Commission Names Wexler
As Mayor, Ritter as Vice Mayor

At their annual reorganization meeting on November 27, Broward County Commissioners unanimously selected Vice Mayor Lois Wexler as Mayor and Commissioner Stacy Ritter as Vice Mayor. They will serve one-year terms.

Mayor Wexler, elected to the County Commission in 2004, served as Vice Mayor for the past year. She currently serves on the Children’s Services Board, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the School Oversight Committee, the Resource Recovery Board and the South Florida Regional Planning Council. As a Commissioner, Mayor Wexler represents District 5, which includes Cooper City and portions of Davie, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Southwest Ranches, Sunrise and Weston. She previously served on the School Board for 12 years and as chair of the board for three one-year terms.

Vice Mayor Ritter served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives before her election to the County Commission in 2006. In 2001, she was elected Chair of the Broward County Legislative Delegation. In addition, she chaired the Broward County Management and Efficiency Study Committee from 2004 through 2006. As a Commissioner, Vice Mayor Ritter represents District 3, which includes portions of Coral Springs, Tamarac, Sunrise and Parkland.

Residents Urged to Vaccinate Pets
Following Confirmation of Rabies

Following the 37th confirmed case of rabies in Broward County since 2000, pet owners are being urged to vaccinate their pets and avoid contact with wild animals.

Laboratory tests performed on a raccoon that bit a dog in southwest Fort Lauderdale on November 10 confirmed the wild animal had rabies. The Broward County Health Department, a state agency, has advised that the rabies alert issued in 2006 for areas west of A1A to U.S. 27 and from Southwest/Southeast 17th Street South to Sheridan Street remains in effect. The area includes Cooper City, Davie, Southwest Ranches, Weston, Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.

Employees from Broward County’s Animal Care and Regulation Division are going door-to-door in the alert area advising pet owners to vaccinate their pets and register them with the County. Following the issuance of warnings, violators can be fined $135 for non-compliance. To guard against rabies, residents are advised to:

• Have your pets vaccinated every year and purchase a Broward County pet license.
• Keep pets away from wildlife, especially at night when wildlife is most active.
• Do not feed or touch wild animals. Although it is difficult to determine if animals are ill or vicious, children should leave wildlife alone and stay away from animals that appear to be ill or behaving strangely.
• Never leave pet food outside, as this attracts wildlife.
• Tightly close garbage cans and dumpsters. Open trash containers attract wild animals.
• If bitten or scratched by an animal, immediately clean the wound with soap and water and then seek medical attention.
• Animal bites should be reported immediately to the County’s Animal Care and Regulation Division at 954-359-1313, ext. 231.
• Report any suspected sick or injured raccoons, foxes or bats. Call the Wildlife Care Center at 954-524-4302 between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., seven days a week. (Call Fire Central Dispatch, 954-765-5124, between 7:30 p.m. and 8 a.m.)
  
  For more information about rabies, pet licenses and vaccinations, visit www.broward.org/animal.

Low-Cost Pet Vaccination
Clinic Set for Hollywood

A low-cost rabies vaccination clinic has been scheduled for David Park, 108 North 33 Court, Hollywood, for Saturday, December 8, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The clinic, available to all Broward County residents, is sponsored by Broward County Parks and Recreation Division and Animal Health Services (not a County agency). Rabies vaccinations are $6 per pet. For additional fees and information, call Animal Health Services at 888-680-PETS (7387).

Annual Winterfest Boat Parade
Set to Sail on December 15

The annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest boat parade along the Intracoastal waterway is set to sail on Saturday, December 15, at 6:30 p.m. The dazzling parade of holiday decorated boats has been named one of the “Top 20 Parades in the World” by the national daily newspaper, USA Today. Thousands of brilliantly illuminated boats will light the night sky to delight massive crowds during this signature annual event. This year’s parade will be led by Grand Marshall Lorraine Bracco, an actress, and features a new route along the New River, starting in downtown Fort Lauderdale. For parade information, call 954-767-0686 or visit www.winterfestparade.com.

Caution Urged When Donating
To Charitable Organizations

Broward County’s Consumer Affairs Division urges all consumers to be cautious when giving to charitable organizations during the holiday season.

Florida law requires charitable organizations, professional solicitors and fund-raising consultants to register annually with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and provide documentation about their finances before soliciting contributions in the state. To assist consumers in making an informed decision, the department has created the Gift Givers’ Guide. The guide provides information on how each charity spends its money. It can be viewed on the Florida Division of Consumer Services’ web site at: www.800helpfla.com or call (within Florida) 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352); (outside Florida) 850-488-2221; or, in Español, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).

Port Everglades Publishes
2008 Cruise Guide

Broward County’s Port Everglades has released its 2008 Cruise Guide, a 64-page booklet on ships, tips and sightseeing suggestions in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. The guide lists 15 cruise lines, 40 cruise ships and nearly 2,000 itineraries to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Panama Canal and South America, as well as information on around-the-world itineraries. The guide includes detailed descriptions and photographs of each ship sailing from Port Everglades as well as valuable travel tips such as transportation information, embarkation and disembarkation procedures and maps and directions.

To obtain a free copy, call 954-468-0176 or visit Port Everglades’ website at www.broward.org/port

Six Cruise Ships Added
To Port Everglades’ Fleet

Broward County’s Port Everglades will welcome six cruise ships to its fleet this winter, three of which are making their United States debuts. In total, the port expects to host 3.4 million passengers (embarking and disembarking), sailing aboard 40 cruise ships from 15 cruise lines during the 2008 Caribbean cruise season.

New ships sailing from Port Everglades this year include: Costa Cruises’ Costa Fortuna, Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Bremen, Princess Cruises Emerald Princess and Royal Princess and Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas.

Roosevelt Gardens Park
Opens In Fort Lauderdale

Roosevelt Gardens Park, 2841 N.W. 11 St., Fort Lauderdale, opened to the public in late November, following a dedication ceremony. The five-acre park was developed with funding from the 2000 Safe Parks and Land Preservation Bond Program. The new recreational complex includes as its centerpiece a 4,500-square-foot community center (capacity 191). The park features an assembly hall, a game room, a warming kitchen, a computer lab and park offices. Other park amenities include three playground areas, one covered; two basketball courts with lighting and bench seating; and, three pavilion shelters, two with grills.

Deadline to Register to Vote
Set for December 31

The deadline to register to vote in the January 29, 2008 Presidential Preference Primary is Tuesday, December 31, 2007. In addition to the presidential primary, voters will be casting ballots in a number of Broward municipalities and voters statewide will determine the outcome of a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution relating to property taxes. For additional information, call 954-357-7050 or visit www.browardsoe.org. contact your physician.

County Commission Meetings
Televised on Cable and Online

The County Commission meets in formal session the first four Tuesdays of each month at 10 a.m., Room 422 (Commission Chambers), Governmental Center, 115 S.Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

More than 507,000 cable subscribers in Broward County have access to television coverage of Commission meetings, which are broadcast live, beginning at 10 a.m. each Tuesday, and rebroadcast at 5 p.m. the following Sunday. Meetings can also be viewed via web casting at www.broward.org, live at 10 a.m. each Tuesday and again at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Cable systems providing live and rebroadcast coverage include:

Comcast Cable: Channel 12: Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Dania Beach, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Hallandale Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Lauderdale Lakes, Lazy Lake, Lighthouse Point, Margate, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sea Ranch Lakes, Southwest Ranches, Sunrise, Tamarac, Wilton Manors, and central and northern unincorporated Broward areas. Channel 77: Hollywood, portions of Miramar and Pembroke Pines, Pembroke Park, and West Park

Advanced Communications: Channel 64, Coral Springs and Channel 25, Weston.
Tele-Media Company (operated by Comcast): Channel 7, portions of Miramar and Pembroke Pines.

To Receive Community Update
Please Send Email to Us

Community Update, a monthly newsletter from the Board of County Commissioners, is produced by the Office of Public Communications. Address questions concerning articles to 954-357-6990. To receive Community Update electronically, send an email to publicinfo@broward.org. Please include your first and last name and email address. Hearing impaired residents can call the TTY line at 954-831-3940 for additional information..