Parkland officials recently discussed the option of looking beyond Coral Springs for fire and emergency services. The city’s five-year contract with Coral Springs expires in 2010; a decision on whether to extend the contract or not has to be taken by Sept. this year.

City officials and residents are pleased with the quality of service the Coral Springs fire department provides. The department received a 96.2 percent quality rating in the city’s annual citizen survey this year. City Commission members are, however, concerned about the increasing costs for services. At least one among them believes the city should be putting the contract out to bid.

Parkland has experienced double digit increases in cost every year of the contract, said Vice Mayor Mark Weissman. “We can anticipate the same in the future. This is our single largest contract; generally we are at their mercy as we are this year. I believe it is in the best interests if the city to look for those who can provide alternative services.”

Parkland officials are also peeved by the fact that Coral Springs is yet to provide all the details the city sought regarding the contract. The delay on part of the city in providing numbers has happened “year after year,” said Weissman.

Parkland should send a letter terminating its contract with Coral Springs if the existing issues are not sorted out, Mayor Michael Udine said. “I’ve no problem with going out to bid. Margate, Coconut Creek, Broward Sheriff's Office and our own fire department; those are our four other options.“

“Coral Springs is giving us good service,” Udine said. “Residents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the service. Our residents demand a high level of service and are willing to pay for it. We have three fully staffed fire stations. That is the level of service I would like to keep.”

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A year after the Trotters Lane oil spill in Parkland, residents in the area say things haven’t returned to normal.

Parkland officials and staff say the city has been doing all it can even though the problem is not of its making, but Mark Squillace, who was the first person complain about the oil slick near the Northwest 84th Avenue culvert, says it is not doing enough.

Squillace, who is involved in a legal battle with the city on an unrelated issue, believes Parkland was slow to react. “They (city officials) didn’t do anything; they ignored the problem because I was the one complaining. They are trying to get it fixed now because the [Environmental Protection Agency] is involved. They are on set deadlines now.”

“There are at least 10 affected families,” said Squillace, who appeared before the City Commission last week to talk about the issue. “I saw the tar and oil ooze out of the road like maple syrup. My drinking water is polluted. These things that I am talking about are not a figment of my imagination. They are going to have to rip off the whole road.”

The road was paved by Florida Highway Products last summer. The city has since filed a lawsuit against the firm for causing the oil spill. The city is currently working on state-mandated remediation and removal of the toxic materials. After completing the cleanup, Parkland will implement an 18-month long monitoring program.

Commissioner Jared Moskowitz defended the city’s response. “Mike may believe the city was slow. But ever since we realized what was going on, our response has been more than adequate. There is a problem with that road; it’s defective. The city didn’t lay the road. This is the first time something like this has happened.”

Public safety and the health of residents are of paramount importance to the city, Mayor Michael Udine said. “We have a lawsuit pending against the road contractor (Florida Highway Products.) Ever since we became aware of the magnitude of the problem, the city has been doing all it can to clean up the area.”

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Coral Springs' three-pronged financial strategy to deal with its budget deficit was largely welcomed by city residents but the adoption of the property tax rolled-back rate and the subsequent 16 percent increase in the operating millage rate decision did not go down well with a few.

George Rahael, founder and CEO of Amera Companies, wondered if homeowners and business owners would be able to afford the tax increase. “There are people out there hurting; there are people out there who have lost jobs. The tax increase will affect residents who have been here for a long time. For some, it will be an increase of $90; for some, it will be more.”

This may pose additional hardships to some people,” he said.

“Businesses will be affected too,’ Rahael said. “We have lost quite a few businesses; many can’t even pay rent. A 16 percent added tax on businesses might cause additional hardships.”

Dave Hulett, resident, sought the enhancement of community policing activities in the city and supported the city’s decision to adopt the property tax rolled-back rate. “We are talking about $90; that would be about $7.50 per month. You don’t even get a meal at Wendy’s for that. I live in Coral Springs because of the quality of life. We can’t let that deteriorate.”

Coral Springs plans to adopt a property tax rolled-back rate that will allow it to collect the same property tax revenue next fiscal year as the current one, freeze wages of all city employees for a year, and strategically deploy $14 million of reserve funds over the next three years.

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Sawgrass Springs Middle School, 12500 W. Sample Road in Coral Springs, will be open for new student registration for the 2009 - 2010 school year, beginning in July.

The school will be open for registration, from 8 a.m. to noon, and from 2 to 4 p.m., from July 29 through Aug. 14. The school will be closed July 31, Aug. 7, and Aug. 14. Registration will be open from Aug. 17 through Aug. 21 as well. The timings are from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 1 to 3 p.m.

Parents are advised to call the Broward County Schools office of pupil placement at 754-321- 3035 to validate the proper school to attend. Registration requirements can be found at www.browardschools.com by clicking on the parent Information link and opening the “How to register” link. The information is also available on the school website, www.ssms.org, by clicking on the Guidance link and then registration requirements.

The school year for students begins Aug. 24. Call the school at 754-322-4500.

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Rescued a dog? It's time to be rewarded.

To promote animal rescue, Whole Foods Market of Coral Springs is offering anyone who adopts a dog from an animal shelter a complimentary “Rescue Me Doggy Bag” full of pet products. The offer will stand till supplies last.

Each bag includes an organic cotton dog collar, one-pound bag of wild salmon dog food, sample sizes of dog treats, herbal pet shampoo and herbal healing salve in addition to a $5 coupon valid towards the $25 purchase of any pet products available at the store, 810 University Drive.

Customers should show written proof of dog adoption dated June 15, 2009 or later to the store’s customer service desk to redeem their free gift. There is a limit of one Rescue Me Doggy Bag per household.

Contact Jonny Rose at jonny.rose@wholefoods.com or call 954-753-8000 ext. 241.

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Gov. Charlie Crist recently signed a piece legislation that strengthens public safety laws for Florida’s children.

Crist signed House Bill 115, sponsored by State Rep. Martin David Kiar (D-Parkland), relating to sexual predators and offenders. The bill had unanimously passed the Florida Senate and the Florida House during the 2009 legislative session.

This bill closed a loophole in the registration process. Prior to the bill being signed, sexual offenders and predators did not have to provide Florida Department of Law Enforcement with a home or cellular telephone number as part of the registration process. This made it difficult for law enforcement to keep track of these individuals. The bill requires sexual offenders and predators to provide their phone numbers to law enforcement. The telephone numbers will not be made public but will be used as a tool for law enforcement to better monitor the registrants’ activities.

The bill also encourages public libraries to adopt an Internet Safety program to promote prudent internet use and broaden awareness of online predators. Prior to this bill, if a person in Florida sent pornography to a child in another state they could not be prosecuted. It will now be a third degree felony. As per the new law, an adult who solicits unlawful sexual activity with a minor over the internet, telephone or other means and goes to meet the minor for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity, and is convicted, has to register as a sexual offender or predator.

Keeping children safe and helping them become successful adults is the most important thing one can do in the Legislature, Kiar said. Whether it’s protecting them from assault or providing them with an excellent education, investing in their future is critical, he added.

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The Broward County Property Appraiser's Office will organize a series of community outreach events in July throughout Broward, including two in Coral Springs.

The first event in Coral Springs will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July 8 at the Northwest Regional Library, 3151 University Drive in Coral Springs. The second one will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Sartory Hall, 10000 NW 29th St. in Coral Springs.

Deputy Appraisers will be available to assist with homestead, senior and other property tax exemption applications, as well as answer questions on property taxes. Applications for portability will be accepted too. All outreach events are open to the public.

Documents required to file a homestead exemption include a current Florida driver's license or Florida identification card, and a current voter registration card or declaration of domicile. Non-US citizens must also provide proof of permanent residency.

Qualified residents 65 years of age or older as of Jan. 1, 2009 can apply for additional senior exemption. Eligible seniors must have a total household adjusted gross income not to exceed $25,873. Documents required for senior exemption include a 2008 income tax return or, if one does not file income taxes, a copy of the 2008 Social Security 1099 Form.

Contact community outreach coordinator Kelly Brown at 954-35706035 or by e-mail at kbrown@bcpa.net.

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Daniel Stern, who has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a wheel chair, thought the worst was behind him after he had scoliosis surgery in November last year.

After a month spent in the intensive care unit, Stern came back home and began working hard to make up for the days he had missed at school. He was getting back on track when fate threw him another wicked curveball.

There is unmistakable pride in Gloria Stern’s voice as she talks about her son’s never-say-die attitude. “He was doing well when on Feb. 8, his lungs suddenly collapsed. We rushed him to the Coral Springs Medical Center from where he was taken to Broward General Medical Center. He was there for nearly two months. But not once did I hear him complain. My son is a fighter.”

On June 1, Stern received a standing ovation as he graduated, among friends and other students at J.P. Taravella High School. “That will be one of the enduring memories of my life,” Gloria said. “To miss so many months of school and still be an honor student is amazing. The applause that he received made me realize just how popular my son is among his peers.”

Stern is busy these days getting ready to move to Tallahassee where he will attend Florida State University. “I will miss my family and friends. The whole lifestyle will be different, but I am excited. I will be taking political science as my major. As for the future, I haven’t focused yet on what I want to do.”

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Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs have been recognized by Newsweek magazine among the top high schools in the nation for the second year in a row.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High is ranked the highest among the high schools in Broward. The school is ranked 38th in Florida and 208th among schools in the nation. J.P. Taravella High was ranked 108th in the state and 861th in the country. Of the 133 high schools recognized in the state, ten are Broward county public schools. One charter high school in the county also made it to the list.

Both schools are ranked lower than they were last year. While the Parkland school has seen its ranking come down 68 spots, Taravella High slipped down the list more than 180 spots, having been ranked 673 last year. This year’s list is based on data from the 2007/08 school year.

Newsweek came up with rankings after adding up the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests taken by students at a school and dividing it by the number of seniors graduating the same year. All of the schools on the list are in the top six percent of public schools in the country.

Shawn Cerra, J.P. Taravella High School principal, said he was proud of the school’s achievement. “This is the second consecutive year that we have been ranked among the best. We have great staff, wonderful students and we get tremendous amount of support from the community. When that happens, you get results. Being on the list helps with how we are perceived by the general public.”

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If you are a Coral Springs resident and were worried about service cuts, here is the good news -all the services you enjoy today will be there next fiscal year as well.

At a financial strategy forum organized by the city Tuesday evening, city staff presented a three-pronged approach to cutting the $10.5 million budget deficit while retaining services at the current level. The city will cut the deficit through a one-year wage freeze for all city employees, strategic deployment of $14 million of reserve funds over the next three years, and the adoption of a rolled-back property tax rate .

Adopting the property tax rolled-back rate will allow the city to collect the same property tax revenue next fiscal year as this fiscal year; the operating millage will be back to roughly the 2007 rate. Many residents will however actually pay less than in the previous year because their property values will have decreased. Even by adopting the rolled-back rate, which will result in a 16 percent increase in the operating millage rate, the city will still have the lowest operating millage rate among surrounding municipalities with greater than 70,000 residents.

“The city took this good faith preventive measure to maintain municipal service levels for our customers during these trying times. A long-term view has always been at the core of the city’s financial planning process. We are acting today to ensure continued financial viability, helping us to sustain high levels of service to our community well into the future,” City Manager Mike Levinson said.

The city will hold its first business planning workshop on June 23, and a second business planning workshop on July 28. These will be followed by two public budget hearings on Sept. 14 and Sept. 21. Visit www.coralsprings.org for more information.

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Christopher Pilotte thought his dream of becoming a homeowner was on the verge of fruition when he got a letter saying he had been approved for Coral Springs’ neighborhood stabilization program.

After putting offers on four foreclosed homes and seeing all of them go to investors who have reappeared on the scene in the last few months, he is not so sure.

“I saw one single-family home between Riverside and Woodside Drive. The asking price was $89,000,” Pilotte said. “I offered $110,000. I thought I had a good shot at it. Two days later, my real estate agent tells me the house has been sold.”

Coral Springs received $3,378,142 from the union department of housing and urban development (HUD) for purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed and abandoned properties. The program is being implemented in areas that fall within the 33065 zip code as the area has the maximum number of foreclosed homes. The deadline for completion of the program is September 2010.

“I qualified for full assistance. I will get $25,000 for purchase of the house and $25,000 for repairs,” Pilotte said. “I’ve been looking at homes just about every day. I would love to get a single family home, but a town home would also be good.”

Pilotte is not the only one facing such a situation. Coral Springs, through Community Redevelopment Associates of Florida Inc. (CRA), has identified 51 prospective homeowners who would get financial assistance as part of the program; none of them have been successful in closing a home.

“We have 51 applicants that are actively looking for homes,” said Susan Hess, Coral Springs director of community development. “Some of them have found houses they like, but the next thing they know, the house has been sold. We hope to help 60 families as part of the program.”

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As part of Coral Springs' Buy Coral Springs initiative, the city is encouraging local businesses to be part of a citywide retail sidewalk sale on June 27.

Businesses do not have to be participating retailers in the Buy Coral Springs program to take advantage of this opportunity. Retailers who do not wish to be part of the sidewalk sale can still offer residents special discounts inside the store on the day.

Interested businesses should sign up by visiting www.buycs.org and filling out a brief form. The list of participants and their discounts offered will then be available on the web site for shoppers to see in advance of the event. Registration deadline is June 26 by noon. Businesses must continue to comply with the city’s codes and sign ordinances during this special event.

Buy Coral Springs, which is Mayor Scott Brook's brainchild, is a partnership between the city and the Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce that encourages residents to keep their dollars local by shopping at Coral Springs businesses.

Local businesses interested in offering discounts on an ongoing basis can still sign up by visiting www.buycs.org and clicking on “Register Your Business.” Once registered, participating retailers can also download 'Buy Coral Springs' materials that will help them get started in the program.

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If you think the lack of activity until now is a sure sign of a smooth hurricane season, think again.

“People are commenting about the lack of activity,” said Max Mayfield, WPLG-TV hurricane specialist and former director of the National Hurricane Center at the Coral Springs hurricane expo organized last weekend. “Don’t get too comfortable with that. In 2004; we didn’t get our first hurricane until August. Hurricane Katrina happened on Aug. 27, 2005.”

“Peak of the hurricane season is mid August to end of October,” Mayfield said. “That is when we have most of the activity. We have got plenty of time to prepare but we cannot afford to wait till the last minute to get prepared.”

“We are lucky in Broward and Miami Dade that the building codes are as good as they are,” Mayfield said. “The building really makes a difference. If it is a well-built home, you should be fine. Coral Springs is a low-risk area but it would still be a good idea to have flood insurance.”

The event, organized by Coral Springs and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attracted a sizable crowd from the city and surrounding areas. The exhibits at the expo included the Red Cross, CERT, and the Broward county health department.

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Coral Springs officials and staff want input from residents as they go about trying to maintain service levels even as the current economic recession continues to take its toll on local bodies. .

The city will hold a public "financial strategy forum" and special meeting at 6:30 p.m.on Tuesday, June 16, at Parkside Elementary School, 10257 NW 29th Street. The forum, which replaces the regularly scheduled City Commission meeting, will give residents a chance to provide input that will be taken into account as the city prepares its budget for fiscal year 2010.

This is the first year that the city is having such an event. Like most other cities, Coral Springs normally organizes two business planning workshops in June and July and two public budget hearings in September.

“The city is developing a financial strategy to counter the impact of this recession on our business plan and budgets for the next fiscal year. Our main objective is to preserve service levels throughout our community during the remainder of this recession while ensuring continued long-term financial solvency for the benefit of our residents and businesses,” Mayor Scott J. Brook said.

Recent data from the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office about 2009 home sales and title transfers to date—including a record number of local foreclosures and short sales—indicate the slump in real estate values will continue this year and will also contribute to a significant additional tax roll decline next year.

Following the event on June 16, the city will hold its first business planning workshop on Tuesday, June 23. The second one will be held July 21. These will be followed by two public budget hearings in Sept.

Residents can visit www.coralsprings.org for more details.

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Coral Springs police officer Paul Kempinski is recovering well from multiple surgeries he had after being shot multiple times by a robber with an assault rifle, but the incident has left its scars, and not just on the officer’s body.

Kempinski is the first Coral Springs police officer to be shot and wounded by a suspect; residents and city officials nurse the fear he might not be the last. At a recent City Commission meeting, city officials and residents talked about growing crime in South Florida and the key role played by the Broward Sheriff’s Office in ensuring public safety in the county.

Brian Walsh, who recently had a fundraiser for Kempinski, said the response from Broward Sheriff's Office when Kempinski was shot was “unbelievable.” “Paul was shot four times. We are so very fortunate to have him around now....If we don’t have [Broward Sheriff's Office], who will we call on? The City Commission should send a letter thanking the County Commission."

With the Broward County Commission asking Broward Sheriff's Office to cut its budget, there is concern that public safety in cities within the county could be compromised. The city should send a letter to the county asking them not to cut back on public safety, said Vice Mayor Vince Boccard.

"In times when the economy is down, crime goes up, and this is not the time to cut the budget on public safety. We need outside agencies to help us in times of need. Every city in Broward needs [Broward Sheriff's Office],” Boccard said.

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Coral Springs is on Facebook.

After receiving parameters in an opinion from State Attorney General Bill McCollum, the city launched a Facebook page on Monday. Staff will post press releases, events, photos, and general information about city business on the page daily.

The primary objective of the page is to provide information and real-time updates about the city. Posts will be allowed for a trial period for 30 days. The city will rely on Facebook’s content policy as it applies to user comments.

Mayor Scott Brook, whose idea it is, hopes residents will react positively. "I hope we get tremendous feedback from our citizens and really elevate the interaction between us to help us do business that much more efficiently. I’m very excited about the opportunity to engage with citizens, especially our young people, through this method. I think we’ll be able to build on the 25 other modes of communication that we currently have with citizens, and this additional tool will help us greatly.”

To view the page, users must have a Facebook account and search for “City of Coral Springs.” Once the page has been accessed and a friend request submitted, users will receive updates and wall feeds from the city.

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One Planet United will observe national Flag Day with an event in Coral Springs that will discuss the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the qualities that make the United States the country that it is.

What makes America, America is part of the organization’s “dialogue in diversity” series. Speakers at the event are expected to talk about how important it is to respect the rights, individuals and minorities.

Frank Shooster, civil rights lawyer and business executive, is looking forward to what he hopes is a lively interaction between the speakers and the audience. “Diversity is one of our great strengths,” said Shooster, who is also executive director for Global Impact Volunteer Expeditions (GIVE), an organization dedicated to helping children living in poverty.

“America is the ultimate melting pot; this is a nation where ethnicity and heritage don’t matter. It is significant that the meeting is to be held in Broward [since] there are more minorities in the county than there is a majority,” Shooster said.

Everyone benefits from diversity, said Laura Finley, of the Center for Living and Teaching Peace. “When we are with people who are different from us, we tend to learn from them. It is great to live in a diverse community. Among the things we will talk at the meeting is how we can balance our personal freedom with the collective good of society,” Finley said.

The dialogue in diversity series has been going on for three years now, said Piero Falci, One Planet United program director. “We discuss various topics that are important to everyone. People like the fact that there is an opportunity to listen to issues that are important for the community.”

The event will be from 2:30 to 4 p.m. June 14 at Northwest Regional Library, 3151 University Drive in Coral Springs. Admission is free. Visit www.opunited.org or e-mail piero@opunited.org.

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Coral Springs is set to implement a two-year pilot program that will reduce cost of grand-opening ground signs and give new businesses a chance to have the signs up for a longer period of time.

According to the decision made at a recent City Commission meeting, new businesses will also be allowed to put up grand opening signs, for a maximum period of 30 days, at any time until six months of obtaining a license. Earlier, the window of opportunity for businesses was 60 days.

The city decided on implementing the program by itself after the Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce sought a reduction in costs from the $1,290 each that new businesses had to pay for putting up a grand-opening sign. The program will reduce the cost to $800 for 14 days, $1,000 for 21 days and $1,200 for 30 days.

Under the new arrangement, businesses will contact the city’s community development department. The department will then work with the city’s communication division for the design and production of the signs. Public works will install the signs and remove them. The signs will be put up within seven days from approval.

Bruce Weinberg, Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce co-chair of government affairs, said the chamber approved the city’s decision. “We are very much in favor. The fee schedule is very fair and will also help the city recover its costs.”

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The First United Methodist Church of Coral Springs is looking for vendors to participate in its mission team craft fair. The church’s 35th annual event will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 23, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 24. The church is at 8650 W. Sample Road in Coral Springs.

The mission team is seeking vendors for candles, woodworking, quilts, and other handcrafted items. The products should be handmade and not commercially mass produced. Booths will be located on the grounds as well as inside church buildings.

Space fees vary according to location. Net proceeds are used to support charitable organizations and causes in Broward County and for several efforts overseas. Call Cheryl Price at 954/752-0333 or e-mail craftfair09@msn.com.

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The first session of the YMCA girls lacrosse camp, organized by the Parkland YMCA Family Center, will be from June 15 to 19 at the center. The camp will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. The camp is open to all elementary and middle school girls.

The second session will be at the same venue from July 6 to 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $95 for YMCA members and $120 for others. Campers need to bring stick, goggles, mouth guard, lunch, and plenty of water.

Those who are interested should register at the YMCA, 10559 Trails End, Parkland. Call 954-384-9622.

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Can-Teens, a Coral Springs-based student service organization, has partnered with Million Meals Committee to help struggling low-income Broward residents and to help raise awareness of the resources available to those who are in need of food assistance.

The Broward County Commission has proclaimed June 1 to 7 Broward Hunger Awareness Week. According to the Children’s Services Council of Broward’s communications specialist Andrew Leone, recent statistics show that one in six Broward residents are food insecure and go hungry every day.

Can-Teens is asking residents to skip one meal for the week to better understand the plight of those in need and the discomfort of hunger. The organization is also asking residents to donate $5, the average amount of money spent on that “skipped meal,” to help people who need food. Hundred percent of all money raised will go buying food for Broward food banks and pantries.

Go to www.browardhungerawareness.com or www.millionmeals.org.

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Parkland Mayor Michael Udine believes the coming budget year will be more difficult than the current one.

"Property values in Parkland, like all other communities in South Florida, went way down," Udine said at a City Commission meeting on Tuesday. "This is going to be a very tough budget year, even more so than last year...we may have to look at cuts that are going to be a little more painful."

"The goal is to continue providing the same kind of services with less revenue," Udine said. "We have reduced spending in every department during the last three years."

According to the Broward property appraiser's office, property values in the county dropped 10.7 percent last year. In 2007 decline, Broward's tax base had gone down by 4.8 percent. Parkland, which has had to deal with the Chinese drywall issue, was the worst hit city, with with the city's tax base falling 16.8 percent.

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City officials recently decided, after hearing from a Riverside Elementary School parent representative, that it wouldn’t be wise to go with staff’s recommendation to have the field at Riverside Park that is near the school. The city will now look at the possibility of having a field at Corporate Park even though it is not now zoned for such kind of activities.

The meeting was held two days after Paul Kempinski, a Coral Springs police officer, was shot while he tried to stop a robbery suspect who was wielding an AK-47. The incident seemed to weigh on Mayor Scott Brook’s mind.

"I would love to have a paintball field somewhere in the city,” Brook said. “The timing of a park opening in the near future would be awkward for me, if not inappropriate for the community. We have one of our own down by a gun, for the first time in our city," he said.

City staff zeroed in on Riverside Park after considering various other sites in the city like Sportsplex, north of the dog park parking lot, the southwest lot at Sportsplex, and Broken Woods. A public hearing on the proposal to have the field at Riverside Park was held April 2. Sixty to 70 people attended; 23 people were in favor of the park, while 10 were against it.

Riverside Park may not be the ultimate site, but this “is the best we have to offer,” said Rick Engle, director of parks.

“We have looked everywhere; we have exhausted our search,” said City Manager Mike Levinson. "It is far from ideal, but Riverside Park is the best site available.”

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How many writers would deliberately include grammatical errors in a book and have an extremely skinny and conscientious person, one who even thinks of turning his back on life, as the hero?

Not many, but Coral Springs resident William J Brower Jr. did not lose much sleep thinking about that as he wrote "Chronicles of the Dragons Bane." The first volume in the series came out recently and judging from the feedback that he has received, his readers are not complaining. The writer is currently in talks with a local animator for an animated series based on the book.

“I have been a busy person this year,” Brower said. “'Chronicles of the Dragons Bane' is my attempt at writing an epic poem. The first volume in the series came out this year. 'The Essays and Wit of W E Brower Jr.' came out in February. 'The Artwork and Origins of the Dragons Bane' series came out recently. It was written and published in three weeks.”

Brower started the "Chronicles of Dragons Bane" 20 years ago when he was a student at J.P. Taravella High School. “Many classmates and teachers supported and motivated me to write it.

“Dragons Bane is for young adults,” Brower said. “There are a lot of grammatical errors in the book. You can discuss the subject matter within the book as well as break it down into a grammar lesson. It's a formula I developed while running the lecture circuits among various schools. I want students to read the book and show me where the "mistakes" were made. I don’t think any other book has been done this way.”

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