MY SON, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND I WERE ON OUR WAY TO WATCH MY GRANDDAUGHTER IN A PLAY AT DONNA KLEIN SCHOOL...

I tried to access the school the usual way, from the 95th Street entrance road, but there was a police car blocking the road.  There was construction going on at the entrance, and that appeared to be the reason we had no access.

Like others going to the school, I went around the corner to the other gate off 441 for school access.  There were police cars there and a big traffic jam at the Donna Klein Jewish Academy.

Saw a fellow walking with a cell phone and I yelled to him, while I was stuck in a big traffic jam, "What is happening?"  He yelled back, "School is on lockdown.  Bomb threat."

I managed to make my way close to the gate and park on the access road out of the way.  Stash, my son, saw me and came over.  Nobody knew anything.  This was about 12:30 pm.  The bomb squad had been there and police dogs. Nothing was found.  

Janice, my daughter-in-law, was in a nearby car.  They were letting the preschool children out at their regular time, and the parents were there to pick them up. 

About 2 pm, the Principal, Mrs.Feller, and others came over to be sure we were all calm, said the play Gabby (my granddaughter) was in was cancelled and soon they would let us in to get the children.

And so, we walked in and picked up Gabby and her brother Marty.  Later we were told that a threatening email had been received at the school early that morning, and taking no chances, "better safe than sorry," the lockdown proceeded.

A lot of prayers were said, and everyone did remain outwardly calm.

I hope none of you, my readership, goes through an experience like this.

Marilyn Jacobs, Editor

FISCAL CONDITION OF THE 50 STATES

Note that Florida came in #6, near the 

top of the list for fiscal conditions 

for all 50 states.

BOCA REGIONAL GETS KUDOS

Healthgrades ranks Boca Regional Hospital in top 5% of hospitals for 10th year in a row for clinical performance. 

Out of 4500 hospitals in the United States, only 24 have earned such a consecutive distinction.  The hospital earned six 5-star ratings for

·       treatment of heart attack

·       treatment of heart failure

·       Colorectal Surgeries

·       treatment of GI bleed

·       treatment of Bowel obstruction

·       treatment of Sepsis.

 

Ranked nationally in the top 10% for:

·       Overall Cardiac Services

·       Overall Gastrointestinal Services

·       Overall General Surgery

Healthgrades estimates that if all hospitals performed at the level that Boca Regional does, a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence, 156,036 lives could potentially have been served.

Boca Regional, an advanced tertiary medical center has 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff.  It is noted as a leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women’s health and emergency medicine and the neurosciences, all of which offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The hospital is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, noted by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). 

Boca Regional announced an agreement with North Shore-LIJ Health System, the largest integrated healthcare network in NY state, and one of the nation's largest healthcare systems which has 16 member hospitals throughout the NY metropolitan area.  It is the largest private employer in NY with 47,000 in its workforce, a medical school and research enterprise.  The affiliation will focus on clinical care programming.

NOW is the time to buy in Florida

before prices rise again

FLORIDA REAL ESTATE MARKET IS 

IN RECOVERY MODE....

HOW MUCH ARE HOME SALES UP?

Florida Realtors News reports single family 
home sale closings are up 8.6% compared to 
Dec 2012.  National Association of Realtors 
says prices and sales are strongest in 7 years.  

The number of listings is increasing. 
Statewide consecutive gains began 
over two years ago. 

Generally, properties are closing faster with 
median days on market 50 days for 
single family homes and 51 days 
for townhouses and condos.  
Translation: 50% of homes on the Florida 
market sell in less than two months.  

While inventories are rising, cash sales are 
declining and there are fewer 
distressed properties on the market.  
Investor activity is lower.