If you lack enough motivation to get out from in front of the TV and exercise, maybe this will inspire you.

The Lighthouse of Broward, a nonprofit organization that teaches life-management skills to the blind, will have “Eye Opener,” a 5-mile run and walk Jan. 11 at Markham Park in Sunrise.

The organization is responsible for 60 percent of its expenses, with the state providing the rest, and needs your help to keep its services free of charge.

The Fort Lauderdale-based organization provided services to more than 1,500 people in 2008, including home management, Braille and cooking lessons and help on how to use adaptive computer technology.

Lighthouse also teaches parents of blind children how to stimulate their child’s other senses such as hearing or smell, and has an after-school program that teaches children how to use JAWS, a computer software that reads what’s on the screen.

The run/ walk will take place at Markham Park, 
16001 W. State Road 84. Registration begins at 6:15 a.m., the walk and run begin at 7:30 a.m.

It is open to anyone over 10 years old. Registration through Jan. 9 at www.active.com is $20. Registration is $25 on race day.

For more information visit the Lighthouse of Broward's site.

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Check out the new stained glass class at the Daniel D. Cantor Center in Sunrise.

Learn the basics of colored glass and create your own patterns and designs to make beautiful gifts for your family. They might turn out so cute you might want to just keep them for you.

The class meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Daniel D. Cantor Center, 5000 Nob Hill Road.

There is an annual $18 registration fee that will grant you access to the other activities and classes the center offers.

Call 954-742-2299 to register or for more information.

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In just two hours, children in Sunrise learned the history and symbols of six singular holidays celebrated by different cultures.

The city of Sunrise presented Holidays Around the World, a fun-filled event at the Sunrise Civic Center that educated children about St. Nicholas Day, the Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, Christmas, Ramadan and Kwanzaa through hands-on activities.

There was a booth for each celebration, and children were given a “passport” which they had to get stamped at each location after completing the activity there.

The St. Nicholas Day booth featured a stocking hunt and decoration.

To celebrate Hanukkah, the little ones painted paper menorahs.

The Kwanzaa booth featured mat weaving, symbolic of the celebration that honors African tradition, unity and history. The holiday is observed Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 each year.

Visit www.sunrisefl.gov to find out about future events in Sunrise.

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PHOTO: Illusionist Gary Midnight performs at Sunrise Jewish Center for more than 200 guests to celebrate a Hanukkah Party. He is helped by Nicole Berger, 15, of Sunrise.
Staff photo/Marta Mikulan Martin
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Jhoan Rodriguez of Sunrise is having the time of his life.

The 19-year-old has been named the "HP Insider" after winning the HP contest with the same name and won a week of behind-the-scenes access to the Miami Heat basketball team, which ends Dec. 19.

During the week, he traveled with the team to Memphis for a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, toured the American Airlines Arena, and joined Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra for a meal.

He also won a series of HP products, which he used to blog and post photos of his experience with the Miami Heat on his blog www.thehpinsider.com

Rodriquez is earning an associates degree in Aeronautical Science and accounting from Broward College and works as a student concession attendant at CB Smith Park. 


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Looking for a job? The US Census Bureau is looking for part-time workers for the 2010 Census.

The local office has started giving application tests at local senior centers to fill the hundreds of positions that will be available in Broward County.

Those hired will work for up to two years for a $15/ hour minimum salary.

To be considered, applicants must first pass a 30-minute test consisting of multiple-choice questions that test number and organizational skills, clerical skills and reading skills.

Available positions include census takers, crew leaders, crew leader assistants, recruiting assistants and census clerks. They will help examine the nation’s population and demographics.

Visit the 2010 US Census site to find testing locations and for additional information, such as test examples.

You can also call the local US Census Bureau office at 954-302-3960.

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Santa surprised the children at the Broward Children Center's South Preschool when he visited to deliver toys.

For the second year, Sunrise resident Gregory Meador, 27, delivered hundreds of toys to disabled children at the Davie preschool.

The sight of the familiar gray-bearded man in the red suit left most students speechless.

Meador called one child up at a time to open his or her gift. There was silence each time, followed by cheers, wows and big eyes as ripped wrapping paper revealed dolls, cars, coloring books and the most popular toy: Spider Man.

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Take advantage of Wannado City's holiday discount for Sunrise residents.

Through the end of December, Sunrise residents will receive a reduced daily admission price of just $10. Regular admission is $29.95. Visit the city of Sunrise newsletter to print the coupon, which you must present at the door.

The theme park for children ages 3 to 14 is located at Sawgrass Mills Mall, 12801 W. Sunrise Blvd.

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The Arthritis Foundation is looking for runners and walkers for its annual Sunrise Arthritis Walk on May 17.

This is a nationwide signature event to support public awareness and raise funds to fight arthritis, the nation's most common cause of disability.

The funds will support the foundation's research and discoveries, public health initiatives and public policy efforts to improve the lives of people with arthritis.

Participants can choose between a three-mile or a one-mile walk route. The walk will take place at the Markham Park, 16001 W. State Road 84 in Sunrise. Register here.

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Students from the Temple Beth Torah Religious School will visit the Daniel Cantor Senior Center to celebrate Hanukkah.

The tradition started when Hurricane Wilma destroyed some classrooms at Temple Beth Torah Religious School and the senior center opened temporary space for about 80 students.

At Hanukkah, the grade school students and the seniors threw a party to celebrate with songs, traditional jelly donuts and stories of what Hanukkah was like when the seniors were children.

Though the students moved back into their renovated classrooms in 2006, both the children and the seniors had such fond memories of the Hanukkah party, they decided to do it again ever since.

The students will visit the senior center Dec. 16 from 4:15 to 6 p.m.

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Enjoy some Caribbean spices this Thursday and help fund after school programs.

From 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 18, Pollo Tropical will host a Boys and Girls Club Appreciation Day at the Sunrise Pollo Tropical, 2675 N. University Drive.

The fast food chain will donate 15 percent of sales to support after school and youth activities.

Customers must present an Appreciation Day coupon, available Dec. 18 at any of the Broward County Boys and Girls Clubs. Click here for a list of locations.

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Former Sunrise Councilman Bill Colon received a Purple Heart from the U.S. Air Force for wounds received in action in occupied Germany during World War II.

The incident happened in the city of Wiesbaden in 1951, when Colon's Jeep was rammed by a tractor driven by an SS officer who, according to the Air Force report, did not know the war was over.

He had to spent three years at a hospital in Wiesbaden after suffering injuries in his back, head, neck, shoulder and knee.

Colon was born and raised in Brooklyn and joined the Air Force in 1947. In 1950, he was ordered to Japan, then Korea, and then to Germany.

Nearly two dozen of his friends and family members attended the ceremony.

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The city of Sunrise will donate 100 computers to Piper High School students who lack the means to purchase one.

The computers, which belong to the city, are being replaced for more updated models, said Mayor Steven Feren at the Dec. 9 commission meeting.

The city was at first considering auctioning the computers, but decided the little money they would get for them was not worth it.

Commissioners then decided it was a better idea to donate them to families in the community and help educate future generations.

Piper High School will now identify families in need. For more information contact the school at 754-322-1700.

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Don't leave the tap open this Christmas.

The South Florida Water Management District has issued a list of five tips to save water during the holidays.

A typical holiday turkey dinner for eight needs more than 42,000 gallons of water in food growth and preparation, the report states. That is enough to fill a 30-foot by 50-foot swimming pool.

These are the five tips to conserve water:

1-Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator the night before and not under running water.

2-Rinse vegetables and fruits in a pan filled with water instead of under running water.

3-Select the proper size pans for cooking.

4-Scrape food scraps into the garbage can instead of rinsing them into the sink's garbage disposal.

5-Run the dishwasher only when it's fully loaded.

Visit the South Florida Water Management District for more information.

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Students at Piper High School have been working hard to prepare for their formal JROTC cadet inspection this Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Students will give a Powerpoint presentation for the JROTC chief inspector and Jennifer Gottlieb from the Broward County School Board. Colonel James Armstrong, senior JROTC instructor in Broward County, will also be awarded with the Gold DAI Award.

Piper High School is at 8000 NW 44th St. in Sunrise. For more information, call 754-322-1700.

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As if traffic wasn't bad enough, you can expect some congestion and road closures on the Turnpike and Sawgrass Expressway starting this weekend.

There will be some overnight road construction and maintenance Dec. 7 to 12. This is how construction will affect the roads:

-From Dec. 7 to 11, one lane in each direction may be closed every night on the Sawgrass Expressway from Lyons Road to the Turnpike.

-During the night of Dec. 8 to 9, two northbound lanes will be closed on the Turnpike-Taft Road overpass.

-From Dec. 8 to 12, one or two lanes in both directions will be closed at nighttime on the Turnpike between Griffin Road and Sunrise Boulevard. This will also affect the Turnpike fly over to the Davie Road I-595 Exit.

-From Dec. 8 to 12, one or two lanes in both directions will be closed at nighttime on the Turnpike between Sunrise Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard. This will cause a single lane nighttime closure on Commercial Boulevard.

-From Dec. 7 to 12, the Turnpike will have restricted access in its outside shoulder and inside shoulder 24/7 in both directions up to one mile south of the Sawgrass Interchange.

Visit the Florida Turnpike's Web site for more information.

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If you are traveling from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport this week, you'll notice something harmonious amid the hectic holiday travelers.

This year's Winterfestival of Music is here, when a variety of school bands, orchestras, choirs and choruses play holiday music for travelers in the airport’s four main terminals.

Overall, more than 1,500 elementary, middle and high school students representing 29 Broward County Public Schools will perform.

This is the schedule of schools, performance times and locations:

Thursday, Dec. 4, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
Hollywood Hills Elementary Chorus perform at Terminal One (Ticketing)
North Andrews Gardens Elementary Instrumental/Music/Dance perform at Terminal One (Baggage Claim)
Cresthaven Elementary Chorus perform at Terminal Two (East)
Driftwood Middle School Band perform at Terminal Three (Baggage Claim)
Dillard High School Chorus/Strings perform at Terminal Three (South)
Pioneer Middle School Band perform at Terminal Four (Baggage Claim)

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2 to 6 p.m.:
Hallandale High School Jazz Band perform at Terminal Three (Baggage Claim)

Friday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
Sunrise Middle School Strings/Drama perform at Terminal One (Ticketing)
Ramblewood Middle School Band perform at Terminal One (Baggage Claim)
Ramblewood Middle School Orchestra perform at Terminal Two (East)
Silver Trail Middle School Band perform at Terminal Three (Baggage Claim)
Dolphin Bay Elementary Chorus perform at Terminal Three (South)
Tradewinds Elementary Chorus/Dance perform at Terminal Four (Baggage Claim)
Parkway Middle School Chorus perform at Rental Car Lobby

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Bair Middle School in Sunrise is among the first schools in the county to put into practice a cyber-safety initiative to educate children on the dangers of the Internet.

The project, called the Cyber Crime Education Program, is sponsored by the State Attorney General’s Child Predator CyberCrime Unit, a cooperative between Florida law enforcement offices and child protection organizations to protect children from predators and prosecute offenders.

According to Attorney General Bill McCollum’s Web site, Florida ranks fourth in the nation in volume of child pornography. Also, one in seven children between the ages of 10 and 17 in the U.S. have been solicited online by a sexual predator.

Read the Dec. 9 issue of the Sunrise Forum for more information on this program.

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Check out the Woodstock Arts & Crafts Festival Dec. 6 and 7 at Welleby Park.

It will be a great opportunity to purchase holiday gifts and other bargains. There will also be entertainment, food and games and rides for the children.

The festival will be open Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry fee is $5 or six cans of food per person.

Welleby Park is at 11100 NW 44th St. You might want to take advantage of the parking and free shuttle service from All Saints Catholic Church, 10900 W. Oakland Park Blvd.

For more information call 954-747-4600.

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The city of Sunrise is accepting letters to Santa from children under 10.

Santa will reply to all the letters as long as they arrive before Dec. 15, are readable and include a correct return address.

Mail your letters to:

Leisure Service Department
Sunrise Civic Center
10610 W. Oakland Park Blvd,
Sunrise, FL 33351.

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The Panthers Figure Skating Club from Incredible Ice will have its annual Holiday Ice Show at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Bank Atlantic Center.

The show will feature appearances by some of the most talented figure skaters including world champion and Olympic competitor Kimmie Meissner; Canadian bronze medalist Lesley Doherty and Olympic skating star Todd Eldredge

The Panthers Figure Skating Club will also be collecting new unwrapped toys.

Tickets costs $20. Call 954-341-9955 for more information.
The club will also host a toy drive

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If you want to show some support for the troops these holidays, there are a lot of organizations with which to work.

SupportOurTroops.org has a list of more than 60 organizations across the country that will be sending holiday packages to the troops. Just visit the site, choose an organization, and take a look at the list of items the troops most often request.

Before sending anything, make sure to read the shipping regulations. If your box doesn't meet these regulations, it might not be shipped.

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