By: Mayor Christine Hunschofsky
Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season and a great start to 2019! The New Year is a time when we reflect on our lives and commit to improving ourselves and the world around us in the coming year.
For many, 2018 was a horrific year and much of the pain will continue in 2019. For others, the pain from 2018 will be carried for a lifetime. Even as we move forward, it is important to be mindful of one another and of our different experiences. When we think of New Year’s resolutions, improvements on the outside such as losing weight and getting in shape are usually what first come to mind. They are on my list as well. However, after our community experience in 2018, I hope there will also be more internal resolutions, such as increased mindfulness and empathy, on everyone’s list. My wish is we all take moments out of our day to recognize and be grateful for what we have and for the different perspectives and experiences we all bring to the table. May we all work together to find common ground and common solutions to make our world a better place.
In 2018, we welcomed many new and some expanded businesses to the City of Parkland. In the Waterways Shoppes along 441 we have Sunshine Kidds Dentistry, Pediatric Associates, Noire Nail Bar and Cryospace. In the Riverstone Shoppes along 441, we have La Rural Argentinian Steak House, and in Parkland Commons Carmela Coffee and the Cleveland Clinic expanded while the center welcomed All Star Pizza and Qwik Pack and Ship. Small businesses are an important part of a healthy local economy. Many of the businesses in our City are owned by Parkland residents so please support them as much as you can.
In 2019, we are looking forward to some continued improvements that are coming to fruition. Street lights along Nob Hill Road and University Drive will be operational. The much-anticipated Parkland Library expansion will be underway as well as the expansion of Fire Station 42 on Parkside Drive. Additionally, we will be adding multipurpose fields at Pine Trails Park. Loxahatchee Road improvement construction is expected to begin at the end of 2019. While that will be a temporary inconvenience, it is a much-needed and long-awaited improvement. That project is being done in conjunction with Broward County, the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Florida Department of Transportation. When dealing with other governmental entities, things usually do not move as quickly as we are used to from the private sector. Our commission and staff are continually advocating on behalf of the City to get these projects done as quickly as they can be. For more information on capital projects within the City please visit www.cityofparkland.org/cip.
We have lots of fun community events and activities happening in January in Parkland. The Farmers’ Market continues at the Equestrian Center from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., with a Health and Wellness Fair on January 6 and the second market of the month on January 20. Parkland’s Family Fun Fest Carnival takes place from January 11-13 at Pine Trails Park and promises to make for a fun weekend!
Our next city commission meeting is on Wednesday, January 16 at 7 p.m. You can view all meeting agendas at www.cityofparkland,org/cc. Also, I will be holding office hours on Tuesday, January 15 from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at Parkland City Hall. There is no appointment necessary. If you are unable to make it to my office hours, please feel free to contact me via email at chunschofsky@cityofparkland.org with any questions or concerns you may have.
Keep up with all the events happening in Parkland by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/copfl and subscribing to our e-blast “Parkland on Tap” at cityofparkland.org/notifyme. I always appreciate hearing from residents, so please share your thoughts and comments with me at the e-mail address above.
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy New Year!
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