Page 4 - Jupiter West - December '23

Page 4, Jupiter West
Commissioner’s Update

Honoring And Supporting 67,000 homeless veterans in the United States, and roughly Earlier this year, the commission established a Veteran
Services Advisory Board to assess the needs of veterans
2,500 homeless veterans in Florida. Service men and women
Our Veterans returning home, many with disabilities, mental illness and in the county and to help facilitate coordination between
post-traumatic stress disorder, struggle transitioning back agencies and organizations whose mission is to assist
By Commissioner Maria into civilian life. veterans and their families. The members of the advisory
Marino Palm Beach County Veterans Services, (561) 355-4761, board are veterans and others experienced in the areas of
Each November, we assists and counsels former and current members of the Armed mental health and substance abuse, financial assistance,
observe Veterans Day to Forces to apply for benefits, including housing, disability housing, employment, mobility and a representative of
honor Americans who have compensation, education, employment, financial assistance, the Veterans Administration Medical Center. The Veteran
served in the U.S. Armed health care, and other resources. The county works with the Services Advisory Board will report to the commission on
Forces. As fellow citizens, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department needs and gaps in services. Through their input and guidance,
we must remember to express of Housing and Urban Development through the Rapid the county will take steps to seek additional resources and
our gratitude to veterans, Rehousing and Supportive Housing programs, but the need help maximize assistance to veterans.
who have been willing to remains for additional affordable housing and support services. The emergency helpline for veterans in Palm Beach
step in harm’s way to protect The County Department of Housing and Economic County is 2-1-1. The following link will take you to a
us, and the freedoms we hold Development makes state and federal financing available to comprehensive list of telephone numbers for veterans seeking
dear. November also has become the month during which we private and nonprofit developers who construct affordable assistance, https://bit.ly/guideforveterans.
observe National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week. housing with preference for veterans. Additionally, the If you know a veteran who is struggling, please share
Sadly, veteran homelessness spans age groups from County Commission has urged our federal legislative this information with them or have them contact me at (561)
those who served in the Korean War and Vietnam era to the delegation to prioritize housing, financial and credit 355-2201 and I will connect them with service providers who
Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. There are currently more than counseling programs for veterans. can help.
Northern Notes

“Otterly” Amazing Otters

By Katie Roundtree,
Director of Finance and
Administration, Northern
Palm Beach County
Improvement District
River otters are mainly
found in freshwater ponds,
streams, canals, and marshes
everywhere in Florida,
except the Keys. These burrows are built in the bank of a water body, often under As cute as they are, otters are wild animals and should be
charismatic mammals are a tree roots. They dig their own burrow or repurpose an left alone. Please do not feed them and give them their space.
member of the weasel family abandoned beaver den. Otters give birth in early spring to They can be feisty and attack if threatened. River otters can
and are comfortable both in and out of the water. Otters grow anywhere from one to five babies. Baby otters, called pups occasionally create a nuisance by eating fish in hatcheries and
to about 40 inches, weighing between 10 to 30 pounds. They or kits, stay with their mothers until they’re up to a year old stocked ponds or digging dens in pond banks. Keep stocked
have short legs, elongated bodies, webbed feet and a strong, or until she has another litter. Babies learn to swim when ponds covered or fenced to prevent otters from entering ponds.
flattened tail, which acts like a rudder in the water. Their they are about 2 months old when their mother introduces Enjoy these native animals from afar. They are fun to
nostrils and ears close to keep water out, and waterproof them to the water. Otters are natural swimmers and learn watch and known for their antics in and around the water.
fur keeps them warm. Otters have the densest coat of any to swim quickly. However, please do not approach them or try to pet them.
animal – as many as a million hairs per square inch in places. Active mainly at night, otters are excellent hunters. They are far more likely to avoid humans than confront them.
Because of this, otters were once hunted to near extinction Their diet consists primarily of fish, amphibians, insects Otters are apex predators and are wild creatures – cute but
for their fur. Their colors range from light brown to dark, rich and crustaceans. Their powerful teeth and jaws are made certainly not cuddly.
brown. They are strong swimmers and can swim about 6 to 8 for catching and gripping onto slippery fish. An otter’s bite NPDES tip: Please pick up after your pet. When pet waste
miles per hour, holding their breath for up to eight minutes. is approximately 615 pounds per square inch compared is washed into lakes or canals the waste decays, using up
On land, however, they can run up to 15 miles per hour. to the average person’s bite force of around 162 pounds oxygen and sometimes releasing ammonia. Low oxygen levels
Otters spend much time on land, often traveling per square inch. Their bite is comparable to a German and ammonia combined with warm temperatures can kill fish
considerable distances between waterways. Most otters Shepherd’s bite! River otters can easily chew through the and disrupt the natural food chain. Pet waste also contains
have at least one permanent burrow (den) by water. The tough skin of armored catfish found in our area and eat the nutrients that encourage weed and algae growth. Perhaps most
burrow’s main entrance may be underwater. It then slopes flesh underneath. importantly, pet waste carries diseases which make water unsafe.
upward to a nest chamber above the high-water level. The

BallenIsles Charities Foundation from page 1

Following discharge, Safe Harbor staff will support the
reunited family for up to 180 days to insure a smooth and
successful transition.
In March, the BallenIsles Charities Foundation
announced 53 financial grants and four impact
grants totaling a record $1,236,000. Each applicant
organization is thoroughly vetted and must demonstrate
sound financial and management practices while their
proposed program must meet a critical community
need. The record funds raised are a credit to the
generosity of BallenIsles residents, local businesses
and corporate sponsors, contributions from volunteers,
as well as BallenIsles club management and the
community association.
For more information about the BallenIsles Charities
Foundation, visit www.BallenIslesCharitiesFoundation.
org. For more information on BallenIsles Country
Club, visit www.BallenIsles.org.

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