe that with better and more calculated intelligence, the quest for preventing crime will be enriched and will find expression in more coordinated and successful responses.”

Another key imperative, he said, is the need for a dedicated and competent workforce.

Noting that he is “under no illusion” that the task of dealing with crime is easy, the Commissioner argued that capacity building and training “will be essential,” adding that the  National Police College of Jamaica’s curriculum is among the areas that will be reviewed.

“This will be done with a view to ensuring that the messages of professionalism and people’s rights are given the strongest focus. I believe a properly trained police force will build professionalism and significantly impact our main responsibility of creating a safer society.”

The Commissioner assured members of the force that he would also be placing significant focus on safeguarding their welfare in order to make it easier for them to carry out the tasks they were trained for “and that is to serve and to protect all of us.”

Trinidadian actor dies

Brett Bengochea

Trinidadian actor and bodybuilder Brett Bengochea died by drowning on Saturday.

The police report that Bengochea, 36, known for his role in local productions, went swimming with friends at Balandra beach, when he encountered difficulties and went under the rough waters.

He died shortly after being pulled from the water.

Bengochea, a father of two, was the 2015 National Junior Men’s Physique Champion

VCB opens season with 11.06 win in Gainsville

Jamaica’s former world and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica made her seasonal 100 meter debut, with a 11.06 second clocking to beat Trinidad’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste who clocked 11.15, at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Florida.

The highlight of the meet was triple Olympic medallist Tori Bowie’s world-leading 22.09 performance in the 200 meters.

The run, coming in her season’s debut over the half lap, was the second fastest ever by Bowie, who won 100 meters silver, 200 meters bronze and 4×100 meters gold at the Olympics in Brazil last year.

Bowie dominated the race, with Quanera Hayes, the current world leader in the 400 meters, a distant second in 22.55, a lifetime best.

There were also strong early season sprint performances across the late afternoon programme.

Noah Lyles was equally dominant in the men’s 200 meters, winning in 20.16, the second fastest of his career, well clear of Portugal’s David Lima and Olympic champion Kerron Clement, who clocked 20.67 and 20.84 respectively.

Jamaican recognized as airport innovator

Maurice Jenkins

Maurice Jenkins, the director of information systems and telecommunications at Miami International Airport in Florida, has been ranked at Number 9 on the Future Travel Experience (FTE) Airport Innovation Power List for 2017.

The list recognizes the ten top technology-focused leaders working in the airport industry who have shown exceptional dedication to using new and emerging technology to improve business performance and passengers’ experiences.

The Miami International Airport is one of the most technologically advanced airports n the United States, and Maurice Jenkins is the person responsible for much of its innovation. An example of the innovation is the smartphone app that allows travelers blue-dot way finding with visual directions, customized shopping and dining information, and updates to flights, travel and destinations in real time.

More importantly, the app interacts with the hundreds of beacons across the airport the give travelers aid via an advanced digital travel assistant. Jenkins has applied his skills toward driving improvements in the entire airport industry as well. He has chaired ACI’s Business Information Technology committee, which sets policy on IT standards. Serving in his current position for 16 years, Jenkins has had a crucial role in modernizing the Miami airport, one of the busiest in the world, and this accomplishment combined with his willingness to adopt new technology advances, resulted in his Number 9 ranking on the Power List.

 

Dudus’ brother, female friend shot at Hellshire Beach

Leighton 'Livety' Coke

Sections of Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston are tense following the shooting attack against the brother of former Tivoli Gardens strongman and Presidential Click boss, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Leighton Coke, popularly called ‘Livety’ was with a female companion at the Hellshire Beach in St Catherine early Sunday morning. He had just arrived at the beach when several men approached the vehicle and peppered it with bullets, seriously injuring both persons. Coke and the woman were shot several times in the upper body.

The police have stepped up their presence in the West Kingston communities of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town where Leighton Coke has influence. On Sunday as rumors swirled that Leighton Coke had succumbed to his injuries, the police urged calm and issued a released stating that Coke was not dead.

A gang feud over turf and extortion rights had been raging ever since the capture and extradition of ‘Dudus’ in 2010.

He is now spending a 23 year sentence in a New York maximum security prison.

Dozens of lives have been lost many persons have been injured in the gang war.

Lauderhill cops seek help identifying shooter

The Lauderhill Police is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the shooter involved in the murder of Keith Pinnock and the wounding of Neil R. Buchanan which took place at the Inverrary Apartments last month.

Pinnock was driving a white Mercedes into the complex and reversed into a parking space, a dark colored vehicle pulled into parking lot and the brake lights come on. The occupant of the vehicle then alights and shoots Pinnock dead and chases Buchanan who fled the scene.

A female who were in their company was not harmed.

The police have not established a motive for the killing and are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Chad Williams at 954-717-4615 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954 493- TIPS (8477).

Nominations now open for Southern USA Jamaica Diaspora posts

Jamaican diaspora conference
Southern USA Jamaica Diaspora

Nominations are now being accepted for the positions of Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board Member and Advisory Board Member Alternate for the Southern USA. The office is voluntary and duration of term of office for each is for two years.  Deadline date for nominations closes on Sunday, May 14, 2017.

Persons applying for the position are expected to meet criteria as well as bear certain roles and responsibilities during the two year duration.

Criteria for the elected Diaspora Advisory Board Member will include:

  • Be Jamaican or of Jamaican heritage or be eligible to hold Jamaican citizenship
  • Be of legal age
  • Persons will not receive financial compensation
  • Be a resident of any of the following States – Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina,

South Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, and West Virginia East South Central Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi,  Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

  • Be honorable, trustworthy, and of good moral standing within the community.
  • Have sound leadership qualities and organizational skills.
  • Have good oral and written communication skills.
  • Have no criminal record
  • Knowledge and understanding of social, political and economic issues in the USA and Jamaica
  • Record of active participation within the Diaspora community
  • Be able to finance travelling to Jamaica and the Diaspora States

The elected Diaspora Advisory Board Member is expected to carry out responsibilities to include:

  • Representing the interest of the Jamaican nationals residing in the Southeast USA to the Minister responsible for Diaspora Affairs in the Government of Jamaica.
  • Maintain a close working relationship with the Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami with responsibility for the Southeast USA
  • Be a focal point for the receipt and dissemination of information that would be relevant to the Jamaican Diaspora on a timely basis.
  • Organize the Jamaican Diaspora to participate in all meetings relevant to the Diaspora including the biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference hosted in Jamaica.
  • Attend scheduled advisory board member meetings and be prepared to initiate creative efforts for the well-being and development of the Diaspora throughout the USA.
  • Develop and execute financial self-sufficiency.

Broward county celebrates Children Mental Health Awareness month

Childrens mental health awareness

Broward County will join more than 1,200 communities across the country in May to celebrate National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, an annual event organized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to raise awareness about the importance of mental health beginning at birth. 

One Community Partnership 2 (OCP2), a grant program awarded to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners by SAMHSA, along with its many community partners, including Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse, will host a variety of events and launch a stigma reduction campaign focusing on the importance of integrating behavioral health and physical health by caring for the body and mind as one. 

A series of events are planned throughout May:

May 2nd:     Proclamation Ceremony- Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month 
  Broward County Governmental Center
  115 S. Andrews Avenue – Room 420, Fort Lauderdale
  10AM

Vice Mayor Beam Furr will proclaim May as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month in Broward County.

May 13th:                2nd Annual Wellness Day
   Central Broward Regional Park
   3700 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill
   10AM-3PM

The event will include a “Wellness Champions Award” recognition ceremony acknowledging young people, families, and community members who make a difference through their work and personal stories of strength.

May 16th:                Cross Systems Training- for Child Care Professionals and Families
   Tree Tops Park
3900 SW 100th Avenue, Davie
   9AM-4PM

A training designed to teach new front line staff working with children, youth and families how to access and navigate various child-serving and transitional youth programs. There will be presentations from various child serving organizations as well as information and resource tables. 

May 22nd &             Broward Behavioral Health Conference
May 23rd:                Signature Grand
6900 FL-84, Davie
    Registration Fee: $100, includes free parking, breakfast and lunch
    8AM-4:45PM


OCP2 will present workshops on transition-age youth at the 2017 Broward Behavioral Health Conference sponsored by the United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse, Broward Behavioral Health Coalition and other partners.

C’Bar sets high school sprint relay record at Penn Relays

Boys Championships winners, Calabar High School, took their act to the annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia last weekend. They smashed the record in the 4×100 for high school boys last Saturday in an impressive 39 seconds.

The previous record, 39.63, was destroyed by the quartet of Tyreke Wilson, Christopher Taylor, Michael Stephens, and Dejour Russell. Calabar finished ahead of former record holders and arch-rivals, Kingston College, who placed second in 39.74 seconds.

In other ‘Penn’ news, Jamaica won the 4×400 meters for men and women.

The men were anchored by Fitzroy Dunkley, who erased a 10-meter deficit to give his team victory over the US in 3:03.14 seconds. The Americans finished in 3:03.25.

In the women’s equivalent, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Shericka Jackson, Dawnalee Loney and Janieve Russell won in 3:28.32, well ahead of the US, who clocked 3:29.30.

In the US vs the World 4×100 meters for women, the Elaine Thompson-led team won in a season’s best 42.25 seconds.

The Jamaican women were second in the sprint medley. The team of Audra Segree, Natasha Morrison, Anastasia Le-Roy and Verone Chambers clocked 1:36.67 behind the USA (1:35.59), with USA Blue third in 1:37. 22 minutes.

The Art of Packing: Tips for efficient travel packing

The art of travel packing

 

One of the dreadful things about traveling is fitting all your necessities into a suitcase. Here are some tips on how to properly pack your luggage to make your trip even easier.

Take a plastic bag

You never know when you may need a plastic bag. You could use one to hold onto pool toys, put your wet clothes in, or in most cases to place your dirty clothes in. This is the best way to keep the suitcase or carry-on luggage organized throughout the trip.

Eliminate makeup mayhem

It may be hard to advise woman to only bring the makeup essentials, especially with the growing need for foundation, highlighter, eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, bronzer, lip liners, false eyelashes and so on. But there are tips and techniques on how to prevent makeup from breaking during your travels.

Get a good make up bag, something than can hold all your brushes and containers, base your amount of makeup off the outfits you are packing, add a cotton ball in your blush and bronzer to prevent breakage, use travel sized bottles, and use your clothes as cushioning.

Choice outfits wisely

The best way to know what you are picking for your travels is to check the weather a week in advance to ensure you are packing the right type of clothes. Don’t be caught in the dry heat of the mid-west with a snow jacket and thermal underwear.

Checking the weather in advance can allow you to pick the most appropriate day wear while you visit your destination.

Pack toiletries right

Have you ever opened your suitcase to find that your conditioner spilled all over your clothes? Well let’s try not to let that happen again by properly packing and securing your bathroom necessities.

When packing toiletries, the main things one would need consist of toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, shampoo and conditioner. Most of these items can be purchased in travel sized bottles at your nearest grocery store, travel sized items must not exceed 3 ounces.

Placing your items in a Ziploc or small zipper bag can ensure that your items will not spill midflight.

Utilize odd-shaped items

Shoes are a necessity when travel to unique places, but it can take up plenty of luggage space. Try to keep the number of shoes to a total of three.

The best way to pack shoes is to place along the sides or at the bottom of your bag, you can also put small items inside the shoes to save space.

Fold, Fold, Fold!

One of the main reasons of a cluttered and disorganized bag is unfolded and messy clothes. It can also cause wrinkles in the best of clothes that you want to wear.

Folding clothes is one of the effective ways to preventing wrinkles in certain material of clothing. Some advice folding while others advice the rolling method to folding clothes for the suitcase.

Keep the peace by keeping the clothes organized.

Hopefully with these tips in mind, your travel packing will be an easier endeavor for this approaching travel season.

BVI to introduce electronic visas

The government of the British Virgin Islands, BVI, has announced plans to introduce electronic visas or e0-visas in an effort to make the British overseas territory more accessible to persons who currently require visas to visit.

Just last year, the government implemented a visa waiver system for persons in possession of United States and Canada visas.

The administration says the changes are aimed at better facilitating international trade and transactions.

 

Simple ways to get in shape for the summer

Ready to fit into that swimsuit for the approaching summer season? Improving your habits can not only allow you to fit into that swimsuit, it can boost your endurance for those warm weather activities.

Eating right and exercising is one of the most efficient ways to stay healthy and in shape for the summer. Try these healthy eating tips to get started on your change to be a better you.

Eat a high protein breakfast

Tel Aviv University found that adding whey protein to your breakfast can help you shed some pounds.  “The whey protein diet significantly suppresses the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin’,” said Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, a professor of medicine at Tel Aviv University.

Adding protein whey allow you to stay full longer and lowers the chances of you snacking in the morning.

Protein whey products are very simple to use and can be found at your nearest grocery store.

Give your workout routine a jolt

Research shows that consuming caffeine before exercise can improve athletic performances. A study found that cyclists who drank caffeine pedaled for an average of 23 percent longer than other bikers.

Pre-workout caffeine can also increase muscular force and power, if the recommended dosage is taken.

A cup of black coffee before a workout can induce sweat and help with accelerated fat loss.

Be warned too much caffeine can also pose as a health risk if consuming more than the recommended dosage of pre-workout or coffee.

Join a workout challenge

There are many different types of workout challenges than can be found online, especially in you have a Pinterest profile.

Not only can you have fun with these online workout challenges but you can also build your endurance and increase your stamina based on different levels of challenging workouts you can find.

Challenges vary on the parts of the body you would like to focus on.

Avoid late night snacking

One of the quickest way to ruin a good day of diet and exercise is excessive snacking. It is common to snack when bored or watching television late at night, suppressing the urge to eat can be hard.

Try to cut the late-night snacking by having a bottle of water handy to sip on when the cravings occur. If you eat a high protein dinner beforehand than you shouldn’t feel the need to snack.

Make your desserts healthier

Avoiding snacking is easier said than done, if you do happen to snack at least keep it healthy. Fruits and cold veggies are some of the recommended late night healthy snacks, like frozen grapes or small carrot sticks.

Other healthy snacks can include unsalted almonds, in-shell pistachios, mixed nuts, unbuttered unsalted popcorn, unsalted pumpkin seeds, or a protein bar.

TT lifts corned beef ban

The Ministry of Agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago has lifted the restriction on Brazilian corned beef and other meat imports.

The temporary restriction, imposed last month, was put in place after it was revealed by Brazilian authorities that a private manufacturer was using rotten meat in the production of corned beef.

On Wednesday, the Ministry made the announcement to lift the temporary restriction on both the import and retail sale of meat products from Brazil including corned beef, chicken patties and chicken nuggets.

12 Trinis deported from Turkey

Twelve Trinidad and Tobago citizens detained in Turkey last year, are were deported home on Friday.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Wayne Dick made the disclosure during a press conference in Port of Spain on Friday.

“Due to much information which has been circulating in the media over the past couple months, it is important as we come into possession of information that we update you. This day is such a day”. He said.

Dick said the twelve were ordered deported and will be escorted to Trinidad by Turkish agents.

“Up to this point no one will be arrested. They are considered just twelve persons who have been deported from Turkey. We have limited information from the Turkish authorities and we are hoping that when they get here, through continued efforts and investigations we will learn more as to the reasons they are deported,” he said.

The deportees will not be detained on return, but will be interviewed.

He did not disclose whether the deportees were suspected to be members of terrorists organizations.

“Our information is that men, women, and children will be returning. We have no information what so ever linking these persons who are expected to arrive, with (ISIS terrorist) Shane Crawford. We also have no information as to their involvement in any aspect whatsoever as far as ISIS is concerned. The identities we do have the information yes, but we need to verify by virtue of interviews, based on the little information we have from Turkish authorities”.

Diverse cast for Best Of The Best

Brigadier Jerry..one of the headline acts at Best of the Best
This year’s Best Of The Best concert, scheduled for May 28 at Bayfront Park in Miami, will have its most diverse cast yet. The eleventh renewal is heavy on dancehall, but co-promoter DJ Jabba says the team also went for old school reggae and soca to satisfy a wide demographic.
“We have something for everybody,” he assured.
Mavado, Aidonia, Konshens, Spice, Charly Blacks, Dexta Daps and I-Octane are the dancehall artistes confirmed to perform. Josey Wales, Brigadier Jerry and General Trees who came up through the sound system circuit during the 1980s will provide the old school flavor. Mad Cobra, best known for the ’90s monster hit Flex, represents that era.
Soca acts Patrice Roberts and Lyrical from Trinidad and Tobago and Julien Believe of The Bahamas, will also be at Best Of The Best.
The theme is a contrast to 2016 that was dominated by so-called foundation singers. Last year’s event reportedly drew 19,000 fans which Jabba describes as a “joyful situation”.
Best Of The Best has traditionally featured Jamaican performers. But Jabba points out that with South Florida home to people from other Caribbean countries, it is important promoters reach out to them.
”We’re showing them love for the love they’ve shown us over the years,” he said.
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