South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 34

10D Sun-Sentinel, Thursday, December 28, 1989 I Year-end gifts help colleges wind up profitable fund drives campaigning, private and public TLJ; i. Si" ter Jeanne M. O'Laughlln takes a hands-on approach to fund raising. Her work has Impressed Miami millionaire Victor Posner, who has assigned one of his executives, Gene Autrey, to manage the school's fund-raising efforts. Laughlin and Autrey, who remains on Posner's payroll, follow up letters to potential benefactors with a friendly visit "I would say we make a visit to someone once a week, 52 weeks a year," Autrey said.

The effort has paid off. Barry has collected $47 million at its main campus in Dade as part of its capital campaign, which began in the mid-1980s and will end in December 1990. i Posner has contributed about $2 million to the drive, but the school's major contributor is D. Inez Andreas, a graduate of the school, who has given about $5 million. Like Barry and UM, the University of Florida is closing "its best year ever" of fund raising with $58 million collected, said Robert Lindgren, vice president for development and alumni affairs.

By LUISA YANEZ Miami Bureau Retailers are not the only ones who look forward to December to pad their coffers. During the holidays, colleges itnd universities heat up their lund-raising efforts, hoping big wage earners will remember them 1 before income tax time. In Florida, most higher education institutions say the bulk of the cash donations, pledges and bequests begin in November and peak during the last two weeks of the year. "Wealthy people wait until their accountant tells them how much money they should give away to claim as a deduction this year," said Sandra Dreker, chief financial officer of Florida Atlantic University's Alumni Foundation in Boca Raton. Last year, FAU received a $750,000 donation on Dec.

31. The benefactor wanted the university to create a philosophy chair, which the school is doing, Dreker said. This year, because of aggressive universities are closing out a Dan-ner year for fund raising. In January, the University of Miami will finish an ambitious five-year capital fund-raising campaign with more than $500 million in the till, exceeding its goal of $400 million. Dr.

Rita Bornstein, UM vice president for development, said that about 75 percent of the contributions came from Broward, Dade and Palm Beach county alumni, corporations and foundations. Schools need the donations to finance new buildings, chair endowments, professor salaries and scholarships. Sometimes the money goes to fulfill the wishes of rich benefactors. One of UM's biggest donors is Boca Raton millionaire Harcourt Sylvester, who has given $32.5 million. "He has a passionate desire to find a cure for cancer, and well be building a major cancer center in his name," Bornstein said.

Sylvester lost a parent to the disease. Barry University President Sis Staff photoPAM SUSEMIEHL Architects Sheff Devier, left, and Pat Fanelli talk near the high school courtyard and gazebo. NEW HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOL Broward's first new public high school since 1979 will open in Parkland in the fall: Palm Beach County Broward County New High I School Sawgrass Expressway NAME: To be chosen in early 1990 by students and parents, who also will decide the school's colors and a mascot. COST: $27 million. PRINCIPAL: Ben Arculeo, whose previous positions include director of secondary schools In the district's south area, principal of Apollo Middle School and assistant principal of Cooper City High School.

CAPACITY: About 2,300 students, but the school will be able to accommodate a student body of 2,800 without crowding. l. A PAL CD CO tn LLSample T3 ir It 11 I Rd iieitwe Staff graphic AARON PORTER 'AW MITF I ARCHITECTURE: Contemporary Mediterranean. A tiled courtyard is surrounded by classrooms, a library and a cafeteria in a two-story building. Covered walkways upstairs and down face the courtyard.

I FEATURES: Auditorium, gymnasium, eight tennis courts, eight rac-quetball courts, eight basketball courts, softball field, baseball field, football practice field, track, band practice field and an outdoor gazebo. Every classroom is set up for computers. Mil FROM PAGE 1B iHigh school work -nears completion "after 10 years land off the Sawgrass Expressway. After years of waiting and coping with severely crowded high 'schools, the people of northwest Broward say the new Parkland school is worth the price. "The county is growing so jnuch," said Suzanne Linden, jyhose daughter will be in ninth grade at the high school when it opens in the fall.

"When they put Jill the energy into building a new school, it's contagious. The school is gorgeous." The principal, Ben Arculeo, has become caught up in the excitement in the two weeks since he transferred from his position as director of secondary schools in the south area. "We have quite a task ahead, but really excited about it. It's an 'absolutely beautiful school," said tArculeo, who has been principal of Apollo Middle School in Hollywood -and assistant principal of Cooper City High School. The central feature of the Parkland school is a tiled courtyard with a gazebo.

Boxed landscaping separates it from the classrooms, library and cafeteria, which wili be in a two-story building that sur-! rounds the courtyard. "You probably could get the whole student body in this court-! yard," said Sheff Devier, the archi-; tect who designed the school for James Hartley Architects Inc. of Hollywood. The -school has been built for about 2,300 students, but common areas such as the library, cafeteria and courtyard are large enough to 1 accommodate an eventual student body of 2,800 without crowding. he.

me Ij 0 There is space for additional permanent classrooms, and the contractor, Dawson Construction Co. of Gadsen, also is preparing a lot beside the school to accommodate portable classrooms that may be needed in the future. The Parkland school's future capacity of 2,800 students would eclipse the planned capacity of Coral Springs, Tara-vella and Western high schools. All are crowded; Coral Springs the most with an enrollment of 3,300. "Part of the concept for this Parkland school was to build it for growth," Devier said.

Students will move about on walkways, upstairs and down, that have concrete overhangs. Devier added glass blocks and concrete grillwork to stairwells as accents to the basic design. "We didn't want to go totally traditional," he said. "We wanted to keep it modern." Devier put the auditorium in the front of the school, instead of in the rear as it is at many schools. The gymnasium is in the rear next to the eight tennis courts, eight racquetball courts, eight basketball courts, softball field, baseball field, football practice field, track and band practice field.

Students at the new high school will have the option of taking a variety of business courses, graphics and printing, electronics, drafting, home economics, and vocational courses. Art students will have their own outdoor gazebo. Science teachers will have a central storage area for chemicals and laboratory materials, and teachers in each subject will have spacious planning areas. Every classroom is being set up for computers, and the English department will include a television studio. "If we've got something to provide for the creativity of students, we'll use it," Arculeo said.

Come watch the fireworks show! Roll in the New Year with the sights and sounds of Winterfest'sSMLight Up Lauderdale and all that jazz! Catch musicians Nestor Torres, Iko Iko, Reunion and Asante performing live from two stages. Hop in a hot air balloon. Come early and make your own party mask, have your photo taken, and visit the WRMF boom box. Plus, there'll be games, rides, street performers, and all kinds of food and beverages. Then at midnight, it's the incredible animated, musical laser show and fireworks spectacular, all courtesy of the Florida Lottery.

So bring your family, bring your friends, and start off the new decade right. For a New Year's Eve you'll never forget, come Light Up Lauderdale! Light Up Lauderdale and all that jazz December 31, 1989 7:00 P.M. to 1:00 a.m. No Gate Charge Downtown Ft. LauderdaleAlong the New River See this New fear's Eve's Cash 3 numbers illuminated in lasers! Plus, there'll be Instant TkkrtsforsaJefromlheFloiidaLnllPiy.

Partial funding for this event is provided by the Broward Cultural Affairs Council. Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Visitors Bureau and the Broward Count) Board of County Commissioners. Winterfestj florida lottery Major drug runner faces trial LightnptheWofld V'VksytCTA jt Event Sponsors: Cultural Affairs DOWNTOWN I PMI (NT AUIHOKlT Florida Lottery BEER BERGER, BLAS1 SHAPIRO, P. RL'DEN, BARNETT, McCLOSKY, SMITH, SCHUSTER RUSSELL, P.A. Official Sponsors: Zelman said Mera was involved with the same drug ring as Cabrera.

Mera, 36, is a native of Colombia who was a judge there until he came to the United States and became connected with a drug-smuggling ring in Miami, police said. Bob Johnson, a former New York detective who investigated Mera in the 1984 case, said Mera moved as much as $3.5 billion a year in cocaine into the United States. "He led a double life in that he was married to a 19-year-old girl in Miami, but still had a girlfriend in the New York area that helped him," said Johnson. The statewide prosecutor has charged Mera with participating in an Oct. 30, 1983 trip to smuggle about 1,600 pounds of cocaine from Colombia to South Florida.

By KURT GREENBAUM Staff Writer I A high-ranking drug runner whose crimes were the subject of a 1986 television movie has been extradited from Colombia and will I face drug charges in West Palm Beach. Victor Eduardo Mera, described iby law officers as second in command for cocaine distribution in the United States, was returned to New York on Christmas Eve. A AmerieanA.rlines BWNK JMiiip- t-TF- FM07.B PICK THE OFFICIAL WIXTERFEST SCHEDULE OF EV ENTS AT PARTICIPATING BURGER KING RESTAURANTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL WINTERFEST, INC. (305) 522-3983.

3 federal court jury there convicted Mm of drug trafficking in 1984. During that trial, he fled the country. The conviction was returned in his absence. In Florida, officials from the Office the Statewide Prosecutor are eagerly awaiting his sentencing in New York. That is expected to take six to eight weeks, Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Andrew Zelman said.

After Mera's sentencing, he will come to West Palm Beach to face state drug trafficking charges. Bill Wolfe, a drug agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said he expected Mera to be at the Palm Beach County Jail while awaiting trial. "There were a lot of conspiratorial meetings that happened in Palm Beach County," Wolfe said. "A lot of cocaine went through Palm Beach County." Authorities expect tight security for Mera and court officials when his trial begins before Circuit Judge Tom Johnson in West Palm Beach. They likened the case to the 1986 trial of another Colombian, Jose Antonio "Pepe" Cabrera-Sar-miento, who was tried and convicted in a courtroom at the Palm Beach County JaiL He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Call Fair Oaks Hospital 1-C00-HELPmH FAIR OAKS HOSPITAL 5440 Linton Boulevard Delray Beach, FL 33484.