Resident wants to take back Fire Dept.

Dear Editor:

Our taxes are going up because of a rich fire department where we have one of the highest-paid fire departments in the nation, where benefits far exceed those normally in the free enterprise system, and where firefighters can enjoy a life of luxury in their mid-fifties when the rest of us are struggling to pay our bills and taxes.

I support Mayor Robb that we should take our fire department back and cut expenses by 25 to 50 percent. We would still have a very fine department, able to meet the needs of Deerfield residents, and, at the same time, cut our taxes back over time.

This is out of hand and something has to be done. I hope the residents of Deerfield Beach will stand up and say, “enough is enough.”

Dr. Charles Laser

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s note: Contract with BSO Fire Rescue expires in 2015.

Personal information database

Dear Editor:

I bet you have never heard of the Federal Data Service Hub (FDSH) The FDSH will be the largest personal information database that the Federal Government is building in order to administer Obama’s Health Care Plan.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) are in charge of this monster. The IRS will input into the database your income and employment; combine them with records from Social Security to verify your identity; Homeland Security to verify your citizenship; Dept. of Justice to check your criminal record; HHS to input your enrollment, premium, subsidy and medical claims data; and then the states to verify your residency. This information is then transmitted to all of the states exchanges and/or marketplaces for their records.

We all should be concerned about the potential for abuse and access to our personal information.

James Stevens

Deerfield Beach

Summer Movie Series: “Hotel Transylvania”

Friday, June 21, 8 p.m.

Pompano Beach Amphitheater 1801 NE 6 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

FREE popcorn and cotton candy. Outdoor movie. Bring chairs. FREE admission. 954-786-4111.

Big Band Mixer

Saturday, June 22, 7 to 9 p.m.

Herb Skolnick Center 800 SW 36 Ave. Pompano Beach, FL 33069

Big band music and dancing by JN Swing Band. FREE. Light refreshments served. 954-786-4590.

4th Annual “Spare Lives and Strike Out Cancer” Bowling Fundraiser

Saturday, June 22, 5:30-8:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. Registration)

Diamond Strike Lanes 2200 N. Federal Hwy. Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Benefits American Cancer Society. Team packages: $150 ($25 per bowler), includes 3 hours of bowling for 6, shoes, pizza, wings, soda, raffles, prizes and fun! Must RSVP: 954- 304-4248.

Voice lessons

Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Source 230 Lock Rd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Hosted by Gene Townsel. 561-436-0868.

Business workshop

Saturday, June 22, 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Deerfield Beach Percy White Library 837 E. Hillsboro Blvd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

SCORE will be conducting an introductory workshop on what it takes to start a business. Those interested in attending must register at www. broward.score.org.

GREEN MARKET Indoor Sports Complex

Sunday, June 23 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

3650 SW 10 St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Every Sunday through Sept. 29. Fresh food and veggies, as well as herbs, soaps, baked items, prepared items, doggie treats and more. 561-299-8684.

Dixieland Hot Jazz

Sunday, June 23 1 to 4 p.m.

Henry’s Hideaway 1500 S. Andrews Ave. Pompano Beach, FL 33069

Presented by the Hot Jazz & Alligator Gumbo Society. $10. 954-563-5390.

North Broward Democratic Club meets

Wednesday, June 26, 7:30 p.m.

Emma Lou Olson Civic Center 1801 NE 6 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Speaker: Florida State Senator Maria Sachs, District 34. Topic: Legislative Update. FREE, open to public. Refreshments served. 954-783-8232.

It might seem way too early for me to be writing about the High Holy Days, but this year they are going to come much sooner than you might expect. In fact, the Eve of the Jewish New Year falls on Sept. 4.

Well, that’s still a few months away, so why am I focusing on it now? It started the other day when I had the delight of going out to a local dining establishment with some good friends of mine and the waitress asked me how I would like my tuna prepared.

But in the midst of asking me the question, she got a little tongue-tied and she wound up asking me, “How would you like your tuna pre-prayered.” I laughed it off at the time, but, the very next day, I had to make a business call and, after finding out that they had what I wanted to purchase, they asked me if I would like the item sent C.O.D. or if I would like to “pre-pray.”

Now, I might be a little slow even though I tend to look for signs from up above, but give me the same thing twice in one day and I start to pay attention.

And that got me focused on the upcoming Yomim Noraim, the High Holy Days, because we at Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (and pretty much every other Temple you can think of) have already started not only preparing for the Holy Days, we have also started pre-praying for them.

This is a most appropriate thing to do. You can probably figure out many of the things that a Temple has to do to prepare for these Days of Awe, but you might be wondering what an individual should be doing to prepare?

Let’s look at the word “prepare” for a moment. If you look in the Thesaurus, you will find some very interesting synonyms for the word. For instance — “To get or to make ready,” “to lay the groundwork,” “to anticipate,” “to make provisions for—” these are all things we need to do in preparation.

But the synonym that really hit me was the one that says, “To get one’s house in order.”

To me, that summed up the Holy Days in just six short words: “To get one’s house in order.”

Don’t wait until the New Year begins. Prepare and be Pre-Prayered!

In Judaism, prayer is a time of self-reflection. It is a time to stop looking at what others are doing wrong and take a good hard look at your own life and how you live it. Take time to reflect on your behaviors. How do you treat your family … your neighbors? Do you feed the hungry and clothe the naked? Have you taken the time to forgive others and to ask forgiveness of them? After all, in the midst of the Days of Awe, each of us will be asking for G-d to forgive us and help give us the strength to change … to turn our lives around.

Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to pre-pray. Now is the time to reflect and to put the changes we know we should make into effect. Don’t wait until Rosh Hashana. Show G-d that you are serious about change in the coming year. Do it now and may G-d bless all of us with a year of joy and peace.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. High Holy Days tickets are now on sale in the Temple office off of Hillsboro and Military. Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Of all the summer blockbusters out there, Now You See Me is the most underrated movie this summer. The film features an interesting story, characters with dual motivations and veteran actors like Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine teaching a clinic on how to give subtle, understated performances.

Let’s remove the film’s major flaw quickly … this film about the illusion of magic has too many cinematic special effects. Enhanced by some attention deficit disorder editing, Now You See Me defeats the film’s core assertion about the importance of magic in our lives. Had some of the magic tricks been pulled off in a single frame camera shot, Now You See Me would have become the sleeper hit of the summer.

In the opening sequence, we are introduced to four different characters who become known as “The Four Horsemen.” Atlas (Jessie Eisenberg) is a mouthpiece barker, McKinney (Woody Harrelson) is a “mentalist” who shakes down marriage infidelities, Henley (Isla Fisher) performs death-defying Houdini stunts and Wilder (Dave Franco) seems to have an affinity for death. The four are recruited by a person in a hoodie, who represents the “Eye of Horus” from Egyptian Mythology.

While performing in France, the Four Horsemen steal a fortune from a secure bank. In hot pursuit is Detective Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), who tracks the Four Horsemen to New Orleans and New York in a desperate attempt to arrest them.

Now You See Me is a great title for this movie. While the over abundance of special effects mar this movie, it is the character development that one comes to appreciate in this fine mystery.

Speaking of mystery, Murder on the Beach bookstore in Delray Beach is hosting Mystery Writers University at the Delray Beach Marriott. This one-day seminar features academic and awardwinning authors teaching classes, as well as doing a book signing. For more information, visit www.mys terywriters.org.

Author/ actress Harley Jane Kozak is flying in to teach a seminar on “Character.” Hopefully, the producers of Now You See Me will consider Harley’s lesson plans in designing a sequel.

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 7 A man reported that he was the victim of a strong arm robbery at 5229 N. Dixie Hwy. He said he was attacked by four men, who stole his wallet, keys and cell phone.

June 9 A man reported his car parked at 2841 W. Hillsboro Blvd. broken into. The front passenger window was smashed. His iPhone 4S and $800 in cash were stolen.

June 9 A woman reported her home at 820 SW 12 Court burglarized. When she arrived home, she found that her bedroom had been ransacked and said items might be missing.

June 9 Two men were arrested and charged with a narcotics felony at 200 SW 1 Terr. A deputy attempted a traffic stop and the driver of the car attempted to flee. The man was arrested after only making it a short distance and the man in the passenger seat was also arrested. The deputy found cocaine in the car.

June 9 A woman reported three bicycles stolen from the bicycle racks at her apartment complex at 627 Siesta Key CC.

June 9 A man reported that a man he knows threw rocks at his car, causing damage. Incident was reported at 711 NW 2 Ave.

June 9 A man reported his home at 321 NW 1 Ave. burglarized. He said that someone broke into his home and stole an air conditioning handler and copper wiring.

DEERFIELD — District 4

BSO is aware of the crimes that occurred [Tuesday morning, June 11] and want you to know that they are investigating. They do not yet know all of the details, but Chief Rob Schnakenberg has informed that their preliminary investigation shows the vehicles that were broken into were left unlocked. He said, so far, they have seen no signs of forced entry.

Upcoming Crime Watch will list each of the incidents and details surrounding those cases. As the police work to catch the criminals responsible, to be vigilant. Watch your surroundings and lock your doors, windows, and vehicles. This rash of vehicle breakins and any other crime trends to be discussed at next District 4 meeting.

(MORE, pg 7)

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

May 25 Two vehicles were burglarized in the parking lot of Frank McDonough Park at 3500 NE 27 Ave. From one car: a purse with a passport, Florida driver’s license, debit card, two credit cards and a cell phone were stolen for a total loss of $1,128. From another car: a purse, wallet, house key and two debit cards were stolen for a loss of $425.

May 27 A man stole $34.77 worth of items from Publix at 3700 N. Federal Hwy. The man was stopped by the store manager and handed the items back and then fled.

May 29 A man was observed breaking into a woman’s car parked at Education Station Day Care at 2458 N. Federal Hwy. The man stole a bag containing a computer and miscellaneous papers. He entered his car and proceeded westbound on NE 25 St.

June 2013 proclaimed “Deerfield Beach History Month”

Dear Editor:

Whereas, for hundreds of years, the area that is now known as Deerfield Beach was home to the Seminole natives. The city’s history begins in 1877, when the first non-native glimpsed at the swamps in the area. In the early records of the Deerfield Beach area, dating back from 1890, a small group settled along the Hillsboro River; and

Whereas, On June 22, 1898 a post office was established at Deerfield, FL to serve a population of 20 settlers. It is said this name was chosen because of the numerous deer that grazed along the Hillsboro River. This river formed the northern boundary of Deerfield; and

Whereas, the intersections known as Hillsboro Boulevard and Dixie Highway became the center of the village’s activity, and by 1910, there were a few stores and hotels. The businesses were based on Deerfield’s railroad station, which farmers used to send their crops along the railroad built by Henry Flagler; and

Whereas, the Town of Deerfield was incorporated on June 11, 1925. George Emory Butler, Jr. was elected as the first mayor. 1925 also saw the opening of the first public library, which was serving a population that had climbed to 1,300 residents. In 1939, the name of the town was changed to Deerfield Beach, and the population numbered about 1,800;

Whereas, in 1951, the town name was changed to the City of Deerfield Beach. The economy gradually continued to evolve away from agriculture toward tourism. Now the economy is heavily diversified and includes distribution, manufacturing, and office industries, in addition to tourism. Deerfield Beach had a population of 50,000 residents. Its iconic pier and pink brick beachside walkway attract visitors year-round.

Whereas, The Deerfield Beach Historical Society has a mission is to continue the vision by keeping the city’s rich history alive.

NOW THEREFORE, I, JEAN M. ROBB, Mayor of the City of Deerfield Beach, Florida, in recognition thereof, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2013 as:

“DEERFIELD BEACH HISTORY MONTH” and urge every citizen to take time this month to engage with the Deerfield Beach Historical Society to help support the mission of the Historical Society, which is: to identify, preserve and maintain historical sites in the Deerfield Beach area; to acquire artifacts and data and make historical resources accessible to the public, to educate and encourage awareness of local history.

LIVE Pod-Cast from Rattlesnake Jakes

Thursday June 13, 7 to 11p.m.

Visit: www.musicianstream.com

Line-Up:

7:00 Brian Jay Cline

7:30 Steve Minotti

8:00 Catlin Reed and Cameron Snow

8:45 Ciara Rae

9:30 Big Salty Love

10:15 Steve Minotti & special guest Bill Hartmann, Anthony DeVincent & more.

“The Art of Spirituality and Meditation”

Friday, June 14, 10 to 11 a.m.

St. Stephen Lutheran Church 2500 NE 14 St. Cswy. Pompano Beach, FL 33062.

Pastor David Potter will speak about the art of spirituality and meditation and explore some styles of meditation at “Coffee and Conversation,” a monthly series held at the St. Stephen Fellowship Hall on the second Friday of the month 10 to 11a.m. Refreshments served. FREE and open to the public. 954-942-4473.

About Boating Safety

Saturday, June 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spanish River Park HQ 3939 N. Ocean Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33431

Hosted by The Coast Guard Auxiliary in Boca Raton. Completion certificate given, will receive Florida Boating ID card in mail (required for boaters under 22 years old). Topics include boating terminology, boat handling, navigation rules, aids to navigation, federal and Florida regulations, safety equipment and more. $35. 561-391-3600 and leave a message.

Father’s Day at Boomers!

Saturday, June 15 to Sunday, June 16

3100 Airport Rd. Boca Raton, FL 33431

Boomers is offering FREE unlimited play when an unlimited pass is purchased at regular price this weekend. Play arcade games, mini-golf and go-kart. Get coupon online at http://www.boomersparks.com. Info: 561-347-1888.

Hillsboro Lighthouse Tour

Saturday, June 15, 8:45 a.m.

Sands Harbor Hotel dock 125 N. Riverside Dr. Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Park in Pompano Beach City Parking Lot (fee required) across from the Sands Harbor Hotel & Marina. Must have flat shoes with rubber soles and closed toes. No sandals, flipflops or shoes with heels allowed inside Lighthouse. Children must be accompanied by an adult and must be a minimum of 48″. Admission FREE.

Butterfly World with Dad

Saturday, June 15 to Sunday, June 16

3600 W. Sample Road Coconut Creek, FL 33073

Commune with the butterflies on Father’s Day weekend. FREE entry for dads. Info: www.butterflyworld.com.

Juneteenth: Blues & Sweet Potato Pie Fest

Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Apollo Park 1580 NW 3 Ave. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

FREE Festival includes Driving Force Band; Derrick the DJ; Sister Josephine Watkins, comedienne; Gary D. Wright, radio personality; Windell Campbell, storyteller.

Fern Forest Nature Detectives Day Camp

Monday, June 17 to Friday, June 21 9 a.m. to noon

Fern Forest Nature Center 201 Lyons Rd. S. Coconut Creek, FL 33063

Topics vary daily and may change subject to the weather. Participants will learn about such varied habitats as a tropical hardwood hammock; a cypress maple swamp; a prairie; an oak, pine, and palm community; and ponds, creeks and canals. $75 for week. Payment is required at the time of registration. Age 8-11. 954-357-5198.

ArtHall

Wednesday, June 19, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Historic Downtown Pompano Beach 50 NE 1St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Photos of Joe McBroom and Rhett Butler. For information, call: 954-586-1111.

Democratic Women’s Club of NE Broward

Wednesday, June 19, 7 p.m.

Emma Lou Olson Civic Center 1801 NE 6 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Speaker: Dr. Brenda Snipes, Supervisor of Elections. Topic: Florida’s New Election Laws. Refreshments served. 954-942-8711.

It is upon us whether we like it or not. That’s right, summer is here! Summer brings so many thoughts and ideas it can actually be overwhelming if we are not careful.

To me, summer is laid back, easy going, children home from school and vacation time all rolled into one fun time.

It is always good to rest and relax. We must learn how to rest our minds as well as our bodies. Vacation is a wonderful thing, and I am looking forward to our summer vacation this year. I really have learned to enjoy my time off and just have a good time.

Your whole life is not supposed to be one big party, but I have always believed in’ work hard and play hard.’ I have found that it does wonders for you physically, mentally and emotionally. So, with all the signs pointing to summer and relaxation, I did something that may seem a little crazy.

I made a decision for my life that I want to share with you. Like so many others today, I have decided to go back to school. I received my B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary, which is right here in Deerfield Beach. I am going to pursue a Master of Divinity degree. So I called my old school and began the process of reenrolling in college.

I believe that we all need to have the attitude that there is always something to learn. After that, I began to think, am I the teacher or the student? I teach and preach to people every week in church and I love it. However, if I could learn more, I could improve myself and also be better equipped to do what I love – help people. Knowledge is good and we all need to makesure we are continually learning with every opportunity we get, but it’s the wisdom that we need to go along with the knowledge. We can know the information, but God wants to help us with the application and give us His wisdom.

Titus 2:12

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. NLT

James 1:5

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. NLT

With God’s wisdom and understanding, it becomes easier for us to do what He wants in our lives. I did not say it was easy to always do the right thing and make the right decisions, but, with God, it sure is easier.

So does that make me the teacher or the student? I believe I need to be both teacher and student. We should always be learning to improve ourselves and our knowledge, but we should always be teaching and helping others.

Be a constant student always learning and growing, but make sure you are passing your knowledge and wisdom to others as well.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

By Gary Curreri

No track. No problem! Highlands Christian Academy seniors Ryan Davis and Kyle Audet picked up where they left off last year as they advanced to the state track meet and came away with stellar performances.

Davis successfully defended his state title in the Class 1A 300-meter hurdles as he clocked a 38.04 time and won by two seconds. Audet was fifth in the event as he ran a 40.88.

Davis was fourth in the 110- meter hurdles with a 14.76 time, while Audet was close behind at 15.43 and took seventh.

Sixth-year Highlands Christian track coach Marc Veynovich said he was not surprised by their performances despite not having a track at the school.

“Watching Ryan when he first started running and how he took to the hurdles, and in pretty much every event you put him in, I wasn’t super surprised,” Veynovich said of Smith, who signed a track scholarship with Liberty. “I definitely expected a repeat from him this year even though he was suffering from a groin injury.

“Ryan had very little practice time, yet he still had the athletic ability to put it all out there and still get down to low 38s,” Veynovich added. “He would have been in the 37s this year if he had any challenge. I really feel for him.”

Veynovich called Audet a “beast.” Audet has been accepted to the University of Florida and said he would try and walk on for track and maybe kick for the football team.

“Kyle is good at whatever he does,” Veynovich said. “He is an excellent football player, an excellent soccer player and what he brought to track was complete athleticism and the ability to do whatever I asked of him. He was also an 11-6 pole vaulter in addition to the hurdles.”

Audet, 18, of Deerfield Beach, has been at Highlands for 14 years. This is his fifth year running track at the school.

“The whole point of not having a track is when you are running on the grass you don’t get correct times that you would usually get on a track,” said Audet, who finished 11th in the state in hurdles as a sophomore and eighth last year as a junior. “You can’t practice your splits in hurdles as well as you could do on a track.

“I mean, it would help a lot to have a track,” Audet said with a laugh. “I just like to consider us the grass hurdle brothers because we have been doing it on grass the whole time.”

Audet said it was a lot of fun attending Highlands where he played football, soccer and track.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” said Audet, who also plays beach volleyball. “I love the fact that I went to a small school so I’d be able to play all of these sports. It conditioned my body into the perfect athlete.”

Davis, 18, also of Deerfield Beach, has been a Knight since he was in kindergarten. “It is kind of cool to see the people I have grown up with like Kyle,” Davis said. “Just through the years seeing how much I’ve changed and how much the school has changed. I am really proud of what I have been able to do.”

Davis will have a banner up on the gym wall again. Other than former Athletic Director and head boys basketball coach Reg Cook, who won more than 500 games at the school, Davis is the lone individual who is recognized with a banner.

“I was the first individual state champion for Highlands as far as any sport goes so they put that up last year,” Davis said. “I thought that was very nice of them. It feels really good. I feel that God has pushed me in this direction every step of the way. Throughout my life, he has been guiding me the right way and staying here and running track here.”

“It really set in after the race that it was my last race in high school,” Davis said. “It feels great to win states my senior year and the last two years. It was an amazing gift from God.”

Cook, who is an assistant athletic director at the school, said Veynovich has done a wonderful job building the program and guiding it to its first-ever district title this year. He said there were approximately 20 varsity girls, 20 varsity boys and 20 middle school (boys and girls) athletes in the program.

“A lot of credit goes to coach Veynovich and his leadership,” Cook said. “Track, a lot of times, was on the back burner. Now it is a prestigious part of our school. It shows pride in the track program and that is just great.”