Page 14 - The Islander - January '21

Page 14, The Islander

CommissioNer’s update

Make Fitness A Priority

By County Commissioner Maria Marino

One of the highest priorities operates 110 parks and recreation facilities, including athletic pool, allowing for fitness and achievement in aquatic sports.
for our community in my view facilities, campsites, trails and beaches, as well as two water • Carlin Park is a great place to visit the beach, play some
is to expand and enhance our parks. These parks include more than 8,000 acres of land for tennis, or have a small family picnic, and now offers a free, new
parks and recreation systems residents and visitors to explore, offering more than 50 miles of “Functional Fitness” program outdoors for adults and seniors.
for the health and well-being trails. See the calendar and register at:
of our children and families. The county expands its reach in offering programs accessible https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Lists/EventsCalendar/
This has become even more to all residents through public/private partnerships with nearly EventDispForm.aspx?ID=1017.0.2020-12-07T13:30:00Z&So
critical given the gravitation to 500 teams, leagues, service clubs, agencies, homeowner urce=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscover%2Epbcgov%2Eorg%2Fpa
remote learning and working associations, neighborhood groups, schools, companies and rks%2FLists%2FEventsCalendar%2FGeneralCommunity%2
over the past year. Getting nonprofit organizations. Whether you are interested in having Easpx&ContentTypeId=0x0102007E5E79BC7D09B14D9EB
outdoors and being active your child play in a league sport, enroll in a summer camp, or E35EF456801ED.
is extremely important for just increase their time outdoors, there is a wide array of options • Infrastructure Sales Surtax dollars funded a recent
mental and physical health, and research has shown that students in our community. renovation of Juno Park’s playground on Ellison Wilson Road.
perform better scholastically when their days include time for Here are just a few of the exciting happenings in Palm Beach • Small groups of volunteers are getting outdoors to help clean
recreation. County parks in District 1: our county public park beaches with an eye toward eliminating
Recent studies performed by UNICEF, the British Journal of • The Gardens North County District Park is meeting the discarded plastics that wash ashore, contributing to a healthy
Sports Medicine, and sporting marketing surveys have revealed need for additional multipurpose fields for soccer and other field environment while enhancing their own physical fitness. Friends
some startling statistics: sports. A partnership of the City of Palm Beach Gardens with of Jupiter Beach has regularly scheduled small group cleanups
• The United States ranks last – 38th out of 38 rich countries in Palm Beach County brought this to fruition. Phase 2 of the project for youth, family and individual participation. You can obtain
the physical health of our children, and 32nd out of 38 countries will include a state-of-the-art indoor recreation facility and will more information at https://friendsofjupiterbeach.org/.
in mental health and well-being be constructed through a public/private partnership between the • County Parks’ staff produced several videos for you to
• Children in the United States ranked 47th out of 50 countries city, the county and a not-for-profit foundation. enjoy at home, featuring yoga, animal encounters, workouts,
in fitness • Limestone Creek Park, one of our oldest neighborhood DIY activities and more. Check out all the videos on PBC Parks
• Ninety-three percent of children in the United States are parks, just received a basketball court expansion with new TV (youtube.com).
not active according to CDC physical activity standards backboards. Resident input will help finalize plans for native As an athlete since my youth and a professional golfer, I know
• Sixty-two percent of all children in America cannot afford landscaping. first-hand how physical activity enriches our health, our quality
to play sports • West Jupiter Recreation Center plans to host JTAA of life and stimulates learning, and I look forward to developing
• Inactivity leading to major physical and mental health issues basketball and volleyball youth sports programs this winter with additional programs to help our children, families and seniors
is dramatically higher in low-income families additional COVID-19 protocols in place. stay active.
We can help change these statistics for the better by getting • North County Aquatic Complex has worked closely with Please contact me with your ideas and let me know how I
the word out about Palm Beach County’s award-winning Parks youth swim and dive teams, master swimmers, water aerobics can assist you. You can reach me at (561) 355-2201 or by email
and Recreation Department facilities and programs. The county and public participants to allow safe continued activity at the at mmarino@pbcgov.org.

trivia:

the FiNal ColumN

I Didn’t Know That ...

Bet You Didn’t Know It Either

Stanley Morgenbesser, a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the to describe a not-so-intelligent individual, and even be
submitted this – his 169th host’s glass with his own. shorthand for drugs. The original meaning of the word,
and final monthly column Why Are People In The Public Eye Said To Be “In however, is pretty different. Dope comes from the Dutch
– just several days before The Limelight”? word doop, and accounts from 1807 define it as “sauce,
he passed away on Nov. Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses gravy; any thick liquid.” During the 18th Century, it
21, 2020, at the age of 92, and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime, which was mostly used to describe any mixture of unknown
to once again be with his produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer “in ingredients. The use of “dope” as foolish first appeared
beloved wife of 60 years, the limelight” was the center of attention. in 1851, maybe for the notion “thick-headed.” The
Birdi. The thousands of In Golf, Where Did The Term “Caddie” Originate? association with drugs came later, around 1890, from the
fascinating trivia facts When Mary, Queen of Scots, went to France as a practice of smoking semi-liquid opium preparation.
that Stan presented over young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved The Author Of Which Novel Locked All Of His Clothes
the past 14 years have the Scots game “golf.” He had the first course outside of Away So He Couldn’t Leave His House Until He
informed and intrigued readers, many of whom will miss Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was Finished His Novel?
a remarkable man they never had the joy of knowing in properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, In late 1830, Victor Hugo had a problem. He promised
person. It is with the approval of Stan’s family – indeed, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany his publisher a book by February, but he hadn’t even
their feeling that it is what he would have wanted – that her. Mary liked this a lot, and when she returned to started it yet. So he collected all of his clothes and locked
we decided to publish this last column he prepared. Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she them away. He was left with nothing to wear except a
Why Do People Clink Their Glasses Before Drinking took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is large shawl. Lacking any clothing to go outdoors, Hugo
A Toast? pronounced “ca-day” and the Scots changed it to caddie. was no longer tempted to leave the house. The strategy
In earlier times it was common for someone to try to Why Are Many Coin Collection Jar Banks Shaped worked. Hugo remained in his study each day, and
kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove Like Pigs? wrote furiously during the fall and winter of 1830. The
to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made Hunchback of Notre Dame was published two weeks
guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of of dense orange clay called “pygg.” When people saved early, on Jan. 14, 1831.
the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as Which Fast Food Restaurant Did McDonald’s Own 90
“pygg banks.” An English potter misunderstood the word, Percent Of Before Selling Its Stake In 2006?
made a container that resembled a pig, and it caught on. In 1993, Steve Ells opened the first Chipotle Mexican
Which Actor Has Died The Most Times On Screen? Grill in Denver, Colo., using an $85,000 loan from his
Danny Trejo has been killed on screen more times father. In order for Ells to expand his promising fast casual
than any other actor. Over the span of several decades, concept, he needed money. That cash infusion came in the
Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing Trejo has appeared in dozens of movies, often as a bad form of an investment from fast food king McDonald’s.
Palm Beach County and is a privately guy standing in the way of the hero. This has gotten him The investment from the Golden Arches allowed Chipotle
owned and managed company. killed a whopping 65 times. Close behind Trejo on the list to quickly expand, from 16 restaurants in 1998 to over
Captain’s is committed to providing is the legendary character actor Christopher Lee, whose 500 by 2005. By the time Chipotle went public in 2006,
dependable, reliable and professional iconic characters include Count Dracula and Saruman. McDonald’s owned more than 90 percent of the company.
ground transportation to and from all
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212 According to the list, Lee has died in movies 60 times. In 2006, McDonalds’s sold their stake and parted ways
To reserve your vehicle: When Did The Word “Dope” Originate? with the burrito chain.
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com There are quite a few ways to use the word “dope,”
but all of them are considered slang. It could be used