CITY OF WESTON - NEWS

 

NEWS FROM THE CITY OF WESTON October 17, 2023 ‌ Next City Commission Meeting: Monday, November 6 Open It and They Will Come BSO Fire Rescue Open House a Huge Success Over 1,000 people were estimated to have attended the BSO Fire Rescue Open House on Saturday, October 14 at the Bonaventure Fire Station No. 21 in Weston. There is something about fire trucks and firefighters that makes children smile, because everyone was having a great time. BSO Weston Fire Rescue is thrilled that the community took them up on their offer to come visit them in their home and learn valuable safety information while having a fun time.    Next up for BSO Weston Fire Rescue: ‘Chat with the Chief’ on Tuesday, Oct. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Carolina Ale House. View City of Weston Photos » View BSO Fire Photos » How to Help Israel-Gaza Conflict Our hearts are with the Israeli people and innocent civilians throughout the entire region that are suffering, and people throughout the world that are affected by the violence with the subsequent loss of loved ones. When disaster strikes, it is our human nature to want to help. If you are seeking ways to help, it is recommended to research the aid organizations to make sure your donation is going to a legitimate organization that has an active plan to provide the needed assistance. Social media is flooded with misinformation, so use caution.  The Federal Trade Commission recommends searching charities' names alongside "complaint," "review," "rating" and "scam" to see if any red flags come up. Another red flag would be if their website doesn't have detailed information about its mission and programs, or if you don't get a receipt after donating.  Use Charity Navigator to find reputable agencies such as the Jewish Federation, which provides help directly to those in need and through vetted and existing organizations on the ground, such as the Jewish Federation and Save the Children which is focused on the immediate emergency needs of children throughout the region.  These resources are helpful for any support you wish to give, for any sort of relief effort -- whether it is hurricane relief, wildfire recovery in Maui, the war in Ukraine, or the current conflict in Israel-Gaza.  Learn More » Free Chlorine Disinfection in Drinking Water October 18 - November 13 Starting tomorrow through November 13, the Sunrise Utility Department, which provides water to the City of Weston, will switch from monochloramine to free chlorine disinfection in its drinking water treatment system to provide additional protection against bacteria.    This procedure does not cause any adverse health effects; however, kidney dialysis centers and hospitals have been notified to make any adjustments as necessary. Also, some aquatic species may be sensitive to free chlorine, so if you maintain an aquarium you may wish to seek additional information on dechlorination from a pet supply store. Individuals may notice a slight change in the taste, odor or color of the water during this time.   Learn More » Quarterly Bulk Trash Next Week The next quarterly bulk trash pickup is next week. Place items at the curb by 7 a.m. on your regular garbage service day: Wednesday, October 25, Thursday, October 26, or Friday, October 27 (for single family homes and multi-family units with curbside collection); or on Saturday, October 28 (for multi-family units with dumpsters). Bulk trash includes furniture, refrigerators or air conditioners which must have Freon removed by a certified dealer, small kitchen appliances, carpets, windowpanes, glass table-tops, mirrors, and more. All glass items must be reinforced to prevent breaking, or it will not be collected.  Check out the list of items in the link below and be sure to place items out at the curb by 7 a.m. on the day of your service.   Learn More » Food Distribution Event Saturday, November 4 | 10 a.m. until food is gone or 1 p.m. In these challenging times, no one should go to bed hungry. We're excited to announce this Food Distribution Event to provide essential food items to those in need, brought to you by Commissioner Molina-Macfie, Bonaventure Town Center Club and Farm Share.   What to expect:   * Fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, canned goods, dairy, bread   * A warm and welcoming environment   * Smiles and support for everyone!  This is a first come, first served, drive through event. You do not even need to get out of your vehicle.   Learn More » Chalk in the Park Registration is OPEN The sidewalks of Library Park will transform into canvases of natural wonders at the Chalk in the Park Day on Saturday, November 4 at 11 a.m. Let your imagination roam free as you craft your own masterpiece to the theme of The Great Outdoors. Highlight the wonders of the sawgrass, playful wildlife or the vibrant colors of nature that surround us.   To participate in the chalk art drawing, pre-registration is required as a limited capacity is available. Registration is now open, so secure your spot today!   The park is open to the public for those that want to view the creative designs in progress from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check-in for registered participants will open at 10:15 a.m.   Learn More » Harvest Drive Holiday Donation Drive Saturday, November 4 | Noon - 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving is drawing near, so to honor the season of giving and gratitude we announce our annual Holiday Food Collection Drive-Thru event for Harvest Drive. This is an opportunity for all of us to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those who need it most.   Donations will be accepted on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Community Center inside Regional Park from noon until 7:30 p.m. Just drive up and our volunteers will unload your donations and you’ll be on your way.  Read More » Veterans Day Breakfast Veterans and their families are invited to register to attend a special breakfast in their honor. Hosted by the YMCA of South Florida and the Weston YMCA Family Center in collaboration with the City of weston, the 9th Annual Veterans Day Salute will take place on Friday, November 10 at 9 a.m. Attendees will be treated to a special breakfast and a keynote address by Captain Scott O’Grady, a decorated Air Force veteran who will share his survival story from when he was helping to enforce the NATO No-Fly Zone over Bosnia and his F-16 was struck by an anti-aircraft missile. He survived in hostile territory for six days prior to being rescued by US Marines.  Register Here » Recycling at Home? Don't Bag It Yes, we know that many manufacturers make bags specifically for recycling in your home, but we are pleading with you to NOT bag your recycling.   Why? Bagged recycling is not accepted by our solid waste provider, Republic Services, and by bagging your recycled products you are contaminating the recycling stream.   Reminders for Responsible Recycling:  Simply ensure that all your recycled items are clean and dry and drop them into your recycling cart. Items include aluminum cans, cardboard, paper (clean, dry and free of any food or grease/oil residue), glass jars or bottles and plastics #1 – 7.    Do not include plastic wrap (such as found around a case of bottled water) or plastic bags.   Learn More »

ARE YOU READY FOR WHAT MAY COME NEXT? / ¿ESTAS LISTO PARA LO QUE VENGA?

As our current times become stranger and less certain, many of us have started taking precautions for what may come next. Some may buy a gun to keep on their bedroom drawer, some may invest their savings in the stock market, some may build a shelter in the middle of the woods in case of nuclear Armageddon: different strokes for different folks. With that in mind, one must ask themselves, "am I prepare?"

We at 200GFS are happy to help you answer this question. 200GFS offers a myriad of services that can help you in whatever you may need. From financial analysis to see your economic strength, to tax and financial planning to make a plan to better deal with you present situation, to economic projections of what the future may have in store for you and what you might be able to do about it. So give us a call, and we will get started on making your happy ending.

-200GFS

MORE THAN BUTTOM PUSHERS/ MÁS QUE EMPUJADORES DE BOTONES

Convenience has become a bit of a cliché in marketing. It really does feel like that is what most of what we purchase nowadays have to say about why we should buy them. From microwave dinners to smart refrigerators, it does not even matter if its actually more convenient or even practical, there is always some twist to create the image of ease. And a lot of tax preparers fall into this category.

A lot of people get their taxes prepared by someone in a supermarket who has set up shop there. You go to them, ask them for their help, they ask for your supports; and then they proceed to write numbers on a computer. It is usually the most straightforward and immediate way to file to the IRS. Tons of people come to rely on these accountants because they are the most convenient option for them. But that convenience hides the fact that a lot of them have no idea what they are doing.

Usually this will be some program that is connected to the IRS, that can do the calculations for them. The design purpose of this feature is to avoid filling errors in the future, however this has a particular side-effect. Because the way the program is made, you are fully able to file your taxes without understanding one singular thing about tax code or process. This becomes problematic when it come to deductions. Many people qualify for deductions to their obligations, but because they are not familiar with the rules, they miss out on opportunities to save money. Most people go to their accountant because they trust them to make decisions with their insight on finances that will be to their benefit. And that is where we come in.

200GFS is a company that goes beyond the familiar and delves deep into the issues that may be causing you financial troubles. We are always increasing our variety of skills, services and insights into what we can do for you. We will not just file your taxes, but we will discuss with you options that can better your material situation. We provide access to several services from marketing to real estate to notary and so much more. So if you want someone who will go the distance for you, call us now at the number below or email us with the link. 

Best wishes,

200GFS

THE DIGITAL FACE STEALERS/ LOS LADRONES DE CARAS DIGITALES

We live in a strange era. For most of history, people have had a sense of logic to the world; a logic something that could be used to determined the absurd from the realistic. In modernity, specially in these past years, it has felt like this logic has abandon us to the point that the things we would have previously laughed about, are now urgently real. Shifts and threats that would be restricted to tall tales or novels becoming reality in ways that are disruptive and sometimes actively malicious. So lets talk about "deepfakes".

AI, that is something you don't seem to be able to avoid talk thereof these days. AI will replace artists, AI will replace authors, those are some of the common talking points. But AI will replace, "you"? Deepfake technology is a collective term used to describe software that is able to replicate the likeness and even the voice of a person to such an extent that people may confuse it for the reality. People like Tom Hanks, leading actor for movies such as Forest Gump or Saving Private Ryan, has had to deal with digital imitators. An AI clone had been used in Instagram advertisements against the consent of Hanks, leading the actor to release a statement clarifying what was happening. On a concerning note, many technology companies have pitched the concepts of AI clones as a solution to the problem of having to treat human beings as people. Naturally, this has been a point of contention in the SAG-AFTRA strike, between actors, writers, and the producers.

So we live in a sci-fi movie, what now? One of the things to keep in mind is that AI, by the nature of it being code, can only make things through a series of average values derived from calculus expressions. As such, AI can never have an "understanding" of the task it has been assigned to do. Once it has to go outside the box it was design for, if it can even, the AI has no capacity to adapt or innovate, only copy what it was trained on. It is not a dynamic system that can create its own ideas, instead it is best to think of it as part of the same family of programs such as auto-complete or Instagram filters. As the novelty of the technology fades, people will become urgently aware of its limits. One of the things AI will probably replace are jobs that employers did not see the value thereof in the first place. It will most likely be used by people who want to spend the least amount of money on the particular activity they are employing the AI for. What this means is that whether AI will replace humanity in the workplace is not a question of competency or efficiency, but instead whether the forces that be valued humanity in the first place.

So, what do you think? we would like to hear your opinions about AI and its place in the future, both in the arts and in business. Do you think AI will be here to stay or is it just a passing trend? How have you interacted with AI? Are you concerned that it will be used to harm people or are you excited about what possibilities may open up.

THE DIGITAL FACE STEALERS/ LOS LADRONES DE CARAS DIGITALES

 

Vivimos en una era extraña. Durante la mayor parte de la historia, la gente ha tenido un sentido de lógica ante el mundo; una lógica algo que podría servir para diferenciar lo absurdo de lo realista. En la modernidad, especialmente en estos últimos años, hemos sentido que esta lógica nos ha abandonado hasta el punto de que las cosas de las que antes nos habríamos reído, ahora son urgentemente reales. Cambios y amenazas que se limitarían a cuentos fantásticos o novelas que se hacen realidad de maneras disruptivas y, a veces, activamente maliciosas. Entonces, hablemos de "deepfakes".

AI, eso es algo de lo que no parece poder evitar hablar al respecto estos días. La IA reemplazará a los artistas, la IA reemplazará a los autores, esos son algunos de los temas de conversación comunes. ¿Pero la IA reemplazará a "usted"? La tecnología deepfake es un término colectivo utilizado para describir el software que es capaz de replicar la imagen e incluso la voz de una persona hasta tal punto que la gente puede confundirlo con la realidad. Personas como Tom Hanks, actor protagonista de películas como Forest Gump o Salvar al soldado Ryan, ha tenido que lidiar con imitadores digitales. Se había utilizado un clon de IA en anuncios de Instagram contra el consentimiento de Hanks, lo que llevó al actor a emitir un comunicado aclarando lo que estaba sucediendo. Como nota preocupante, muchas empresas de tecnología han presentado los conceptos de clones de IA como una solución al problema de tener que tratar a los seres humanos como personas. Naturalmente, este ha sido un punto de discordia en la huelga SAG-AFTRA, entre actores, escritores y productores.

Entonces vivimos en una película de ciencia ficción, ¿y ahora qué? Una de las cosas a tener en cuenta es que la IA, por su naturaleza de código, solo puede crear cosas a través de una serie de valores promedio derivados de expresiones de cálculo. Como tal, la IA nunca puede "comprender" la tarea que se le ha asignado. Una vez que tiene que salirse de la caja para la que fue diseñada, si es que puede hacerlo, la IA no tiene capacidad para adaptarse o innovar, solo copiar aquello en lo que fue entrenada. No es un sistema dinámico que pueda crear sus propias ideas, sino que es mejor pensar en él como parte de la misma familia de programas como el autocompletado o los filtros de Instagram. A medida que la novedad de la tecnología se desvanezca, la gente se dará cuenta urgentemente de sus límites. Una de las cosas que la IA probablemente reemplazará son los empleos cuyo valor los empleadores no vieron en primer lugar. Lo más probable es que lo utilicen personas que quieran gastar la menor cantidad de dinero en la actividad particular para la que emplean la IA. Lo que esto significa es que si la IA reemplazará a la humanidad en el lugar de trabajo no es una cuestión de competencia o eficiencia, sino de si las fuerzas que deben valorar a la humanidad en primer lugar.

¿Entonces, qué piensas? Nos gustaría escuchar sus opiniones sobre la IA y su lugar en el futuro, tanto en las artes como en los negocios. ¿Crees que la IA llegará para quedarse o es sólo una tendencia pasajera? ¿Cómo has interactuado con la IA? ¿Le preocupa que se utilice para dañar a las personas o está entusiasmado con las posibilidades que se pueden abrir?

NEED A TRANSLATOR? / ¿NECESITAS UN TRADUCTOR?

Some have compared legalese to a whole different language. Speaking casually in any language can be said to have one goal: sharing information. In order to do that, the cultures of the associated language will come to a middle-ground between how much the speaker should specify their meaning and how much the listener should interpret. What this creates is a standard from which the people of a language group may communicate with each other in a way that is natural, effective, and convenient for them. This is not how the law works.

Laws such as the tax code have unique challenges to them. For one, their purpose is less to communicate the intent of a speaker and more to define procedure and restrictions. By necessity, legalese is the way that it is because it needs to describe details and relationships that could usually be left to interpretation and context. Laws can not work like that, so instead each term is either specifically defined in the document or is agreed upon jargon for byzantine legal concepts. The syntax and prose must read less like a human speaking and more like reading out computer code due and the implications to certain phrases or wording are only clear through outside reading or insider knowledge. This can make it intimidating to try and learn the how the systems that control our lives work in detail. Here is where we step in.

200GFS is a firm that has several kinds of financial, legal, and business knowledge that is relevant to the everyday entrepreneur. We have struggled on to understand these nuanced and confusing regulations so that we can offer you the best servicing possible. Our company is not satisfied with just putting numbers into boxes and calling it a day, but instead we seek to understand the greater mechanism of the US tax system so that we can understand what is the best thing you can do for yourself. With us at your side, you will feel secured in your place in this country and confident in the direction you decide to take your business and finances. So get started with us today with the information below, and we will start delving in between the lines of the law for you.

Detecta y frena a los recaudadores de fondos deshonestos de organizaciones de caridad

 ¿Qué es peor que una organización de caridad falsa? Una organización de caridad falsa con un recaudador de fondos deshonesto. La FTC ha demandado y detenido a recaudadores de fondos de caridad deshonestos que llamaban a las personas para que donaran a organizaciones de caridad falsas. Algunos se aprovechan de su amabilidad y deseo de ayudar a las personas afectadas por emergencias climáticas o un desastre. Pero cuando recibes una llamada de un recaudador de fondos de caridad, ¿cómo sabes que la persona que llama te está diciendo la verdad?

Aquí hay algunos consejos:

• Hazle preguntas específicas a la persona que llama:

• ¿Cuál es el nombre, número de teléfono o dirección de la organización? Anótalos para que los puedas confirmar más tarde. Ten en cuenta que muchos nombres de organizaciones benéficas suenan similares, y las organizaciones de caridad falsas a menudo usan nombres que se parecen a los nombres de organizaciones de caridad legítimas.
• ¿Cuánto de tu donación irá directamente a los programas que deseas apoyar?
• ¿Tu donación será deducible de impuestos? No todas las llamadas que buscan una donación provienen de una organización de caridad. Algunas llamadas pueden ser de Comités de Acción Política u otros grupos donde las donaciones no son deducibles. Vea más preguntas para hacer aquí.

• Resiste la presión de donar en el momento. Después de escuchar a la persona que llama, cuelga el teléfono y piensa en lo que dijo. Luego, conéctate en internet y haz tu propia investigación:

• Busca el nombre y el número de teléfono de la organización, además de la palabra "estafa" o "queja". Lo que encuentres podría ayudarte a decidir si quieres hacer esa donación.
• Busca el nombre y la dirección de la organización. ¿Aparece en internet? Si no es así, eso podría ser una señal de que la persona que llama te estaba mintiendo.

200GFS PRESENTS: OUR SERVICE PACKAGES!/ ¡200GFS PRESENTA: NUESTRO PAQUETES DE SERVICIO!

Worried about paying far more than what you need? Concerned about hiring a firm to do your finances, only to then find out they cannot do what you need? Stressed about trying to balance the budget but having to see if you have to either throw out your accounting or something else that you might wish to keep? 200GFS has you covered.

Our services now come split into 3 packages for your ease of use. Just simply choose the package that has the services you want and is the right cost for you. Then give us a call and we can get to work. We offer a wide range of services that can either be included or excluded from your package depending on what you need or can afford. 200GFS is built on the premise on making people´s lives easier, so we hope that you can choose the package that is right for you. For more information on pricing and services included in each package, or if you wish to learn more about us, just use the information below to contact us.

We wish you the best in all of your endeavors and we hope to see you soon!

-200GFS