The Old Davie School Historical Museum, 6650 Griffin Road, in partnership with the Humane Society of Broward County, will host the Reading to the Dogs program.

The next session is 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, with one more scheduled on Jan. 21.

Children ages 6-12 are invited to join certified animal assisted therapy and education dogs to read their favorite story to them. These animals are accompanied by their human companions, who are volunteers with the Humane Society.

There is no cost, and snacks will be available.

For more information, call Patti Koch at 954-797-1044.

-- Scott Fishman

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Davie is participating in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program by providing an official drop-off location at Town Hall, 6591 Orange Drive.

New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday through Dec. 18.

For more information, call 954-797-1102.

-- Scott Fishman

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(submitted pic)
Nikki Packer, John Porter, Jennifer O'Flannery and Linda Carter.

More than 500 professionals attended the eighth annual joint tax seminar sponsored by the Jewish Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of Broward and the United Way staged at the Miniaci Theater at Nova Southeastern.

Featured speaker John Porter addressed how professional advisers can expand and deepen their work with clients.

For more information, visit the Community Foundation at cfbroward.org, the Jewish Community Foundation at jewishbroward.org, and the United Way at unitedwaybroward.org.

-- Scott Fishman

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It’s not every Thanksgiving dinner that includes Santa Claus and a synagogue.

Both were part of the Holiday for Hope event at Cooper City’s Temple Beth Emet. Started in 1989 by Dreams for Kids, Holiday for Hope events have spread across the world to benefit local children’s charities. The Cooper City event featured more than 100 children from the Children’s Home Society.

The event’s goal was to bring families together in a relaxing environment, said organizer Debbie Milam, founder of The Best You Can Be Foundation, a Weston-based nonprofit. The foundation works with social services agencies and schools to teach children conflict resolution and stress reduction techniques.

“We teach children and adults how to find peace in their lives and overcome adversity,” Milam said.

Families ate a full Thanksgiving meal and watched entertainment from sports mascot Billy the Marlin, as well as a magician’s magic show. Face painters worked on parents and children alike, giving them painted masks that looked like animals or Spider-Man. Once the meal was over, families could take pictures with Santa Claus or work together on group art activities.

Each activity was designed to include empowerment exercises. At one table, families personalized small wooden boxes with inspirational quotes. At another table, girls and boys worked on memo boards where they could list daily what they’re grateful for.

For more on this, see this Sunday's (Nov. 29) Community News inside the Sun Sentinel.

-- Chris Guanche

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Davie is a recipient of Federal Community Development Block Grant funds from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The town's Action Plan has been approved by HUD, and the town's FY 2009/10 allocation of $662,205 will be used to fund the following programs and services:

- Emergency assistance/homeless prevention program
- CDBG Eastern Target Area Community Bus System
- Scholarship program for children in the target area
- CDBG capital improvement program in the target area

For more information on these programs or the town's CDBG program, call 954-797-1173.

-- Scott Fishman

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Davie is opening a Neighborhood Service Center at 4700 SW 64th Ave.

The center opens Dec. 10 and will create a centralized location for residents to access social and housing programs.

Davie will also be providing rent-free space to the building’s not-for-profit tenants to provide a cost savings to allow the agencies to redirect their funds into programs and services that benefit the community.

The Davie Town Council approved agreements with Broward County Family Success Administration, Hope Outreach Inc. and Crisis Housing Solutions to be the building’s first tenants. These agencies and many others will partner with the Housing and Community Development Department under one roof to serve Davie residents.

Services will include, but are not limited, to emergency financial and food assistance, individual and family counseling services, home buyer education and counseling, job placement and referrals and foreclosure prevention assistance.

-- Scott Fishman

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Submitted photos: Pilgrims Josh Huss of Davie; Isabella Berman of Plantation)

Three kindergarten classes at the David Posnack Hebrew Day School in Davie sang, danced and acted in a play retelling the story of Thanksgiving.

The youngsters dressed as pilgrims, Indians, corn and turkeys. The first performance was for parents and then for JCC preschoolers.

-- Scott Fishman

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Cooper City will kick off the holiday season by lighting up a park.

Light Up Cooper City will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Cooper City Memorial Park, located between City Hall and the Community Center at Southwest 90th Avenue and 50th Place. The event will include live performances, an indoor craft fair and a visit with Santa Claus for children ages 1 to 8.

The city will also be accepting canned goods for a food drive. Donations can be deposited in boxes inside the Community Center.

For more information, call 954-434-4300, ext. 233 or visit www.coopercityfl.org.

-- Chris Guanche

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University School hosted its 12th Annual Merchandise Mart, providing shoppers with a chance to get a jump start on the holiday season.

The event was put on by the University Family Organization, comprised of parents of students currently enrolled in University School.

-- Scott Fishman

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The National Multiple Sclerosis Society—South Florida Chapter is hosting the Multiple Sclerosis Health Expo for age 16 and older 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 at the Signature Grand, 6900 State Road 84 in Davie.

This event will give MS sufferers and their families more options and answers on how to manage the disease. The expo features Ask the Doctor sessions, with a panel of leading neurologists specializing in MS.

Admission is free and includes a complimentary lunch.

Register by e-mailing msprograms@fls.nmss.org
, visiting www.nmssfls.org or calling 800-344-3867.

-- Scott Fishman

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Local activist and Nova Southeastern University graduate student Patricia Cabal has created a project called Speak Up! to help address and explore violent behavior associated with bullying.

Cabal’s Speak Up! project is a collaboration involving Broward area middle school students, who utilized improvisational acting techniques to create a one-act play to explore the different aspects of bullying.

Speak Up! is also Cabal’s capstone project for the master’s of education in Interdisciplinary Arts program, offered through NSU’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services.

Residents can check out the project at work at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 in the Black Box Theater at NSU’s Don Taft University Center in Davie.

Creating Speak Up! was a six-week, intensive process. Cabal guided students, who used role play to identify the many factors and multiple perspectives present in adolescent and teenage bullying.

To request free tickets, e-mail speakupnov2009@gmail.com or call 786-478-9277. Tickets will also be available at the theater on the day of the performance.

-- Scott Fishman

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Below are road notes to keep in mind for Davie and neighboring cities:

* One lane off Pine Island Road will undergo a rolling lane closure, first northbound then southbound, through the State Road intersection, nightly, 9:30 p.m.- 5 a.m., through Wednesday, Nov. 18.

* The flyover ramp from northbound University Drive to westbound I-595 will undergo a traffic shift from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 to accommodate a bridge inspection.

* Westbound S.R. 84 will undergo one rolling lane closure between Nob Hill Road and University Drive, nightly, from 9:30 p.m.-5 a.m., beginning Wednesday, Nov. 18 and ending on Friday, Nov. 20.

* The right lane and shoulder of the ramp from southbound Turnpike to I-595 will be closed from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.

* Eastbound S.R. 84 will undergo one rolling lane closure between Nob Hill Road and University Drive, from 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 to 5 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20.

* The flyover ramp from southbound University Drive to eastbound I-595 will undergo a traffic shift from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 to accommodate a bridge inspection.

-- Scott Fishman

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More than 250 Special Olympics Broward County athletes want your help celebrating a huge milestone for the group -- the grand opening of its new permanent home on the campus of Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Ave. in Davie.

The community is invited to join the free festivities 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 with the Grand Opening and 2009 Appreciation Picnic on the library's lawn.

Special Olympics moved into its new office space in August, located in the Sonken East/Annex building on the NSU campus.

For more information call 954-262-2150 or e-mail mleonardo3301@aol.com.

-- Scott Fishman

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Broward County began work last week on Davie Road and Southwest 42nd Street.

Tomorrow, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., a northbound lane of traffic on Davie Road from about Southwest 43rd Street to 41st Court will be closed.

The county plans to complete the roadwork by Tuesday.

-- Scott Fishman

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Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library, 3301 College Ave. in Davie, is hosting a new "Norman Rockwell's Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn" exhibit in the Second Floor Gallery, on display through Jan. 30.

The exhibit illustrates the connection between Mark Twain and Norman Rockwell, who in 1935 was invited by George Macy, publisher of Heritage Press and Limited Editions Club books, to illustrate Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

The library developed adult and children's programming to support the exhibit, including the library’s second annual American Girl Tea Party for ages 6-12 from 2-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.

For more information, call 954-262-5477 or visit www.nova.edu/library/main for the calendar of events.

This new gallery show coincides with the larger exhibition, "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell," at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, a division of NSU, which will be on display through February. For more information, visit www.moaflnsu.org.

-- Scott Fishman

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An ad was placed in a local paper 10 years ago, at the request of the Davie Town Council, that read, “Any thespians out there?”

It brought together a core group of eight men and women who began rehearsing scenes from internationally famous plays, with the intent of eventually putting on a performance. Soon others joined the group, and the town's first community theater was born.

The Actors Community Theater selects three plays each year to perform. The group is funded by the town, and performances are staged at the Pine Island Multipurpose Center, 3801 Pine Island Road.

Information about all performances is posted on the town's website, www.davie-fl.gov. Click on the Special Events Calendar on the front page.

The first performance of the season is "An Inspector Calls," by J.B. Priestly. Based on a famous stage play and set in the year 1912, an upper-crust English family's dinner is interrupted by a police inspector who brings news that a girl known to everyone present has died in suspicious circumstances. It seems that any or all of them could have had a hand in her death.

Performances will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 20 and 21 and 2 p.m. Nov. 22.

Tickets are $12 at the door, $10 in advance and $8 for groups of 10 or more. For more information, call 954-797-1153.

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Submitted photo
In a scene from "An Inspector Calls," from left: Alexandria Walsh as Sheila Birling, Jerry Weinberg as Mr. Birling, P.J. O’Connor as Inspector Goole, Lars Bergman as Gerald Croft, and Michael Nouri as Eric Birling.

-- Scott Fishman

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More than $80,000 was raised to help fund free South Florida autism services during the second annual Autumn Moonlight cocktail reception for the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.

Proceeds will fund free programs, services and research initiatives for individuals with autism, their families and the professionals who serve them.

More than 225 guests attended the event, which is the major fundraiser for the UM-NSU CARD, based in Davie.

Two Broward community leaders were also honored: Susan Goldstein, former Florida state representative and mother of a child with autism; and state Rep. Ari Porth, whose efforts helped lead to the passage of the Florida Autism Insurance Bill in 2008.

For more information about the services offered by the UM-NSU CARD, call 954-262-7111 or visit www.umcard.org.

-- Scott Fishman

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American Idol winner David Cook will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29 in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center, 3301 College Ave. in Davie.

Tickets range from $25.50-$30.50.

Visit http://www.ticketmaster.com or http://www.universitycenterarena.com/

The Script will also perform.

-- Scott Fishman

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The National Multiple Sclerosis Society—South Florida Chapter is hosting the Multiple Sclerosis Health Expo for age 16 and older from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 at the Signature Grand, 6900 State Road 84 in Davie.

This event will give MS sufferers and their families more options and answers on how to manage the disease. A panel of leading neurologists specializing in MS and other medical professionals will provide important information, address concerns and answer questions.

Admission is free and includes a free lunch.

Register by e-mailing msprograms@fls.nmss.org, visiting www.nmssfls.org or by calling 800-344-3867.

-- Scott Fishman

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A walk for the prevention of suicide will be held at Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Ave. in Davie, at 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.

The Out of the Darkness Community Walk will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This is the group's first such walk in Broward County.

Out of the Darkness Community Walks are taking place in more than 200 communities across the country this fall.

For more information, registration or donations, visit www.outofthedarkness.org or call 954-262-7482.

-- Scott Fishman

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Davie, in collaboration with Senior Citizen Advisory Committee Chair Bill Leibowitz, hosted a Veterans Day memorial service yesterday at Veterans Park.

Submitted photo

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mayor Judy Paul, Councilman Bryan Caletka and others were on hand.

Submitted photo

The occasion was marked by a 21-gun salute, laying of the wreathe on the veterans’ memorial, and the playing of Taps.

Town Administrator Gary Shimun, who came dressed in his Army battle dress uniform, spoke of his grandfather and father’s service in WWI and WWII. He also talked about his son’s imminent deployment to Iraq.

Councilman Marlon Luis offered a prayer for the veterans and his nephew, who will also be deploying. Councilwoman Susan Starkey spoke about her father’s service in the Navy, and Caletka spoke of his father’s service in Vietnam.

-- Scott Fishman

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The Davie-Cooper City Rotary Club is holding its annual yard sale in the parking lot of the Ark Restaurant, 6255 Stirling Road, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Proceeds will be used to combat polio.

The club, founded in 1971, focuses its local activities on helping youth in the area. It meets every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at the Ark Restaurant.

For more information, visit www.daviecoopercityrotary.org.

-- Scott Fishman

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Nova Southeastern University’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services awarded a $10,000 scholarship to Susan Anderson, Broward County’s 2009 Arts Teacher of the Year.

Anderson, a visual arts teacher at J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, was given the award at the Broward County Cultural Division’s 24th annual Broward County Arts Teacher of the Year Award ceremony. The evening also included an artwork exhibition and performances by students and teachers from the school.

Anderson has taught at Taravella for more than 15 years and has worked as a summer instructor with art programs at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University and the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Her most recent art subjects are creative photography and color photography/exploratory.

For more information, visit http://www.broward.org/arts/home.htm.

-- Scott Fishman

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Photos courtesy of Kristina DaSilva, Volunteer Broward

In celebration of the 18th annual Make A Difference Day, the largest community service effort in the nation, Volunteer Broward enlisted help to give the Davie Police Athletic League a makeover.

Volunteers gave the PAL campus a much-needed makeover by landscaping, painting, planting butterfly gardens and removing litter. Volunteers were also encouraged to bring a book to the event to support community literacy efforts. The books were donated to the site's after-school program.

For more information, visit www.volunteerbroward.org

-- Scott Fishman

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The Davie Housing and Community Development Department has created a new Service Provider Web page and resource guide.

This resource tool is designed to assist residents gain access to local service providers that can help with specific needs.

The guide is available at http://www.davie-fl.gov/Pages/DavieFL_HousingCDv/ServiceProviderGuide/index.

For more information, call 954-797-1173.

-- Scott Fishman

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Chase is celebrating the opening of its newest branch at 6529 Nova Drive in Davie with free on-site shredding in the parking lot from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.

Consumers can bring up to three boxes of documents, and businesses up to seven boxes, for free shredding.

For more information, call 954-370-3463.

-- Scott Fishman

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The Circle of Friends of Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library, 3301 College Ave., has announced the group’s 2009 Author Series: Mystery Uncovered.

* Jilliane Hoffman, author of Plea of Insanity
Tuesday, Nov. 10
5:30-6:30 p.m. – Reception with the author, open to Circle of Friends members only.
6:30-7:30 p.m. – Author discussion and book signing, open to the public.

* Deborah Sharp, author of Mama Rides Shotgun: A Mace Bauer Mystery
Tuesday, Dec. 8
5:30-6:30 p.m. – Reception with the author, open to Circle of Friends members only.
6:30-7:30 p.m. – Author discussion and book signing, open to the public.

These programs are free to Circle of Friends members, but cost $50 for nonmembers (which includes a one-year Circle of Friends membership.)

For more information, or to join the Circle of Friends, call 954-262-4627, e-mail jmcbean@nova.edu or visit www.nova.edu/library/main.

-- Scott Fishman

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(submitted pic)
In photo from l to r:
Redevelopment Administrator Will Allen, Mayor Judy Paul, Lawrence Amanna, Flashback Diner owner Toula Amanna, Rita Underrecker, CRA Boardmember Joan Kovac, Vice Mayor Mike Crowley, Adam Watson, RCC Associates Superintendent Eric Berke, RCC Project Manager and CRA Chairman Mark Engel.

Davie Mayor Judy Paul and Vice Mayor Mike Crowley were among the guests who attended the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Flashback Diner and Coffeehouse, 4125 Davie Road.

“This is a positive move in the right direction for the downtown area, and we are looking forward to many more new businesses opening here," said Davie's Community Redevelopment Agency Director Will Allen.

The new diner benefited from two CRA programs, receiving about $157,000.

For more information about the Davie CRA, call 954-797-2093.

-- Scott Fishman

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The below lane closures are in and around I-595 through Nov. 6:

- Eastbound State Road 84 will undergo one rolling lane closure between Hiatus and Pine Island Road, nightly, from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. through tomorrow, Nov. 4.

- Westbound S.R. 84 will undergo one rolling lane closure between Hiatus and Pine Island Road, nightly, from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning tomorrow, Nov. 4 and ending on Friday.

-- Scott FIshman

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Nova Southeastern University’s version of the hit NBC television show "America’s Got Talent" features students showcasing their abilities in the following categories: singer, musician, dancer, magician, acrobat, comedian or animal act.

Check out all the performances 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday (Nov. 5 and 6) in the patio of the Athletics and Student Affairs building, 3301 College Ave. in Davie.

-- Scott Fishman

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Divers Cove in Davie is sponsoring a pier cleanup dive at the Dania Beach Pier at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.

Divers will clean fishing line, lead sinkers and other debris from the area around and under the pier.

For more information, visit www.diverscovefl.com, call 954-473-1220 or e-mail info@diverscovefl.com.

-- Scott Fishman

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