It’s no secret businesses are suffering from the economic downturn.

Exactly how much is debatable, but it’s the subject of a free Power Business Symposium from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. May 8 at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave.

The workshop, sponsored by a city all-volunteer Economic Development Board, aims to tackle the current business environment. Dispensing advice during the symposium are guest speakers Nikki Grossman, Bob Swindell, Norm Taylor and Rafael Cruz.

The following day, the board is offering a Power Business Week expo at Pembroke Lakes Mall, 11401 Pines Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. Pines businesses will set up booths and discuss their services with mall visitors.

“The Expo will be good for us since there will be a lot of foot traffic from Mother’s Day,” said Mike Stamm, an assistant city planner and event coordinator.

For more information or to register a vendor’s booth, call 954-435-6559.

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One Pembroke Pines charter school isn’t kissing off Earth Day without a celebration first.

Pines Charter Middle Central Campus, 12350 Sheridan St., is highlighting environmental awareness by hosting a Multicultural Night to benefit, among others, Malaria victims in Africa. The event runs 5:30 to 8 p.m. this April 30.

The free Multicultural Night’s theme, “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child,” aims to showcase how random acts of kindness and recycling can mold a child’s awareness of the environment, said event organizer Judy Mulcan.

Visitors can expect to see science fair project displays by the campus’ Ecology Group and participate in recycling activities from 6 to 6:55 p.m. Next, parents can participate in “Nothing But Nets,” a basketball shootout inside the campus’ airnasium.

Event goers can also catch live musical performances from hip hop dancers and drama and chorus groups. For a fee, the Central Campus Kiwanis K-Kids club is sponsoring a dinner for guests.

For more information, call 954-322-3300, or visit www.pinescharter.com.

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The Miramar-Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Stimul-us,” a business-building workshop for women, at 11 a.m. April 29 at Sunset Lakes Community Center, 2801 SW 186th Ave. in Miramar.

Sponsored by the Women in Business committee, Pines and Miramar female business owners alike will receive advice on surviving the economic downturn. The seminar features business tips from Nancy Rakear, a marketing executive with US Small Business Administration.

“Stimul-us” also includes a speech from guest speaker Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter.

The workshop costs $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information, call 954-432-9808, or visit www.miramarpembrokepines.com.

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Halloween might be months away, but that’s not stopping Southwest Focal Point Senior Center from launching an event filled with intrigue and suspense.

Barbara Fox, author of novel “Murder in the Inn,” will present the interactive murder mystery play “A Free Mystery Happening” at 1 p.m. April 29 on the center’s Main Hall stage, 301 NW 103rd Ave.

Light refreshments will be served, and free seating is limited.

Once the killings are done, drop by the patio outside and indulge in a Spring Tea session, hosted by the center from 2 to 3 p.m. April 29. The leisurely sit-down features homemade treats, cookies and the chance to meet new friends. Cost is $10.

For more information, call 954-450-6888.

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The Pembroke Pines Glass Gallery is hosting an artist reception of Flanagan High School’s emerging artists from 7 to 9 p.m. April 28 at Pembroke Pines City Hall, 10100 Pines Blvd.

“Emerging Artists IV” will feature artworks crafted entirely by Flanagan High art students. The mixed media paintings and sculptures on display represent current or former class projects created during the 2008-09 school year, said gallery curator Benoit Menasche.

The free artist reception will feature hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments. For more information, call 954-435-6500, or visit www.ppines.com.

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Pines residents eager to tackle the subject of public transportation in the city have a chance this Monday, April 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave.

Broward County Transit is hosting a transit community forum to let visitors voice concerns, ideas and recommendations for a new public transportation plan.

Transit representatives will issue a presentation about Pembroke Pines’ current community bus routes - Gold, Green and Route 7 - before fielding questions from the audience.

Two key questions that will be presented to attendees for input are:

• What are the three major public transportation issues in our region?
• What should be done now and in the future to improve public transportation?

Information collected will aid BCT in crafting a new county-wide public transportation plan. For more information, call the Broward County Transportation Department at 954-357-7713, or visit www.broward.org/bct.

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They won’t help you build R2-D2, but kids can nevertheless discover the power of robotics from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, April 25 at Rose G. Price Park, 901 NW 208th Ave.

Hosted by Bright and Smart Robotics, this introductory course brushes up on teamwork among attending students and involves programming computers and robot assembly.

Within each lesson, classmates learn the power of negotiation and taking turns, how to develop their logical and creative thinking skills and how to solve problems by breaking them into smaller pieces.

Children will craft robots using a special school edition of LEGOs and LOGO, a programming software. The cost for a six-week course is $150.

Space is limited to 12 students aged 7 to 12. For more information or to RSVP, call 954-816-3346, or visit www.brightandsmart.com.

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Another month, another free jazz concert.

The city of Pembroke Pines is offering a performance by Lazul Band this Sunday, April 26 at William B. Armstrong Dream Park, 1700 Dykes Road.

Grab and beach towel and lawn chair and lounge to the five-member Lazul Band’s smooth jazz ensemble of saxophone and piano.

The event runs 5 to 7 p.m. Vendors will be on hand to offer snacks, hot dogs and soda. For more information, call 954-435-6525, or visit www.ppines.com.

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Summer’s on the horizon, and with it a smorgasbord of kid-friendly activities across South Florida to wile away the weeks until school commences in August. But where to start?

Parents can skip the research and drop by the free Kids Konnection from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 25 at Pembroke Shores Park, 501 SW 172nd Ave.

The shindig, formatted like a miniature business expo for kids, supplies families with resources about local fun services plus offers performances and demonstrations from various dance and karate schools.

Vendors will also offer bounce houses, games, arts and crafts, posed pictures with a celebrity or mascot, raffles, and plenty of food samples courtesy of restaurants, said Pines special events coordinator Francie Novo.

For more information about Kids Konnection, call 954-435-6525, or visit www.ppines.com.

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Fresh produce and wine aims to be a winning combination this Wednesday.

The city is hosting the Sixth Annual Pembroke Pines Charter School Fresh Market Gala from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. this April 22 at The Fresh Market, 2200 N. Flamingo Road.

Like the recent golf tournament before it, this fete benefits the ailing charter school system, which suffers a shortfall in funding from Tallahassee and Broward County Schools.

Ticket buyers will enjoy plenty of hors d’oeuvres and sample 50 different varieties of wine, said Rod Loudermilk, Fresh Market's assistant store manager.

Gala tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information, call 954-322-3300, or visit www.pinescharter.com.

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Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave., is having the 11th annual Antiques and Collectibles Show April 25 and 26.

Nearly every crevice of the center will be filled with old valuables, heirlooms, Depression glassware, vintage lunchboxes and even baseball card collections as dozens of vendors stuff their spaces with antique wares.

Fr those not interested in antiques, there will be an orchid dealer outside the center.

The collectibles show, in partnership with Hollywood Antiques and Collectibles Club, runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Lunches will be on sale as well.

Call 954-450-6888.

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Pembroke Pines Historical Museum is now offering an outlet for World War II veterans to share their war stories and other service adventures.

Veterans can reconnect during the monthly Chipped Beef sessions at the Village Community Center’s museum, 6700 SW 13th St. Snacks will be served during the discussion.

The sessions were designed to create a comfortable meeting place for veterans, said curator Gerry Witoshynsky. The museum also provides a permanent installation of hundreds of WWII-era artifacts, North Perry Airport history and a “Veteran’s Honor Roll,” which memorializes the names of World War II veterans residing in Pembroke Pines.

The sessions run the fourth Thursday of every month from 1 to 4 p.m. through June.

Call Witoshynsky at 954-986-5049.

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Broward Waste and Recycling Services is offering a one-day drop-off for household waste.

The Town of Davie’s Pine Island Park, 3801 S. Pine Island Road, will function as one giant receptacle from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 as Pines visitors dispose of items like compact fluorescent lamps and tubes, paint solvents, motor oil, pesticides and other household chemicals in environmentally safe ways. Recycled items will be accepted as well.

The county will also accept used electronics like televisions and computers, propane tanks, mercury thermometers and pool chemicals.

A few caveats: Broward County won’t take your garbage without valid proof of county residence, such as a driver’s license or utility bill. Also, don’t expect to ditch stereos, microwaves, kitchen appliances, explosives, biohazardous waste or business-generated waste: Waste and Recycling Services won’t accept them.

In lieu of Davie’s event, the county also operates permanent drop-offs at 2780 N. Powerline Road in Pompano Beach, 5601 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. in West Park and 5490 Reese Road in Davie.

For more information, call 954-765-4207, or visit www.broward.org/gogreen.

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Photographer Susan Buzzi is saving the environment one picture at a time.

That’s why she’s having a children’s storytelling workshop featuring enviro-conscious art projects April 18 at 2 p.m at South Regional/BC Library, 7300 Pines Blvd.

The free workshops include educational materials on conservation, preservation and recycling for children aged 7 to 12. Photography used for the program ranges from the Florida Everglades to the glaciers of Alaska.

For more information, call 954-201-8825, or visit www.broward.org/library.

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The Pembroke Pines Police Department had an awards ceremony recently to honor its police officer’s commitments to law enforcement.

More than 100 officers earned plaudits in several categories, from letters of recognition and volunteer service pins to medals of honor and quarterly award plaques. The ceremony at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave., was followed by cake, homebaked treats and beverages.

Notable award-winners include:

-Leo Holland, who pocketed a Volunteer of the Year plaque for serving on several state Citizens Police Academy alumni boards, recruiting and training new members, fundraising for the police department and setting up a “Victim’s Contingency Fund” for crime victims.

-Officer Archibald Pinder, who got both a Letter of Recognition and a Medal of Honor for an incident last September. Pinder dove into the crossfire of a shootout between police and an aggressive gunman holed up inside an apartment complex. When a crisis negotiator was struck with bullet fragments, Pinder jumped out of cover and dragged the officer by his bulletproof vest to safety.

-Patrol officer Jose Vargas, who won Officer of the Year, a medal and a $5,000 check for handing out more than 6,000 traffic tickets in 2008 - a city record – for starting a program aimed at preventing reckless motorcycle driving and for negotiating with a gunman’s who’d barricaded himself inside his home to surrender.

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Leeza’s Place turns 3 this year, and they’re not letting the occasion slip by without some fanfare.

That’s why, on April 15, the resource center is banging out a Pampering Party filled with gratis manicures, haircuts and facials, plus an assortment of finger foods, desserts and beverages courtesy of Victoria Villas Assisted Living and Paul Mitchell School. The shindig runs 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Leeza’s Place, 2261 N. University Drive, Suite. 103, provides a gathering place for caregivers of chronically ill relatives or friends. The center supplies the caregivers with holistic therapy sessions, memory workshops, storytelling and yoga sessions designed to purge anxiety and depression.

The center then kicks off their birthday celebration proper April 29 at 11 a.m. with a cake-cutting ceremony and a showcase of services from Memorial Hospital Pembroke, which adjoins the building.

For more information, call 954-967-7240, or visit www.leezasplace.org.

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It’s no secret that Pembroke Pines received $925,720 to purchase recently foreclosed homes throughout the city.

But on April 14, Pines officials will show low-income residents how they can snatch up their piece of the pie during a public hearing at 6 p.m. at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave.

To be eligible to spend the federal funds, Pines must develop and adopt a one-year action plan to disperse the cash to eligible residents, or else forfeit the money.

The funds were allotted through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last February in conjunction with the Community Development Block Grant program.

The public hearing is designed to gauge resident’s views and determine local priorities for certain neighborhoods, said Shakeria Brown, an economic development manager with Pines-based firm Community Redevelopment Associates of Florida, Inc.

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One Florida author seeks to challenge future generations about their perception of autism, and it’s the focus of Mayra Ron’s new book, “Can You See Me?: A View of Our World by an Adult with Autism.”

In honor of National Autism Awareness Month, Ron plans to discuss the book’s impact on societal norms, plus meet and greet visitors from 2 to 3 p.m. April 11 at Southwest Regional Library, 16835 Sheridan St.

In the book, 24-year-old narrator Christian Early struggles to be understood as an autistic adult. When Early befriends Bruce the Shark, he begins to understand how the world views autistic people.

For more information, call 954-538-9996, or visit www.broward.org/library.

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Pembroke Commons shopping center will have a Spring Carnival April 11.

The parking lot carnival benefits the Treasure Box Project, a Delray Beach-based nonprofit dedicated to helping needy children throughout South Florida.

The free shindig, which runs from noon to 3 p.m., features carnival rides, midway games, face painting activities, balloons, cotton candy, popcorn and pictures with the Easter Bunny, but donations will be accepted at the entrance.

The shopping center is near the intersection of University Drive and Pines Boulevard. For more information about the carnival or the Treasure Box Project, call 954-433-7348. or visit www.treasureboxproject.org.

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Pines residents on the prowl this weekend for Easter eggs near bushes, sidewalks and neighborhood parks can now except man’s best friend to join in on the hunt.

Pines pet store, Petco, is sponsoring a Doggie Easter Egg Hunt April 11 at the store, 12251 Pines Blvd.

Sponsored by Natural Balance and Nutro, families participating in the hunt should dress their canines in their favorite sun dress. The shindig for those four-legged friends runs 2 to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 954-499-7755, or visit the event’s Web site.

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Broward County is celebrating Fair Housing Month in April in recognition of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, and it's marking the occasion in style by hosting a “"Fair Housing: One Community, One People" symposium on April 17 at County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

In partnership with the Broward County Office of Equal Opportunity, Broward County Housing Finance & Community Development Division and HOPE, Inc. Fair Housing Center, the seminar features educational workshops on the latest housing market trends plus emerging issues and laws surrounding fair housing throughout the county.

The sessions are called “Keys to Preserving Homeownership" and "Fair Housing for Persons with Disabilities," and will feature a special afternoon plenary session on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, a new federal program that supplies funding to local governments to purchase foreclosed properties.

The workshops are followed by a keynote luncheon with Miami-based civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz, with seating limited to the first 100 people.

To preregister or for more information about housing discrimination, call Broward County’s Civil Rights Division at 954-357-7800, or visit www.broward.org/civilrights.

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It’s the mother of all egg hunts: spanning two Pembroke Pines parks at opposite ends of the city and a whopping 52,000 candy-filled plastic eggs, this year’s free Easter celebration will keep children busy for hours.

The city’s annual Easter egg hunt runs from 9 a.m. to noon April 11 simultaneously at two locations: Pines Recreation Park, 7400 Pines Blvd. and Pembroke Shores Park, 501 SW 172nd Ave.

Once the eggs are collected, children can enjoy creating balloon sculptures, face-painting activities and jumping around the bounce houses and inflatable slides. Peter Rabbit will also appear at both events.

The first 500 children under 12 who enter the park earn a free pair of bunny ears courtesy of The Little Gym of Pembroke Pines.

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Pines residents have a chance to sink their teeth into papier-mâché shark crafts April 25 at South Regional/BC Library, 7400 Pines Blvd.

Throughout April, Hollywood artist and instructor Michael DiVitto Kelly is displaying a dozen papier-mâché sculptures around the library, including oversized pastries like five-foot Key Lime pie slices, three-foot-long cupcakes and six-foot-long Pop Tarts.

Kelly and his wife Andrea, who have taught papier-mâché crafts inside libraries, aquariums and schools for 10 years, are now teaching a free shark art program to children at South Region/BC.

The workshop begins at 11 a.m. Call 954-201-8825, or visit www.divittokelly.com.

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Pembroke Pines city commissioners revamped the Arts and Culture Advisory Board by purging it of nearly a dozen volunteers.

But one Pines resident, Roberta Nazimovitz, feels officials and fellow volunteers unfairly booted her from her board seat.

Commissioners voted to resize the board’s capacity from 17 voting members to five, and two alternates, in the wake of complaints of meetings dragging on too long, unprofessional banter during sessions and several member absences.

Nazimovitz believes Commissioner Angelo Castillo accused local artist Felix Gonzalez of trying to profit off a Sept. 11 memorial that Pines officials commissioned him to create in 2006. Offended, she slandered Castillo during regular board meetings.

“Castillo slanted [Gonzalez] and I defended him at the meetings, and other members complained in letters to commissioners,” said Nazimovitz. “So Castillo wrote a letter to me and a secretary later told me he put me off the board and replaced me.”

“I’m dealing with an idiot, a con artist. Castillo gives me a big smile, but it feels like a snake is coming toward me,” she added.

The advisory board, responsible for coordinating arts-related events like the recent Art Festival in the Pines and Glass Gallery exhibits, is staffed by volunteer Pines residents, art experts and city employees.

Commissioners reasoned that a 17-member board was too unmanageable, and agreed to appoint five voting members plus an “auxiliary task force” that supplies advice to members but doesn’t vote.

“If you create an auxiliary board that is non-voting, it gives the members who help more of a voice on the board,” said Commissioner Iris Siple.

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