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Volume 24, Issue 7

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CELEBRATING 23 YE ARS OF PUBLISHING POSITIVE COMMUNITY NEWS

LOCAL AUTHOR BALANCES TEACHING AND WRITING BESTSELLERS AFTER SCHOOL

AFTER LIFE-ALTERING INJURY, ARAKAWA NAMED MS. WHEELCHAIR FLORIDA 2025

By Mylena C. Ferman

By Michaela Galligan

a world where witches are evil and determined to take over. Maria’s success as a writer was not without obstacles, however. She often relies on her husband, Joe DeVivo, for support. “He stood by me through this whole thing,” Maria said. Joe helps support Maria emotionally, gives a male perspective for characters, edits finished m a n u scripts and has e v e n helped write a few passages. T h e i r daughter, Morgan DeVivo, is also a published author. Like her mother, Morgan is balancing school with writing; has her own writing schedule; has a book, Sun and Moon, set to release later this year; and is writing a new book. “This one that she’s writing is very dark,” Maria said. “I’m very proud of her for that.” Maria’s book, Witch of the Midnight Shadow, will be the seventh book in the Dawn of the Blood Witch series, and it is set to release later this year. You can find out more about her at www.mariadevivo.com, on Facebook at ‘Maria DeVivo - Author’ or on her Instagram page @authordevivo.

Schuyler Arakawa, of assistance, such a FishHawk local, has as AI communicarecently been named tion and captioning Ms. Wheelchair Flordevices. ida 2025, and her inOf course, none spirational story and of this can be done mission continue to alone, and Arakawa motivate and touch is lucky to be one people every day. half of a powerful In 2016, shortly dynamic duo with after her graduation her mom, Meridfrom Yale Univerith Alexander. The sity, Arakawa fell day of the accivictim to a terrible dent, Alexander’s accident. While on a life changed forever Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025.jpg Schuyler fellowship to South as well. Alexander Arakawa is Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025. America, a fallstepped away from ing boulder struck her career to care Arakawa, leaving for Arakawa but has her with traumatic found her own purinjuries that would pose and mindset forever change her from this event. life. As an active stu“The mental healdent, she found hering is the most imself in a very differportant part,” said ent life, waking up in Alexander. “But the ICU without the through this, we ability to speak and have learned to turn with limited physical tragedy into triumph movement. and understand that “I felt like I was Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025 Schuyler Arakawa maybe this wasn’t living life on pause with her mom and biggest supporter Meridith. happening to us but and that things could go back to normal, for us.” but it was moving slowly,” said Arakawa. The strength and bond that Arakawa “Now I’m working on finding my new pur- and Alexander share have allowed them to pose in life.” accomplish great things together, and Ms. With the encouragement of a therapist, Wheelchair Florida is just the beginning. Arakawa found the platform of Ms. Wheel- Arakawa will be representing Florida at chair America. the Ms. Wheelchair America competition At her first competition, she could hardly in Michigan later this summer. speak, and no one with a speech impediArakawa’s attendance at the competiment had ever placed before. During this tion is reliant on donations from her local time, she realized the necessity of access community. for silent disabilities and used this platform For more information about events and to share the struggle that so many share. sponsorship, please contact Alexander at “When you can’t communicate, you get meridith@meridithalexander.com. trapped within yourself,” said Arakawa. “That’s why I founded ROAR.” Raise Awareness, Open Doors, Amplify Voices and Redefine Accessibility, or ROAR, GEOCACHING.......................................PG 3 is Arakawa’s mission for those with silent ROTARY DONATIONS............. .........PG 9 disabilities, providing accessibility for all DINOSAUR WORLD.........................PG 17 disabilities, not just physical ones. Her work BLOOMINGDALE SGA BILL........PG 24 has elevated technology for those in need

Morgan DeVivo (left) and Maria DeVivo (right) at a joint author signing.

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Since publishing her debut book in 2012, Maria DeVivo has balanced writing Amazon bestsellers, teaching middle school and raising her daughter. Maria writes three nights a week after school with the goal of 1,000 words per writing session. She is not as disciplined in every aspect of her life, but she takes pride in her primary job as a middle school language arts and journalism teacher. Maria has encouraged her students to develop their writing voice for over 25 years. “When I’m teaching, I have to give my kids my attention,” Maria said. “They deserve that.” Due to her ‘old-school’ teaching style, students cannot take writing assignments home and must write them in class with pen and paper. “I force them to write critically. I force them to write creatively, whether they like it or not,” she said. While her first series, The Coal Elf Chronicles, was inspired by her students and written with young adults in mind, Maria wanted to take her writing career in a different direction and write something for the adults in her life. This decision led to the Dawn of the Blood Witch series, which takes place in

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