Open House at McNab Park

Friday, July 13 – 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

McNab Park

2250 E. Atlantic Blvd.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Public invited to 60th anniversary dedication of McNab Park to Pompano Beach in 1952. Also will showcase “Public Art in the Park” with artwork by Pat Anderson and certification of park as National Wildlife Habitat. Call 954-786-4111 for info.

Splash Ahoy

Friday, July 13 – 6 to 10 p.m.Quiet Waters Park

401 S. Powerline Rd.

Deerfield Beach 33442

Pirate-themed fun. Movie, pirate games, bounce house and splash time at Splash Adventure water park. $6 admission does not include refreshments. Space limited. Advance tickets required. Children 1 year-old and under FREE. 954-357-5100. www.broward.org/parks.

Sushi & Stroll Summer Walk Series

Friday, July 13 – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens

4000 Morikami Park Rd.

Delray Beach, FL 33446

Stroll through peaceful gardens, indulge in shopping, excite your palate, enjoy Taiko performance. $7 adults, $5 children. (Members and children 3 and under are free); $2 for taiko performance (optional). For more information visit www.morikami.org.

DJ Big Smile Fun and Games Dance Party

Friday, July 13

Boca Raton Children’s Museum

498 Crawford Blvd.

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Call for times and details. $5 per person. Includes museum admission & fun! Details: 561-368-6875. www.cmboca.org

Annual “Hidden Treasures” Indoor Rummage Sale

Saturday July 14 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

and Sunday July 15 – 9 a.m. to noon

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church

5201 Military Tr.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Hundreds of items! Jewelry, furniture, housewares, toys, accessories, books, baked goods

Ladies indoor clothing sale

Saturday, July 14 – 7 a.m. to noon

Crystal Lake Golf Villas Clubhouse

4791 NW 18 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33064

Gently-used high quality ladies clothing and accessories. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Rain or shine. Clothing donations accepted prior to the sale by appointment only. Call or text 954-818-2051or 954-263-7324.

Boca Burger Battle, A Grilling Affair!

Saturday, July 14 – 7 to 10 p.m.

Sanborn Square

NE 1 Ave. & Boca Raton Rd.

Boca Raton, FL 33432

South Florida’s top chefs grill it up in their burger battle for the best in show. Enjoy craft beers, wine, spirits and live entertainment. Also shop at the retail bazaar and garden market. Details: http://www.bocaburgerbattle.com/.

Nature Tots

Sunday, July 15 – 10 to 11 a.m.

Fern Forest Nature Center

201 Lyons Rd. South

Coconut Creek, FL 33063

One-hour program, for ages 2 to 4 accompanied by an adult. This month’s theme is “Shells”. Usually includes stories, songs, or arts and crafts, and short nature walk. $5 per child. Pre-registration required. 954-357-5198.

Israel in prophecy

Sunday, July 15 – 10:45 a.m.

First Christian Church of Pompano Beach

1860 NE 39 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Chosen People Ministries, which has a mission to bring the Gospel message of salvation to Jesus to the Jew first than to the gentile, will be speaking. Love offering will be received. 954-942-2515.

Zonta Club meets

Tuesday, July 17 – 11:45 a.m. to 1:15p.m.

Duffy’s

401 N. Federal Hwy.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Meetings 3rd Tuesday of month. Guest speaker: Kathleen Ryan, Development Director PACE Center for Girls, Broward County. For more information, call 561-368-6875.

Democratic Women’s Club of Northeast Broward meets

Wednesday, July 18 – 7 p.m.

Emma Lou Olson Civic Center

1801 NE 6 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Speaker: Corinne Miller, League of Women Voters. RE: Constitutional amendments on the November 2012ballot and retention vote for three Florida Supreme Court Justices 954-942-8711.

Pompano Beach Budget Presentation and Workshop

Wednesday, July 18 – 9 a.m.

City Commission Chambers

100 W. Atlantic Blvd.

Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Budget Presentation, public input and discussion.954-786-4527.

There has been a wonderful movie in a few theatres in the area recently called “The Intouchables.” This was not “The Untouchables.” It had nothing to do with Elliot Ness or the old gangs that he cracked down on, and, it had nothing to do with India’s the “Untouchables,” those on the bottom of the social caste system there.

Then again, maybe it did. You see, the movie was about a man who was paralyzed below the neck, and, let’s face it, all too often, if someone is paralyzed, or ill, or way up in years, or, dare I say, “different,” many people are afraid, not just to touch them, but to have any contact with them at all.

“The Intouchables” was based on a true story about a very special relationship that develops between this man and the one he opts to take on as his private duty aide. His choice might surprise you, but the relationship that develops between them is something that never ceases to amaze me.

So often I am called in to try to get someone to see the importance of their getting a private duty aide; and, so often, the person I am talking to tells me a horror story about this or that friend or neighbor who hired someone who was awful, someone who was constantly on the phone building up an absurd long-distance bill and not paying attention to the person they were supposed to care for, someone who kept going out to get an item from the store, not to be seen or heard from again for hours at a time, someone who was mean and nasty, someone who lashed out and yelled at the very person they were supposed to be taking care of.

We’ve all heard such stories. People are quick to share such experiences with us. But, I get to see the other side of the coin. So often, just like in the movie, I have seen a love and compassion develop between a person and their caregiver… an unbreakable bond.

And, when such a bond exists, I have seen the caregiver yelled at in the midst of bad times, lashed out at in the midst of pain and frustration. But the angelic caregiver is able to miraculously see that the anger, the shouting and the screaming is not really directed at them; it is really about the situation the one under their charge is going through, as they often feel like the main character in “The Intouchables,” trapped in their own bodies, unable to lift a finger for themselves.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that we read the Biblical story of Moses being told by G-d to speak to a rock and that, when he would speak to it, water would miraculously flow and everyone would have their thirst quenched.

Sadly, Moses did not follow the directions quite as precisely as he should have. Instead of speaking to the rock, he lashes out at it. He hits it, not just once, but twice. Water still flows, but Moses had lost his patience in dealing with complaints. He lost his cool.

This loss of control over his anger keeps him from entering the Promised Land. You see, he did not have to lash out at the rock. He did not have to hit it to get water to flow and quench everyone’s thirst. All he had to do was speak to the rock.

Paul Simon wrote, “I am a Rock, I am an Island.” Sometimes, the people we work with or for seem to be just that. They seem to be a rock. Try speaking to the rock because Simon’s lyrics were wrong. Sometimes a rock does indeed feel pain.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and serves in this capacity in a number of healthcare settings in the area, including Advocate Home Care Services and L’Chayim Jewish Hospice in Partnership with Catholic Hospice of Broward County.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach’s Allison Cuneen has been attending Simply Soccer summer camps in Pompano Beach for the past three years. The 10-year-old has parlayed the learning experience into a spot on a traveling soccer team for Team Boca.

“It’s the best camp around,” said Cuneen, who has a sister, Kayla, 12, and twin brother, Bryce, who also play travel soccer and have also been fixtures at the local camp.

“If you want to learn how to play or advance your skills, this is the camp to go to. You won’t get let down.”

“I like a (shooting) game they play called ‘power and finesse,’” Cuneen added. “It is also nice that you get to cool down at the pool after lunch before you play again.”

Simply Soccer has two additional summer camps remaining in the city of Pompano. Dates are July 23-27 and August 13-17.

Registration is being held at the Pompano Beach Civic Center. The soccer camp is for boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels, who are taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

There are three sessions each day (for the Pompano camp) ranging from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ($100 weekly); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m. -4 p.m. for $125 each week, a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m.-noon for $55 weekly.

Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For more information, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954-786-4119 or 954-786-4111.

Ely reaches quarters

Ely High School’s boys “A” team reached the quarterfinals of therecentMiamiDolphinsAcademy 7-on-7 High School Football Tournament.

Cardinal Newman defeated Ely, 35-28, in the quarterfinals at Sun Life Stadium and lost to the eventual champion, Booker T. Washington, who will represent South Florida and the Dolphins at this year’s national championships July 12-15 in Indianapolis, IN. There were teams from 50 schools in the tournament.

Local golfers fare well in opening tourney

Local golfers got off to a good start in the Junior Golf Association of Broward County’s summer opening event at the Inverrary Golf Club recently.

Pompano Beach’s Wyatt Rubin won the Boys “B” Division as he carded a nine-hole score of 4-over par, 40.

Two other golfers took second place in their respective divisions as Lighthouse Point’s Alex Lutz shot an even par-72 to finish one shot behind Todd-Tyler Williams of Southwest Ranches in the Championship Division, while Isak Nilsson of Pompano Beach took second in the Boys Junior Flight. He was one shot behindtheeffortofDavie’sAiden Alvarez, who carded an 18-hole score of 79.

Pompano Beach’s Dylan Glatt was third in the Boys C Division with a 44.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Aung San Suu Kyi with Jim McNalis

It was announced this week that Marvel’s The Avengers has become the 3rd highest grossing motion picture of all time, behind Avatar and Titanic. With The Amazing Spider-Man opening this holiday weekend at the Museum of Discovery IMAX Theater, costumed superheroes have consumed the international box office.

Speaking of heroism, The Lady will make its South Florida premier this weekend at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival’s Cinema Paradiso. This long-awaited biography acknowledges the heroism of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Noble Peace Prize winner who had been under house arrest for two decades in Myanmar, formerly known as the country of Burma.

Best known for portraying karate sidekicks to Jackie Chan, Jet Li and James Bond, Michelle Yeoh will portray The Lady. With Rebecca Frayn’s screenplay in hand, Yeoh presented the project to Luc Besson, a French director best known for action flicks like The Fifth Element, The Professional and La Femme Nikita.

Besson said, “One day Michelle came to see me for help. She told me she had a compelling screenplay about Aung San Suu Kyi and was looking for a producer, and that it would be great if I were free to direct it. At first, I told her I wasn’t available. But then I read the script and I was blown away!”

Despite the gulf between eastern and western cultures, Besson revealed his need to tell the story about The Lady.

He said, “I was very moved by the story of this woman about whom I realized I knew almost nothing, except for the tip of the iceberg I’d read in the papers.” While The Lady was in production, government relaxed restrictions upon Suu Kyi. She is currently on an international tour in Europe and was honored by former President George Bush last May in Washington D.C.

The first screening of The Lady will be Friday evening at 6 p.m.  It will be followed by a Q&A by artist and activist Jim McNalis, who created a sculpture of the Nobel Prize winner and was able to meet her. He will be discussing that meeting last December. (Next, McNalis will be leaving on a lecture tour in North Carolina). For more information, call 954-525-FILM or visit www.fliff.com.

Michelle Yeoh plays “The Lady”

Jim McNalis created a sculpture of Aung San Suu Kyi

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

People who really know me laugh when I say, and believe me, I say it often, “I have to clean my desk.” They’ve been hearing that for years – nay – decades. The thing of it is … I HAVE cleaned my desk. But, unless I do it on an hourly basis, it runs away from me.

In most respects, I am a person with a stable personality, very few hang-ups, fairly even-tempered and extremely good at multitasking. But – about my desk, I am, if you’ll pardon the redundancy, a dysfunctional basket case, with a serious condition, that admittedly seeps into other parts of my life, called “fear of throwing things away,” or in psychobabble talk, “Disposophobia.”

The surface of my built-in desk runs the length of my office room. It is about 20 ft. long by about 30 in. deep and faces a window. Nice, huh? If you close your eyes and picture it naked, that is, empty, clean, devoid of any surface paraphernalia, you can imagine yourself lying on it, head to toe with perhaps two other people, uncomfortably hard as that might be. Sometimes, I do that – imagine it naked, that is, and I yearn to take my arm, crook it at the elbow, and swish it clean.

But of course, I dare not. It is bulging with the usual office requisites, fax machine, in-box, (OMG – currently about 8 in. high) computer, telephone, two small calculators, copier printer- scanner-all-in-one, boom box with assorted CDs (and, I tell you ashamedly, a container holding myriad cassettes – remember them?), five filled-to-the-brim file holders, three pencil-pen holders (I collect [steal?] pens) and books, books, books. Underneath all of this are eight built-in huge drawers of files and 10 smaller drawers of “junk,” over which, attached to the walls on either side of the window, are six huge cabinets with more books and 2-and 3-in. loose leaf binders, one for every year since 1985 containing my writings. If they interviewed me for C-Span, it would take hours to explain. (you know, it’s cathartic to catalogue this. I never did it before – but, now I’m wondering, why would you care? Forget it, I’m on a roll!)

If you’re too young to remember the Collyer brothers of Manhattan, you might want to Google them just for the fun of it. I just did. They were discovered dead in their Harlem apartment, in 1947, asphyxiated, sort of, by the more than 100 TONS of assorted junk they had accumulated over many years. I felt good reading about them because, honestly, I don’t come anywhere near them in that department, although, at the rate I am going …

So, I was going to “clean it up” today. Yes, today was the day. And, instead, look what I am doing. And, soon, it will be time to prepare dinner, write a book review, return about eight telephone calls I’d been accruing – and … maybe tomorrow. Ya think?

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 29 The operator of Just Tires at 4371 N. Dixie Hwy. reported that 60 tires were missing from the business.

June 29 A man reported his home at 4311 NE 6 Ave. broken into and ransacked. Nothing was stolen.

June 30 A woman reported that she left her bag on the beach at 200 NE 21 Ave. When she returned, the bag was gone. The bag contained 2 iPhones.

June 30 A man was arrested and charged with grand theft. The man was observed stealing an A/C unit from 3413 SW 14 St. The man was found to have two dismantled A/C units in his vehicle. The vehicle had a stolen tag attached.

July 1 A man reported a depth finder valued at $50 stolen from his boat parked at 4220 NE 6 Ave.

July 1 A woman was waiting for a bus at 4800 N. Dixie Hwy. when two men approached her and snatched a gold chain from her neck.

July 1 A man reported that his apartment at Deerfield East Apartments, 1427 SE 8 Ave., was entered. An Xbox, PS3, two televisions and a laptop were stolen.

July 1 A woman reported a necklace made of gold and diamonds was missing from a dresser drawer in her guest bedroom at her home at 1111 SE 14 St. There was no sign of forced entry and the woman said only a neighbor has access to a hidden key.

DEERFIELD – District 4

June 28 Residential burglary was reported in Starlight Cove on NW 41 Way between 1 and 4:45 p.m. Victim stated unknown suspect(s) entered residence via a sliding rear door. Once inside, suspect(s) removed electronics, silverware and jewelry.

June 25 Residential burglary occurred in Meadow Lakes on SW 15 Street between 9 and 9:30 a.m. Unknown person smashed front door window and stole jewelry, camera, and pillow case from home. Scene was processed, area canvassed.

June 25 Grand theft took place in Country Knolls Mobile Home Park on NW 4 Terrace between 4 and 4:45 p.m. Victim advised that unknown suspects disconnected and stole air conditioner. Victim’s neighbor advised that he saw a white pick-up driven by two white males leaving from his neighbor’s house, from area where air conditioner was.

June 20 Arrest was made in armed robbery at Bank Atlantic Parking lot on 1299 S. Military Trail at 11:20 p.m. BSO deputies responded to an armed robbery at the Bank Atlantic. Two victims had just retrieved money from the ATM when they were approached by an armed suspect. The victims were relieved of their money before the suspect fled on foot toward a nearby apartment complex. Deputies arrived quickly, set up a perimeter and apprehended the suspect. The victims’ money, as well as the gun used during the crime, was recovered.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious call 911 immediately.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 22 It was reported that two vehicles were broken into and burglarized at 3220 N. Federal Hwy. The two vehicles had their windows smashed. From each car, a wallet was stolen.

June 22 A man reported that his home at 4931 NE 27 Ave. was entered and $60 in cash and several thousand dollars in jewelry was stolen.

June 23 A woman reported that two cars she owns were entered and rummaged through. Nothing was taken. Incident was reported at 2765 NE 25 St.

June 23 It was reported that a vehicle parked at 2685 NE 25 St. was broken into and an iPhone was stolen.

June 25 A man reported that an American flag was stolen from in front of the Bateman, Gordon & Sands Building at 3050 N. Federal Hwy.

Collection bins

Dear Editor:

I am a fan of the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is one of the few charities that uses most of their money for their clients, not administration. They do good work and a lot of it.

So, six months ago, when one of their hard-working volunteers showed up at the Deerfield Beach commission meeting and asked permission to place bins for clothing donations, I was all for it. I was shocked to hear the commission turn them down, citing a regulation against outdoor storage.

Look around the city and you will see many clothing donation bins. How do those people get away with it? That is what I asked the commission. Shortly after my question, there was a flurry of activity by code enforcement, which had some property owners receiving warnings about the bins, and some bins being removed, and I am told, just as quickly replaced. Someone is making money off of used clothing most people think is going to charity.

The local Kiwanis Club (which has at least one Deerfield Beach commissioner as a member) has placed quite a number of shoe collection bins around the city. They have not been removed. Would this be selective enforcement, the city seems to be winking at this violation?

So what? Well, it is not right that for-profit companies and a favored charity should get away with having bins, and another charity, that takes the legal route of asking permission, should not.

Deerfield Beach commission did agree to work on an ordinance that would allow charity bins to be placed on the property of not-for-profit organizations, and they agreed to enforce the ordinance against the placement of the bogus bins. Let’s see how that has worked out.

The city is still winking at the Kiwanis shoe collection bins, the bogus bin collection people are still plunking down bins around town, we have no new ordinance to allow charity bins, and the mayor e-mailed me that: “The city does not have staff to go out and pick them up or the money. Trust me, they are showing up everywhere.”

The city should do what the law says and get rid of the violating bins — or, they could just allow all bins everywhere with the property owner’s permission, why not? That is what is happening now and there is no great unsightly mess as feared by those who have banned the bins. The commission needs to decide, but the Kiwanis Club should not get preferred treatment that the Salvation Army is not getting. Property owners should be notified and cited if they allow the bins. I am getting tired of hearing how hard it is to police and how hard it is to remove the bins. If it is a law, ENFORCE IT, quit the hypocrisy. And, it is time for the city commission to insist that the clothing bin ordinance be eliminated – or revised, and passed.

Bett Willett

Deerfield Beach

RE: Collection bins

16 donation bins were removed after the city notified the property owner that removal was their right and responsibility. Two bins (at 3701 W. Hillsboro Blvd. and at 3313 W. Hillsboro Blvd.) remain out of compliance. In the case of the latter, a different bin at this location had been removed in March. The property owner will be responsible for removal of this new one, as well.

An ordinance has been drafted, which would prohibit donation bins except at properties owned and operated by a permission granting non-profit entity. However, staff is concerned about the bureaucratic details of implementing and enforcing a permitting process for donation bins. Before deciding whether to present the ordinance for consideration, staff was monitoring the results of the outreach and enforcement effort, which was initiated earlier this year.

The city had one commercial property owner inquire whether they could lease space to the bin provider for a percentage of the proceeds the bin provider received. The city replied that it was open to discussing a site plan amendment to allow it. However, the property owner decided on their own not to pursue it after weighing the pros (revenues, good cause) and cons (maintenance, access, security, liability and aesthetics).

Code Enforcement’s efforts in this regard have been very successful. However, the initial effort was focused on larger containers, not the shoe donation containers. Our efforts to ensure that these smaller shoe containers comply with City Code have recently been initiated. These shoe donation containers are located at several places in the city, but you will soon see them being removed, as well.

Keven Klopp

Assistant City Manager & CRA Director

Deerfield Beach

Jesus Christ Superstar

Thursday, July 5 to Sunday, July 15

Count de Hoernle Theatre

7901 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, FL 33487

Tickets: $25-reserved seating, $15-groups/children under 12, $10 student rush (with ID) at door, day of show. For tickets call: 877-710-7779.

Friday Fun Days

Friday, July 6 – 1 p.m.

Boca Raton Children’s Museum, Rickards House

498 Crawford Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33432

On Friday enjoy family fun! Kids will enjoy interactive shows, filled with fun, games, music and dance. Find out details on what is happening each day by calling 561- 368-6875. Drop-in or register ahead. $5 per person, includes museum admission.

FAU 2012 Art Festival-Call to Artists

Application deadline: July 6

All media. First come-first served basis. Application and info. available at www.fau.edu/VAAH or email: art@fau.edu. Art Festival dates: Saturday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 4.

Yappy Yard Sale

Saturday, July 7 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Bow-Wow Resorts

4100 N. Powerline Rd., Ste. G-3

Pompano Beach, FL 33073

Features donated yard sale items, a 50 percent off sale in the Bow-Wow Resort store, gourmet barbecue and dogs will be at event and available for adoption. Benefits Shepherd Help and Rescue Effort and promotes local dog adoptions. Information: 561-305-1001 or amanda@bowwowresorts. com. Visit www.shepherdhelp.org.

Pancake Breakfast

Sunday July 8 – 9 a.m. to noon

Elks Lodge

700 NE 10 St., Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Hosted by Benevolent Patriotic Order of DOES-Drove 142. Cost: Adults-$5/Children- $2.50. Open to public. Information, call 954-587-1121.

Deerfield Beach Democratic Club meets

Monday, July 9 – noon

Century Village – Le Club

3501 W. Dr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Speakers: Robin Bartleman and Franklin Sands, who are running for the School Board. Candidates will be given time to introduce themselves and say a few words. Lunch served to all members.

Harmony in the Streets

Monday, July 9 to Friday, July 13 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pompano Beach Middle School

310 NE 6 St., Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Founded by nonprofit Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. Includes outdoor activities and self-esteem builders. Emphasizes healthy relationships with law enforcement. For more information, visit www.youthranches.org.

Gold Coast Toastmasters Club

Monday, July 9 – 7 to 9 p.m.

Denny’s

3151 NW 9 Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309

Next meetings: July 16, August 13, 20. Visitors welcome! Members from both Broward & Palm Beach Counties. Have fun improving speaking and listening skills. Information: 954-782-9951.

SHINE

Monday, July 9 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

NE Focal Point Senior Center

227 NW 2 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

FREE. SHINE stands for Serving the Health and Insurance Needs of Elders. Do you need information, counseling or assistance with Health Insurance claims and appeals, Medicare eligibility, enrollment and coverage issues, Medicare health plan choices, Medicare appeal rights, Medigap (Medicare Supplemental) policies, Prescription Plan comparisons, Long-Term Care options or planning/organizing paperwork? Let a SHINE volunteer help you. Counseling services are provided free of charge by volunteers who uphold client confidentiality and provide information and unbiased advice. Appointment required. Call 954-480-4449 to schedule.

DBES PTA spirit & uniform shirts pre-sale

Tuesday, July 10 – 8 a.m. to noon, 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, July 12 – noon to 4:30 p.m.

Deerfield Beach Elementary School

650 SW 3rd Ave., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Selling a logo’d light blue all cotton collared shirt for $7 (3 for $20) over the summer and in the new school year. Updated uniform rules – Tops: Collared 3-button T-shirts should be red, white or blue, no green or yellow. Bottoms: Shorts to the bottom of fingertip length or longer shorts, skorts and pants in khaki, navy or black may be worn. Shoes: Closed toe sneakers or shoes must be worn. Fridays, children may wear the regular school uniform or a school spirit T-shirt with the uniform bottoms, which will also be sold by the PTA for $7 a shirt.

DB Chamber Lead$ Group meets

Wednesday, July 11 – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Deerfield Beach Chamber

1601 E. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Meets first and third Wednesday of each month at the Chamber offices. Membership is business-to-business focused with only one member per business category allowed, so there is no intra-group competition for business building leads. Info: 954-427-1050 or director@deerfieldchamber.com.

I came across these facts awhile back and thought I would share them with you since it is the time of year that we celebrate our independence.

Did you know?

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court, you can see, near the top of the building, a row of the world’s law givers, and, each one is facing one in the middle, who is facing forward with a full frontal view.

It is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door. As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments! There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal buildings and monuments in Washington, D.C. James Madison, the fourth president, known as “The Father of Our Constitution” made the following statement: “We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country, said: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777. Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies. Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and, instead of interpreting the law, would begin making law, which is an oligarchy, the rule of few over many. The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said, “Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers.”

How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 235 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?

We are “One nation under God.” It is said that 86 percent of Americans believe in God. Therefore, it is very hard to understand why there is such a mess about having the Ten Commandments on display or “In God We Trust” on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don’t we just tell the other 14 percent to Sit Down and Be Quiet! Oh, that’s right, if I tell someone who does not agree with me to be quiet, they will say I have no tolerance. Seems a bit confusing and very hypocritical if you ask me, but that is just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to have their opinion on any matter, but, facts are facts. The facts are that our wonderful country was founded on God and godly principles and that will always be true.

Please don’t forget to pray for our soldiers, whoare still fighting for our freedom, to come home safe and soon.

Tony Guadagnino is Pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church