April 2020

While it may be tempting to just park your kid in front of the TV and focus on your work, it’s always a good idea to incorporate some reading in their free time. Here are some books that your kids will enjoy reading while learning from home.

Ages 4 to 8

• "The Chicken of the Family," by Mary Amato
• "The Day the Crayons Quit," by Drew Daywalt
• “Dragons Love Tacos,” by Adam Rubin
• "The Empty Pot," by Demi
• "The Giving Tree," by Shel Silverstein
• "The Gruffalo," by Julia Donaldson
• "The Hello, Goodbye Window," by Norton Juste
• "Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time," by James Howe
• "Miss Rumphius," by Barbara Cooney
• “When I Grow Up,” by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Ages 9 to 13

• "All-of-a-Kind Family," by Sydney Taylor

Researchers have conducted that if children take a lengthy break from learning they will not only miss out on learning new information but also can lose up to three months of math and reading skills learned in the previous months.  

Due to the current situation in the world, living rooms have turned into schools, home offices and workout facilities.  Florida’s Department of Education released a statement that all schools will remained closed and students will continue virtual learning until the end of the school year.  

Educators in Florida have created a list to help students and parents with online learning.  Resources are available in all subjects including Art, History, Math, Science, Spelling, Humanities, Music, Physical Education, Reading

The large Southern U.S. grocery store chain Publix is working to keep Southeast Florida farmers in business while also supplying those in need during this difficult coronavirus pandemic. The supermarket giant announced a new initiative Wednesday to purchase fresh produce and milk from farmers, which would then be donated to Feeding America food banks.

 Publix Chief Executive Officer, Todd Jones said, “As a food retailer, we have the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the needs of families and farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In this time of uncertainty, we are grateful to be able to help Florida’s produce farmers, southeastern dairies and families in our communities.”

Publix also released the following statement this week.

If you have already “caught up” on all your shows and are looking for something new to watch while in self-isolation, here are a few great movies you can stream from home this week”

10 Great Movies on NetFlix

1. Goodfellas
2. Inglorious Bastards
3. Marriage Story
4. Once Upon a Time in the West
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
6. Roma
7. Step Brothers
8. The Irishman
9. The Master
10. The Meyerowitz Stories

10 Great Movies on Amazon Prime

1. Booksmart
2. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
3. Interstellar
4. Midsommar
5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
6. Parasite
7. Silver Linings Playbook
8. The Big Sick
9. The Nice Guys
10. The Squid and the Whale

10 Great Movies on Hulu

1. A Quiet Place
2. Good Will Hunting
3. Misery
4. True Grit (Jeff Bridges

West Palm Beach houses a botanical treasure, Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 North Military Trail is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 virus, however the garden still grows on.  This is the oldest and largest public garden with over 2,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants from six continents, including plants native to South Florida, herbs, tropical fruit trees, exotic trees, tropical fruit, and a variety of palms. 

The garden was named in remembrance of Marvin “Red” Mounts.  Mounts served Palm Beach County Farmers and Palm Beach County Extension for over 40 years. He created and oversaw the collection of fruit trees to aid in generating extra food resources that might help people overcome vitamin deficiencies. By 1964 there were 69

Based on available evidence, children do not appear to be at higher risk for COVID-19 than adults. While some children and infants have been sick with COVID-19, adults make up most of the known cases to date.

Children may have mild symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in children and adults. However, children with confirmed COVID-19 have generally shown mild symptoms. Reported symptoms in children include cold-like symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, and cough. Vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported.

It’s not known yet whether some children may be at higher risk for severe illness, for example, children with underlying medical conditions and special healthcare needs. There is more to learn about how the disease impacts

The Palm Beach Boat Show is one of the largest boat shows and one of the Top 5 Boat Shows to attend in the United States. The show was originally scheduled for March of this year but was postponed until May and now the popular boat show has announced on their social media page and website that they will be going virtual. 

The virtual Palm Beach Boat Show will be online with nearly 500 premier exhibitors and will be launching on Thursday, May 14th.  

The virtual boat show will continue to be dedicating to connecting the community of yachting and marine enthusiasts. The show will no longer take place in its original form and will be the first time anything like this has happened in 35 years but the show will continue to bring exhibitors and

These are unusual times. Kids are home from school and many adults working from home as we each do our part in practicing safe and responsible social distancing.

So how exactly do you stay healthy and keep your immune system high in order to avoid getting sick?

Exercise and or Workout

Going to the gym to workout my not sound too ideal right now, but you can still work out at home. You can do squats, push ups, planks or leg lifts. But most importantly, don't forget about cardio. Even a walk around the neighborhood for 30 minutes will do your body wonders. Enjoy the fresh air! WebMD says you need 30 minutes of exercise per day. Will you make a promise to yourself to do this?

Manage Your Stress

Yes, we know this can be a stressful time for

Cities in South Florida, and elsewhere, are growing at a rapid pace. Making cities green is a necessary step in preparing for a healthier, more sustainable future. The Earth Day Network is using today, April 22, 2020, Earth Day as a platform to educate residents of Planet Earth.

These endeavors focus on advancing science and advocating action and volunteerism on behalf of the global environment. Environmental education is key to continued growth and success. Some of the “green” initiatives to be considered are listed below. 

• Banning or taxing any or all the ten most common single-use plastics.
• Creating a Zero Waste or Circular Economy plan.
• Developing a biodiversity protection strategy and establishing green corridors for wildlife in

While BallenIsles, along with other clubs in the area, is shut down at the moment from a Country Club perspective, they are making the most of the free time they now have on their hands.

On Monday, many of the staff at the club took a trip over to the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center to deliver 300 meals to those on the front lines in the medical world. In addition to the 300 lunches, Ballen reached out to their residents for additional support, many of which who made signs and baked goods to thank the medical professionals at Gardens Medical Center.

"We have staff members who (had) tears in their eyes (when the food was delivered," C.E.O of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center Teresa Urquhart told WPEC News 12. "Because of the caring and