People Profiles

? We’ve always considered it a professional sport. It sounds funny to say, but there’s people that make $500,000. It ain’t like other sports, where you get paid to do it—you’ve got to win or you don’t get paid. It’s neat to be able to bring a professional sport to your hometown. ? It ain’t

Though Xavier Cortada has created art around the world, working at Pinecrest Gardens holds a special appeal to him. He can immerse himself in the nature that inspires his work as the Gardens’ new artist in residence. Cortada, 53, creates paintings, murals, mosaics, installations and more that reflect nature’s beauty and encourage viewers to protect

A Miami breast cancer survivor finds her purpose while encouraging others in the fight to live strong When Kim Heard was diagnosed with breast cancer, she found comfort in befriending survivors. “I wanted to find women who had gone through what I was about to start,” she says. “I wanted to talk and listen without

Meet the firefighters of Creek’s new fire station This year, history repeated itself on Coconut Creek Parkway when city officials gathered with community members to cut the ribbon for the new Fire Station 50. The station, for which construction began in 2015, sits on the site of the city’s volunteer fire department building, which serviced

My mother was always organized. Everything was in its place. She talked about her last wishes in case of her death. In her safe deposit box, she had specific instructions about what she wanted me to do when she died. She already had written her obituary, and attached the photo she wanted to accompany it.

From the time he could walk, David Harper worked on building sites with his father, who owned a construction company. “He’d make me do the hardest jobs out on the construction site, I think, to show that he wasn’t [showing favoritism],” Harper says. “But he also used it as a way of saying, ‘Do well

John DiCintio is something of a local celebrity. Having lived in South Creek for about 30 years, the police captain regularly gets waves and honks from neighbors. His popularity speaks not only to the practice of community policing but also to the fact that, as DiCintio says, officers are never quite off the clock. “It’s

Manuel “Manny” Mair, a local personal training guru with a celebrity following, has been a fixture in South Florida for more than 25 years as founder of One to One Fitness based in Coral Springs. The former Men’s Fitness model is focusing on his other passion: advocating for veterans. On Nov. 11, Mair will host

Tammy Gail remembers the moment in 2003 like it was yesterday. She had just undergone a six-hour lumpectomy to remove an aggressive form of breast cancer. Two days later, because the cancer had spread, she underwent a procedure to remove her second breast. Lying in her hospital bed, Gail struck a silent deal. “I said

Art Sotloff remembers the nightly video calls with his son, Steven, as if they were yesterday. “No matter where he was, in Syria or Turkey, in Egypt, we would talk, even if it was 3 or 4 in the morning here.” Steven and Art would chat about their favorite sports teams, the Miami Heat and

Creek’s parks and rec director makes a career out of fun and games When Wayne Tobey says “baseball was good to me,” there’s no irony in his voice even though he’s using the past tense. Having tasted the glory of winning a district championship at Coconut Creek High School, he had dreams of playing in

Born and raised in the college town of State College, Pennsylvania, it’s no surprise Nancy Lawther is a lover of education. Her love of learning began as a child when her father read to her in French. Both her parents had studied the language, and she found herself wanting to learn as well. Lawther eventually