Page 21 - Boca Exposure - March '23

Boca Exposure, Page 21
From The Desk Of County Commissioner

Marci Woodward: A Message From Marci

Commissioner Woodward, Raton on S.W. 18th Street. This was in response to living conditions since 1976. Their mission involves the
a 20-year resident of Boca residents’ concerns for their safety due to several tragic collaboration of local volunteers and partners focused on
Raton, was elected in car accidents. providing accessible, affordable and safe homes.
November 2022 as Palm We are pleased to announce that a traffic signal was They also address policy reform to remove systemic
Beach County District warranted and recently approved by the commission. barriers preventing low-income and historically
4 Commissioner. She Construction is expected to begin in mid-March and will underserved families from accessing adequate, affordable
serves on the following be completed within eight months. shelter. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
board of directors as a Fire Fighter For A Day. I recently had the opportunity Local Government 101. “So…, What Exactly is
representative of the county to participate in Fire Ops 101 Training with the county’s Palm Beach County’s Comprehensive Plan?” Palm
commission: Palm Beach Fire Rescue (PBFR) Department at their training center Beach County’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) is a
Transportation Planning in West Palm Beach. state-required legal document containing principles and
Agency; South Florida From extricating a vehicle passenger with the “jaws strategies for our county’s future development and land
Regional Transportation Authority (TriRail); Treasure of life” to responding to the scene of an active shooter, I use.
Coast Regional Planning Council; CareerSource Palm was carefully guided through a number of scenarios by The Board of County Commissioners meets quarterly
Beach County; Palm Beach Cultural Council, and seasoned emergency professionals. to discuss the Comp Plan that provides a roadmap for
Value Adjustment Board. Woodward graduated from the This experience provided a greater appreciation of the future development of the county.
University of South Carolina-Aiken with a bachelor’s challenges faced by these brave men and women. I am The Comp Plan identifies land as being used for
degree in Fine Arts. proud to report we are in very capable hands with our purposes such as residential, commercial, industrial,
I am pleased to report the traffic switch to the new first responders. institutional, recreational, agricultural, and conservation.
bridge on Palmetto Park Road over the El Rio Canal PBFR is one of the largest fire departments in the state It also provides the maximum densities for residential
occurred on Jan. 31. of Florida. In addition to fire and/or medical emergencies, areas and the allowable intensities of commercial and
The contractor has been scheduled to begin the personnel are trained to respond to hazardous materials/ industrial areas.
demolition of the remaining existing bridge and to begin conditions, plane crashes, aircraft emergencies, active Another important component are the 15 elements,
construction on the new section. The project is expected shooter incidents, chemical and fuel spills and animal including future land use, transportation, coastal
to be completed by August 2023. rescues. management, library services and more. These
This month I continued to tour county facilities, Billie Jean King Cup. Congratulations to the Palm sections reflect the goals, objectives and policies for
including Mounts Botanical Gardens, Green Cay and Beach County Sports Commission for winning the bid to implementation by the commission. All development
Wakodahatchee Wetlands and Delray Oaks Natural Area. host the prestigious Billie Jean King Cup at the Delray proposals must be found consistent with the Comp Plan
These facilities are open to the public and offer unique Beach Tennis Center on April 14 to 15. I look forward in order to obtain approval from the commission.
experiences. I highly recommend everyone to visit. to welcoming the best players from around the world, If a proposed development is inconsistent with the
I also received numerous presentations from various including hometown player Coco Gauff. plan, an amendment to the Comp Plan may be approved
departments, including Youth and Community Services, We are proud of our sports commission for attracting to ensure consistency. If a required amendment fails, the
Palm Tran, Environmental Resource Management, and sporting events and activities to the county that enhance project cannot proceed as proposed. Comp Plan hearings
Parks and Recreation. economic impact, stimulate bed tax revenues and are publicly advertised, and the public is welcome to
These presentations are key to understanding their maximize utilization of county facilities. attend and speak.
functions and services, especially in support of our The Billie Jean King Cup is the world’s largest The meetings are held at the Robert Weisman Palm
constituents. In future newsletters, we will highlight women’s international sports competition, with more than Beach County Governmental Center, 301 N. Olive Ave.,
various county departments and the services they provide. 100 nations competing yearly. sixth floor, West Palm Beach, on the following dates:
As always, I am here to assist, so feel free to email me Nonprofit Spotlight: Habitat For Humanity. I • May 5 at 9:30 a.m.
at mwoodward@pbcgov.org or call (561) 355-2204. Also, recently attended the Habitat for Humanity Greater Palm • Aug. 30 at 9:30 a.m.
please follow me on social media for regular updates and Beach County Women Build Kick-off Reception that • Nov. 1 at 9:30 a.m.
happenings in Palm Beach County. was held to encourage women to proactively serve their If you have any questions about the Comprehensive
Road Safety Improvements. The county’s Engineering community. Plan, contact the Planning Division at (561) 233-5300.
and Public Works Department recently conducted a study Habitat for Humanity works in more than 70 countries If you require assistance, please contact our office at
for a traffic signal at the entrance of Boardwalk in Boca and has helped over 39 million people improve their (561) 355-2204 or email Mwoodward@pbcgov.org.
You And Your Pet: Heatstroke

By Dr. Siddharth Ranade, Emergency medicine and surgery, So, what is heatstroke/hyperthermia from exposure Most pets that come to the hospital quickly and have
Selective Orthopedics and elective soft tissue surgery, to sun or heat? Heatstroke is a condition where the pet’s moderately elevated body temperatures up to 105 degrees
Calusa Veterinary and Hyperbaric Center, 6900 Congress internal temperature goes beyond 103 degrees Fahrenheit, Fahrenheit usually recover well, given time. Sometimes,
Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33487, (561) 999-3000. www. and sometimes all the way up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit. 24 to 48 hours of hospitalization is required. Pets that have
CVCBoca.com Hyperthermia can happen on a long walk or run in the heat, excessively elevated temperatures, or have been in the heat
As we get through this beautiful spring in South Florida, spending too much time in the sun on the beach, being too long, may have permanent organ damage to their kidneys
the infamous hot humid summer is approaching and will be locked in a car without ventilation, muzzled dogs, dogs and their brains, and have a very poor prognosis.
here soon. Temperatures rise beyond 90 degrees Fahrenheit being left out in the yard without appropriate shade and So, in our South Florida summers, which extend for a good
in the daytime and decrease to the 80s at night. ample water supply, or basically any situation where the eight months, please walk your dogs in the early morning and
We all love walking our dogs, and some enjoy taking long pet heats up rapidly. late evenings when temperatures are low. If walked during the
walks and runs during the day. It is important to remember To try to offset this situation, the pet starts to day, keep the walks in shade and short – to five minutes – to
that the heat is not forgiving, and our pets have hair coats that hyperventilate (breathe rapidly in an effort to dissipate urinate and defecate. Apply the same timings to dog parks.
retain heat. Brachycephalic breeds (boxers, English bulldogs, the heat and bring down their own temperature). But the Always have water handy for your pets. Avoid the situations
French bulldogs, Boston terriers) have brachycephalic hyperventilation itself creates a regressive snowball effect mentioned above in this column article and keep your pets
syndrome, which makes it difficult for them to breathe in and the internal heat can cause metabolic failure, multiple safe. Treating heatstroke is very expensive. Be vigilant and
the heat. Dogs in general have very few sweat glands, only organ failure, seizures and death. thoughtful about your pets, and keep them in nice shady cool
localized to their foot pads. These characteristics make it Dogs presenting from heatstroke have elevated breathing areas with adequate water supply for the summers. We want
difficult for our pets to dissipate the heat in their bodies. rates, dry or sticky gums, abnormal pale, light blue or them to lead happy and healthy lives.
They dissipate heat by ventilating through their mouths. Very sometimes bright red gum color, bruising in the gums,
frequently, our loving pets are not able to cool themselves appear lethargic or disoriented, appear extremely distressed
down quickly after being in the heat and they get heatstroke. and can have seizures. My Son The Waiter from page 20
Hyperthermia or heatstroke, is an immediate medical
emergency. Safe, controlled reduction of body temperature “The reason I started to work on this is that even
is a priority. Cool water (not cold) may be poured over while performing the first show it gave me a creative
the head, stomach, armpits and feet, or cool cloth may outlet, – and without that I wouldn’t have known what
be applied to these areas. If using cool wet cloths, these to do with myself. In this second piece I don’t glaze
should be continually replaced, or they will start to retain over things. I dive into them more deeply than in the
heat. Ensure a continuous flow of air across the dog to help first piece, which I think makes for a more universal
increase evaporative heat loss until treatment is received at and relatable performance. And even if the audience
your veterinary hospital. is familiar with my story in general, they will find this
Intravenous fluids, mild sedation and oxygen therapy play to be nothing like the first one. Of course, there
are commonly used to treat heatstroke. The dog’s rectal are stories about my childhood and my education and
temperature will be monitored, and treatment discontinued, my introduction to theatre and comedy and my social
once the dog shows signs of recovery or the temperature has life, and naturally my mother!”
fallen to 103ºF (39.4ºC). If cooling is not discontinued, then My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy & Still Not
the patient could develop hypothermia (dangerously low Famous will run March 22 and 23 at the Boca Black
body temperatures). If the dog has other problems – such Box Center for the Arts. Tickets are available online
as vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding or seizures – appropriate at https://mysonthewaiter.com/ or by phone at (561)
medical care is incorporated into the protocol to support the 483-9036. Prices range from $46.50 to $61.50.
patient towards recovery.