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Parkland City Commission: Michael Udine, Mayor; Mark Weissman, Vice Mayor; David Rosenof, Commissioner. City Manager: Caryn Gardner-Young

City News

Please Remember to Vote on March 12, 2013
The City of Parkland will hold a special election to fill the District 2 Commission seat vacated by State Representative-Elect Jared Moskowitz. All City of Parkland residents who are registered voters may vote in the City's special election regardless of Commission District the resident is located in.

Lindsay Wolk recognized as Parkland’s Top Teen
The City of Parkland (“City”) for the third year in a row has held the Mayor’s Top Teen program. Under this program, a resident is nominated by a teacher, counselor, friend, clergy or family member to be the Top Teen in Parkland. A group of volunteers in the community select the winner. This year’s winner is Lindsay Wolk. She has been a volunteer with the Buddies Program for over 5 years and has been a buddy to the same child for the entire time. Lindsay is a sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where she has a 4.5 GPA, plays varsity lacrosse and was named Sun Sentinel All Star and Miami Herald Honorable Mention All-County. Please congratulate Ms. Wolk on her award!

Parkland Enters into Agreement to Bring a Carnival to the City in April
On March 6th, the Parkland City Commission authorized Big Fun Productions to hold a family carnival at Pine Trails Park from April 19th through April 21st as part of the City’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. Food, games and rides will be available for all to participate. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Davidoff, Parks and Recreation Director, at 954 757-3126 or sdavidoff@cityofparkland.org.

Parkland Library Events

Tales to Tails
Thursday, March 14th 4:15pm
Come to the Parkland Library and read to Leyna or Daisy, therapy dogs from Progressive Paws. This program is developed to encourage independent reading and increase reading fluency. Each child can read for about 5 minutes. This program is for children 5 to12 years old. Register here or call (954)757-4207.

Spring Storytime Registration Begins
Friday, March 15th
Online registration will enable you to register your child for storytime on a first come, first serve basis through our website. Register at www.cityofparkland.org/library. Your Parkland Library card is required in order to register. Registration is limited to one class per child. Registration will begin on March 15th at 8:30am. Within a few days you will receive an email informing you that your child is in the class or on a wait list. For further assistance, call Michele or Wendy at (954)-757-4207.

Self Defense for Kids (7 and up)
Monday, March 18th 4:30pm
Fitness, Focus, Fun! Join Evolution Martial Arts at the Parkland Library for an interactive personal safety and anti-bullying class! Smart Kids Safe Kids know how to show confidence, what to do if they feel uncomfortable, and how to keep their bodies safe! Register here or call (954)757-4207

Medicare 101
Tuesday, March 19th 6:30pm
Everything you wanted to know about Medicare, but didn't know who to ask. Don’t miss this program if you are one of the 10,000 people every day who become eligible for Medicare. Get the inside scoop on how the system works! Register here or call (954)757-4207.

Teen Book Talk and Pizza: The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Thursday, March 21st 6:00pm
An alien-invasion love triangle about Melanie, one of the last human beings on Earth, who gets torn away from her love, Jared when she's captured by the invading alien race and turned into a host for an alien called Wanderer. Will Melanie's inherent humanity win out or will Wanderer take over? Will Jared have to settle for some intergalactic make-out sessions or will Ian get the girl? Bring friends and join other teens at the Parkland Library as we get excited about the book and upcoming film release. Pizza will be served. Register here or call (954)757-4207.

Reader’s Ring Book Club
Tuesday, April 2nd 6:30pm
Join Miss Michele for a book chat. The book we are reading is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Read the book before the book club meets. We will talk about the book, eat a snack and make a craft. Reserve your copy at the library today! (grades 3 to 6) Register here or call 954 757-4207.

Parks and Recreation

Parkland Kids Camp
Summer Recreation Registration – continues!
Parkland Kids Camp is a summer recreation program for children ages 5 to 11 (kindergarten through grade 6). Children must be five years of age by June 17, 2013 to enroll in the program. The City of Parkland will begin accepting registration for Parkland Kids Camp beginning March 4 for residents and March 18 for non-residents. The camp location will take place at Heron Heights Elementary School for all sessions and the hours of operation are from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM with extended hours available in the morning from 8:00-8:30am and in the afternoon from 4:00-5:30pm. The program consists of sports, arts & crafts, games, special on-site activities, and field trips. Field trips are taken aboard air-conditioned motorcoach buses two to three days per week to facilities located in the tri county area such as movies, bowling, water parks, arcades, skating, museums, etc. For further details, contact GerriAnn Dougherty at gdougherty@cityofparkland.org or go to the City website at www.cityofparkland.org.

Parkland Teen Camp
Summer Recreation Registration – continues!
Don’t get left out of the summer fun with your friends this summer. The City of Parkland will begin accepting registration for Parkland Teen Camp beginning March 4 for residents and March 18 for non-residents. Parkland Teen Camp is a summer recreation program for children ages 12 to 14 (grades 7-9). Children must have completed the sixth grade to be eligible for the program. The camp will take place at Westglades Middle School for all sessions and the hours of operation are from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM with extended hours available in the morning from 8:30-9:00am and in the afternoon from 3:30-5:00pm. The program is a Teen Travel Camp. Field trips are taken aboard air-conditioned motorcoach buses four to five days per week to facilities located in the tricounty area such as movies, bowling, water parks, arcades, skating, amusement parks, etc. For further details, contact GerriAnn Dougherty at gdougherty@cityofparkland.org or go to the City website at www.cityofparkland.org.

Registration Continues:
Senior Program – “Championship of Putting”
Wednesday, March 13
10:00AM – 11:30AM
Aston Gardens – 5999 University Drive
Join us as we have fun competing in a series of putting challenges. We will offer awards in several different categories. Come to compete, come to have fun or just come to watch! This event is open to Parkland residents only, ages 62 and older. Advanced Registration Required. For registration, contact Melissa Soto 954-757-4120 or email msoto@cityofparkland.org.

Teen Advisory Group Meeting – CPR Training
Thursday, March 14, 2013
6:30pm-10:00pm
Parkland City Hall – 6600 University Drive
Join the City of Parkland Teen Advisory Group (TAG) sponsored by Marrecau and Rodriguez Orthodontics and become a leader in your community and create programs and experiences you would like to see offered in Parkland for teens. This program is free of charge and is offered to students 13-18 years of age. Community service hours are earned for all time spent at meetings and volunteer opportunities will be available. This is a free program. This month’s meeting will be CPR training. For more details, contact Caitlin Crossin at 954-757-4113 or ccrossin@cityofparkland.org.

City of Parkland Farmer’s Market
Sunday March 17th, 2013
9:00am to 1:00pm
Equestrian Center; 8350 Ranch Road
Join the City of Parkland for our next Farmer’s Market on Sunday, March 17th, 2013 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Equestrian Center. Activities will include a free bounce house, face painting for the kids, a cash raffle and a free shopping big thanks to our Sponsor Mercantil Commercebank and so much more. In honor of St Patrick’s Day, a special appearance by the “South Florida Cloggers” will perform at 10:30am center stage. Over 100 vendors will be selling everything from fresh produce, plants and delicious gourmet foods. For more information please contact Melissa Soto, Program Specialist, at 954-757-4120 or email msoto@cityofparkland.org.

Garden Contest
March 22, 2013
11:00AM – 1:00 PM
The City of Parkland wants to see your Garden! Parkland residents and businesses are invited to share their love of gardening with the community and receive recognition for doing their part to make our area greener and more beautiful. All submissions must be turned in by March 18, 2013 by 5:00pm.
The application can be found on the City’s website at www.cityofparkland.org. For more information contact Caitlin Crossin, Program Specialist, at 954-757-4113 or ccrossin@cityofparkland.org.

Carwash Fundraiser
Saturday, March 23, 2013
10:00am to 2:00pm
711 Gas Station (corner of Westview Drive and University Drive)
The City of Parkland’s Teen Advisory Group will be holding their second Car Wash on Saturday, March 23. The fee will be $5 a car with all proceeds going to the City of Parkland College Scholarship offered in April and the TAG Teambuilding Activity in May. For further information, please contact Caitlin Crossin at
954-757-4113 or email ccrossin@cityofparkland.org.

AARP Driver Safety Program
Saturday, March 23, 2013 from (9:00am-3:00pm)
The AARP Driver Safety Course is a 6 hour course. This course will be offered quarterly for a minimum of 15 participants and a maximum of 25 participants. The participants of the course are generally 50 and older, but anyone is permitted to register for the course. All participants of the course receive a certificate, but only those 55 and older may submit the certificate to their insurance company to receive discount benefits. Discount percentage depends on the insurance company. The cost to attend the class is $12.00 for members and $14.00 for non-members. Checks are written out to AARP. Membership number is required on the check to receive membership rate. Advance Registration is required. This class will be held at the Parkland City Hall, 6600 University Drive, Parkland. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 954-757-4105.

Egg Hunt
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Registration is on-going
Terramar Park – 6575 MW 75th Drive
9:00am – 12:00pm
The City of Parkland, North Broward Preparatory School and Marrecau & Rodriguez Orthodontics welcomes all Parkland residents to this fantastic FREE event which will feature 10,000 eggs, bounce houses, food, and entertainment. Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at Terramar Park from 9:00am – 12:00pm.This event is open to parkland residents only. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Registration can be done in person at the Parkland Amphitheater located in Pine Trails Park or online at www.cityofparkland.org through Webtrac. Each participant will receive a free egg bag to collect their eggs and no other egg baskets will be permitted. Please call Caitlin Crossin, Program Specialist, at (954) 757-4113 or ccrossin@cityofparkland.org.

Gadabouts “Witness to Nature” Photo Contest
The Parks and Recreation Department held a Photo Contest in the month of February for the participants of the Senior Recreation Program. The photos entered in the contest were taken on the February Senior Trip Outing to the Grassy Water Preserve in North Palm Beach. The categories for the contest were landscapes, wildlife and plants. The winning entries will have their photographs displayed in the library in the month of April. In the category of Animals, Jerome Sullivan took First Place with a photo titled, “Alligator”. In the category of Plants, Mario Porras took First Place with a photo titled, “Tranquility”. In the category of Landscapes, Genevieve Alt took First Place with a photo titled, “Grassy Water Preserve”. Genevieve’s photo also took home Best Overall Photo.