FLORIDA DIGEST December 09, 2006

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Adonis Series Launch Party This Tuesday

Fresh off her recent successful launch of a new series of 'Vargas-inspiredPin-Up Art', Suzanne Weiss has hired internationally acclaimed photo/artistDennis Dean to create a companion collection of art. The first series,entitled 'The Adonis Series', features twelve images selected from Dean'sportfolio of a decade of photographing some of the best looking men in SouthFlorida and major world capitals. Ms. Weiss is CEO of Plush Couture andPlush Publishing.

To launch the series in true 'Plush Style', a holiday party is being held atPlush, 703 East Las Olas Boulevard on Tuesday, December 12th from 7:30 to9:30 p.m. In addition to Dennis being on hand to autograph the artwork andcopies of his book, 'Within Reach', there will be a fashion show featuringthe latest underwear and swimwear from Audace. The fashion show will alsofeature accessories found at Plush Couture, such as their Hoven and SabreSunglasses and a line of men's 'Rock Bands' that are worn on the wrist.

In addition to actual images of Dean's, two of Plush Publishing's leadingartists will 'interpret' several of the Photo/Art images, creating a uniqueart form. Daniel Henigman and 'Pop Artist' Clifton who is best known forhis cultural icons, will be attending the 'Adonis Launch Party'.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Adonis Series art will go toArtsUnited. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served.



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ArtsUnited's Erotic Art Exhibit Opens December 18th

ArtsUnited will produce its third annual Erotic Art Exhibit and benefitat Dudes Bar on Monday, December 18, 2006. The one night only exhibitionwill bring together over a dozen local visual artists to show and sell theiroriginal works. Fabulous prize raffles, paintings, photographs and mixedmedia art make this a must-see event!

Dudes is located at 3270 NE 33rd Street in Fort Lauderdale. Exhibit hoursare 6:00 to 8:00 PM only. Admission is by $5.00 donation to ArtsUnited, anonprofit arts organization. Complimentary hors d'oeuvers and 2 for 1 drinksare being offered during the event.


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The New York Times

http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/

The Real Value of Public Preschool
by Judith Warner

The State of Virginia is joining New York, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma inattempting to bring free, voluntary preschool to all 4-year-olds, and in thecase of Illinois, to 3-year-olds as well.

That's good news. But I am finding the rhetoric in the debate over universalpreschool disheartening. It's all the usual stuff about cost-benefit andoutcomes: kids who read the "Bob Books" at age 4 are more likely to bereading The Wall Street Journal at 40; it costs less to send a kid topreschool than to later fund his way through the criminal justice system.("I'd much rather guarantee all kids a place at circle time in ahigh-quality preschool than see some of them serve hard time in prison laterin life," were the exact words of Sutter County Sheriff Jim Denney, aproponent of universal preschool in California.)

These points, I suppose, help convince a tax-averse electorate that fundingpublic schooling for preschoolers will bring them some bang for the buck.But it seems to me that there is a much simpler, more basic and, frankly,more urgently human claim to be made about the importance of universalpublic preschool, and it is much more immediate than those nebulouspredictions about whether preschool will prove to be good for today'schildren 30 years down the line. The argument I would rather hear is:universal preschool is good for today's families right now. Here's why:


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The Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cmoore09dec09,0,3285137.story?coll=sfla-news-broward


Bush ends investigation of city commissioner
By Brian Haas and
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

December 9, 2006


Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday closed an investigation into a Fort Lauderdalecommissioner's recent traffic stop.

Bush opened the inquiry Thursday to see whether City Commissioner CarltonMoore used his position to influence a deputy who gave him a ticket. Duringthe stop, records show, Moore said he was a city commissioner and producedhis city identification.

"We are satisfied it was nothing more than a routine traffic matter," saidAnthony DeLuise, the governor's spokesman.

Moore was ticketed Dec. 3 by the Broward Sheriff's Office for driving with asuspended license, records show. Moore has knowingly driven without a validlicense since August, records show. The governor's review included Moore'sdriving record.



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The Miami Herald

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/16199842.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Sat, Dec. 09, 2006



ENVIRONMENT

South Florida on verge of drought -- and water usage restrictions

A quiet hurricane season and dry fall left South Florida on the vergeof a drought, which could prompt water managers to limit lawn watering, carwashing and commercial water use.
BY MATTHEW I. PINZUR
mpinzur@MiamiHerald.com

No one wanted another active hurricane season in 2006, but SouthFlorida's calm tropical summer is having consequences. The lack of seriousrain has left the region on the verge of a drought, and water managers couldbegin imposing mandatory restrictions next month on lawn watering and carwashing.

''We have the looming crisis over us of having a drought,'' said AnaMaría Monte Flores, outreach coordinator for the Miami-Dade Water and SewerDepartment.



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The Miami Herald

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/16199739.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Sat, Dec. 09, 2006


BROWARD SCHOOLS

Teachers see many kids as unprepared for school
More Broward kindergartners know their letters this year, but noteveryone is ready for kindergarten.

BY NIRVI SHAH
nshah@MiamiHerald.com

Broward kindergartners this year were more likely to be able toquickly identify their letters, in a first sign that the state's freeprekindergarten classes may be doing some good.

But on a new, less formal measure of school readiness skills, teacherobservations indicate that just 38 percent of Broward kindergartners wereconsistently demonstrating the abilities they need for their first year offormal schooling. That's a bit lower than students statewide: 42 percent ofthe 184,000 kindergartners observed were ready for school.



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The Miami Herald

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/16200112.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Sat, Dec. 09, 2006


CONGRESS
Drilling off Fla. coast moves ahead

After years of wrangling, a bill that opens the Gulf of Mexico southof the Panhandle to oil drilling has been passed by the House and heads tothe Senate, where approval is uncertain.
BY LESLEY CLARK
lclark@MiamiHerald.com


WASHINGTON - Drilling for oil and natural gas in the deepest watersoff Florida's Gulf Coast would be allowed for the first time underlegislation that cleared the House Friday but remained unresolved in theSenate.

The House gave final approval to a measure that allows for energyexploration in a huge swath of the Gulf of Mexico 125 miles south of thePanhandle. Rigs would be barred 235 miles off the coast of Tampa and nearly325 miles from Naples.

The measure must still clear the Senate -- which had not yet actedlate Friday -- but it could mark a victory for industry groups who waged ayearslong battle, and a major setback for environmental groups and someFlorida lawmakers who had long fought efforts to explore Florida waters.


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