ML King Day
The city offered its first-ever Martin Luther King Day celebration in 2020, at the Jim Ward Community Center. Because of Covid, we observed this day virtually and our Parks and Recreation Department put together a heck of a virtual event: 42 minutes of music, speeches and essay readings.
You can view it now via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in2N0UpH8cc
So that gives you Monday, and AmericaCorps suggest that MLK Day be “a day on, not a day off,” The idea is for citizens to volunteer to improve their communities, and . AmeriCorps has been charged with leading this effort for the past quarter century.
If you are hosting a service project, please register it on the Presidential Inaugural website. https://americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day#:~:text=holiday%20on%20Jan.,Rights%20leader’s%20life%20and%20legacy.
Council meeting
The Jan. 13 Plantation City Council meeting was canceled because of a broad internet outage. (You might have been affected, too.) Because City Hall is still closed and Zoom was unavailable, there was no way for the public to view the meeting.
Quick note: While public access to a meeting is required, airing the meeting via the internet is not – although virtual access has been something municipalities are eager to offer because it can increase residents’ participation. Think back to meetings pre-internet; we held them for decades without a camera in sight.
Our next meeting is Jan. 27.
Got Talent?
This year’s Plantation’s Got Talent contest is virtual. There are three age categories (3-18, 19-49 and 50 and over) and submissions are due by Feb. 5, so hustle it up.
The acts will then be shown via the city’s social media outlets and the winners will be announced Feb. 15. Tops in each category receives a trophy and a $100 gift card.
Sign up via LReyes@Plantation.org or call 954-585-2344.
Valentine plan
Many people likely are holding off on going out to a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day, but here’s an option: A romantic serenade from South Florida Jubilee singers. (I love those folks.)
You get two songs, performed in four-part harmony from Feb. 12-14. They’ll show up in person (socially distanced) for $60; serenade by phone for $25 and virtual (Zoom, for example) for $25.
Call 954-583-0795 or 954-678-4223 or visit SouthFloridaJubilee.org.
Covid thoughts
Although the city doesn’t directly have much to do with the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, I like for us to communicate with residents and connect those in need with the proper resources.
We have about 10 venues that Broward County has coordinated with the Florida Department of Health for vaccines (mostly parks) and other options are growing.
We have about 340,000 residents 65 and older and, well, that number is overwhelming to any project like this. But my guess is within about another six weeks we will have that population fully served.
In Plantation, 5 Star Senior Living made an arrangement with CVS and has begun vaccination its residents. City leaders, including me, have notified the state that Lauderdale West, a large 55-and-older community, would be an excellent “pod” for setting up; we could quickly get needles in arms efficiently in that concentrated area.
If you can think of other venues in Plantation that we can suggest to the state as a “pod,” email me at NSortal@Plantation.org.
For information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in Broward County, visit www.BrowardCovidVaccine.com. For test sites, visit www.Broward.org/coronavirus.
Nick Sortal is a member of Plantation City Council. Email NSortal@Plantation.org
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