LOOKINGAHEADTONEXTWEEK

Dr. Michael Dennis, chair, FAUSchmidt College ofMedicine. To achieve independence fromGreat Britain, the residents of the 13 colonies committedmen, women and resources willingly to achieve that goal. That same level of commitment fromeveryone nowneeds to be enacted to defeatCOVID-19. America is one of the very few countries encountering another surge, so it is imperative that medical counsel be the definitive factor inmanaging the environment. Calls fromthe Florida governor to increase usage of open restaurants and bars have no merit whatsoever. That’s no different fromthose wholet the British land their ships on our shores.

JasonHughes, executive director, ArtServe. By the time you read this, theUSPS deadline for on-time Christmas delivery has mostly passed. While Amazon touts that some deliveries ordered thisweekmaymake it on time to sit under the Christmas tree, formany, it is too late. With an estimated 3 billion packages sent out for the holiday season, and the incredible burden on the environment and landfills with discarded packaging, nowis the time to shop local. Many local merchants have touch-free and curbside delivery. If one is comfortable going out and can do so safely, supporting our local stores will not onlymake your Christmas, but also theirs.

RobLong, chair, PalmBeach Soil andWater Conservation District. TheEAAis the primary source of fresh produce for the eastern half of theUS. We are overwhelmingly dependent on this food source. It’s unlikely thatCongress will include additional help for farmers in the nextCOVID aid package, making continued partnership with the Department of Agriculture crucial next year. Despite the challenge of recovering their losses, Palm Beach County growers are optimistic, because it’s in their nature to believe in what they produce. You can do your part by looking for the “Fresh from Florida” logo to knowyou are buying locally fromretailers like Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods.

ClarenceMcKee, president, McKeeCommunications. COVID-19 school closures and distance learning are remediesworse than the disease. An EducationWeek article pointed out that the negative impacts of school closures, “fall disproportionately on high-poverty areas and disadvantaged communities.” As the Sun Sentinel recently reported, in Broward, the number of students getting two ormore Fs in the first quarter of the current semester was around 20,000— up from8,000 last year. In Palm Beach County, in schools wheremost students are Black orHispanic, over 50% received Fs on the first report card compared to only 10% last year. Students need in-school learning!

BurnadetteNorris-Weeks, attorney, Austin PamiesNorrisWeeks, LLC. Food insecurity is real. Atmany South Florida food drives, you will find long lines of cars that stretch for miles with peoplewaiting for a small box of food to feed their families. People served are from allwalks of life. Their stories are not often known, but seeing the severity and depth of need is heartbreaking. Food banks can barely keep up with growing demand and children aremore susceptible to food insecurity because their brains and bodies are still developing. Looking for a good cause to support during this holiday season? Support a food bank.

MikeRyan,

mayor, Sunrise. We are facing a tsunami of evictions. Many incorrectly believe the moratoriums on evictions, which expire soon, meant their rentwaswaived. Fromthe data and making reasonable assumptions, it is expected that thousands of evictions, some seeking monetary damages and judgments, could be filed in BrowardCounty after Jan. 1. Landlords, whomust pay their mortgages and bills, complain there has been no federal assistance for them and they have no choice. 2021 will be painful for far toomany becausewe failed to better controlCOVID and provide better relief for those asked or forced to sacrifice.

HowardSimon, retired executive director, ACLUofFlorida. The controversy over the raid on the home of formerHealth Department COVID-19 statisticianRebekah Jones will not subside anytime soon. ThemoreGov. DeSantis tries to justify the FDLE’s execution of the searchwarrant, the more he puts himself in the middle of the controversy. His attempt to defend the raid and seizure of Jones’ computer equipment succeeds in providing evidence that his aimwas to silence whistleblowerswhoexpose his administration’s attempt to spin data in order to justify prohibiting local governments fromenforcing mask ordinances and restricting public gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus.

MichaelUdine, member, BrowardCounty Commission. Broward County’s CulturalDivision has announced its FiscalYear 2022 grant programapplications are open! The arts have been hit extremely hard by the pandemic, and Browardwants to support eligible artists and organizations. Grants can be used to fund a project for individual artists or provide general operating assistance for an organization. Want to learn more? Check out a virtual applicationworkshop and more information about the programs, including eligibility and deadlines, atBroward.org/Arts. The arts are essential to our community, and Broward will continue to stand with them.