Memorial Day

Dear Editor:

I was proud to attend the Memorial Day Ceremony held at the Deerfield Beach Memorial Cemetery this past Monday. What made me feel proud was not only the participation of the organizations that assisted remembering our Veterans, but the number of persons who attended.  It gave me a real feeling of pride that these persons took the time to remember our heroes, and, to that, “I applaud each and every one of you.”

Steven P. Nowatka

Deerfield Beach

Utility tax

Dear Editor:

This Utility Tax is a perfect example of “taxation without representation.” I have talked with or e-mailed our commissioners, with my comments falling on deaf ears. I live and own a business in Deerfield so I, along with a lot of business owners who live and work in Deerfield, are going to be paying double the taxes. So much for the fair share scenario. Also, the commission is saying that they are going to reduce the millage rate with this tax. I don’t think we’re going to see that anytime soon. This reminds me of something my Dad told me: “You want a guarantee in life, buy a toaster.” Mayor Noland is already talking about how to spend the money on lighting for parks and ballfields, etc. I would like to see in writing this guarantee they’re talking about.

Steven J. Fabrizio

Deerfield Beach

District 2 complaints and BSO

Dear Editor:

At recent Deerfield Beach Commission meetings and on certain blogs, I hear many complaints about how the residents of District 2 are treated.  One complaint was that crime is overlooked in District 2 and BSO [Broward Sheriff’s Office] does nothing about it.  In the next complaint, deputies were decried as being too aggressive in their duties. One complainer even created outlandish stories and lies, which were all disproven by the deputy’s videotapes.  A takedown of the wrong house – a regrettable mistake, but one with the good intentions of apprehending criminals – was complained about loudly and at length.  Now, we hear complaints that people with criminal pasts and histories of sexual predation should be allowed to interact with our youth under the auspices of Parks and Rec.

I am more than a little tired of their whining.  Did they forget that actions have consequences?  Do they not realize that some consequences last forever?  Do they think it is reasonable to expect Law Enforcement to protect them from crime when they complain that the same Law Enforcement is too aggressive in pursuing criminals?

It is time for that moral part of District 2 – that is the majority, by the way — to stand up and say, “NO MORE!” It is time for residents to turn their backs on criminals and let the police do their work.  In fact, it is time to help the police.  It is time to admit that if a person is a criminal, be he a stranger, a neighbor, or a loved one, he is bad for your community and he has to go.

Gerald Behan

Deerfield Beach

DEERFIELD BEACH

May 24 Three televisions, a video game system, digital camera, laptop and jewelry worth $3,500 were stolen from local residence.

May 26 A 51” plasma television was stolen from a home on SW 2 Street.

May 26 A 16-year-old was arrested on SW 2 Street for a strong-arm robbery that happened at 202 W. Hillsboro Blvd. While being transported, he threatened to kill the transporting deputy, saying he had a bullet with the deputy’s name on it and that the deputy was going to die.

May 27 A driver’s license safety checkpoint was conducted near the 100 block of SW 11 Way and a total of 68 citations were issued, and one arrest was made for habitual offender. Three vehicles were also towed, and one vehicle fled the checkpoint; police were unable to locate it.

May 27 A black male came into a business as it was closing, advised he had a gun and demanded staff give him cash. He left on foot.

May 29 Unknown suspect poured what appeared to be a hot liquid on a dog confined to a metal cage in the backyard. It left sustained burns on the dog’s rear leg.

May 29 A suspect left the car running while running inside to get something and the car was stolen off Tivoli Circle while victim left the car unattended.

DEERFIELD – District 4

May 26 Residential burglary occurred in the Tidewater Estates/Pinetree area, 620 Lock Rd., between 7:30 and 11 a.m. Complainant reported that unknown suspect had broken into his residence by prying open the front door. Taken from the residence was a jar containing approximately $60 in coins, and a radio. Residence was processed for latent prints and the area was canvassed. During the canvassing, next door neighbor said that she heard noises about 10 a.m. but thought it was kids and did not call the police.

May 26 Residential burglary took place in the Waterford Homes area, 1528 SW 28 Ave., between 11:10-11:30 a.m. Complainant reported that unknown person(s) had broken into her residence by prying open the laundryroom door. Taken from the residence were a Dell laptop, jewelry and $2,000 in silver coins.

May 26 Residential burglary was reported in the
Villages of Hillsboro, 3897 NW 3 Place, between 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. Complainant reported that unknown person(s) had broken into her residence by smashing the rear sliding door. Taken from the residence were a 40″ TV, two laptops, jewelry and video games.

May 26 Conveyance burglary occurred at Deerfield Mall, 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd.,  between 9:45 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. Complainant reported that unknown person(s) had broken into her vehicle parked at the location where she works, by smashing the driver door window. Taken was a purse from the trunk area.

May 13 – May 22 Conveyance burglary took place at Crystal Lake Boat and RV Storage,  1951 NW 44 St. Two complainants reported each had unknown suspect(s) force open a side window on their RV’s being stored in the lot. Both reported missing electronics from the dash and a television. Loss of approximately $5,000. Both scenes were processed. There was no surveillance video on the property.

Remember – if you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, call 911 immediately.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

May 23 A victim inside Publix at Venetian Isles had her wallet stolen from inside her purse.

May 28 A homeowner on NE 28 Street surprised a burglar when she was sunning out back and he and the male driver of  vehicle were caught robbing her house. The white male driver, Colin Williams, was arrested and the black male, who was cutting lines inside the house, fled and later forced three children to take him across the Intracoastal on a boat.

If you are a fan of Oprah’s, you are familiar with her book club. With the festival of Shavuot coming up, I thought it was very interesting that Oprah had not one, but two books with the name Ruth in the title …“Drowning Ruth” and “The Book of Ruth.”

Don’t get me wrong, her Book of Ruth was not the one from the Bible. But why is it that Oprah seems to have this penchant for books with a character named Ruth?

Well, I don’t know Oprah, although, if she ever reads this, I would love to meet her, but let me take a stab at answering the question from a Rabbinic viewpoint.

You see, on Shavuot we read the Biblical Book of Ruth and, while many think that Ruth is the only woman in the story, there are others. One of those others is another Moabite who, like Ruth, weds a Hebrew and her name just happens to be Orpah.

No, that is not my dyslexia turning the letters around. The name is Orpah, but you should know that the name Oprah, as in Oprah Winfrey, is a variant spelling of that name.

Now, you might be wondering what the name Orpah means. It refers to a deer or a fawn. Have you ever had anyone “fawn” all over you? It can be a wonderful feeling or it can be a real pain in the “you-know-what.”

And as to the word deer, while I know they are beautiful creatures, I much prefer another spelling of the word … D-E-A-R! When someone fawns over you, it lets you know that you are very dear to them. In the Book of Ruth, we learn what is, or at least, what should be, very dear to someone. The love of your life should be very dear. The love of G-d should be very dear. The love of G-d’s Commandments should be very dear. The love of Torah should be very dear. And, if you think those are difficult, then let me remind you that through Ruth, we even learn that our Mother-in-laws should be very dear to us, that we should not desert them.

Speaking of dessert, okay, I toyed with the spelling again, there is a tradition to eat dairy product on Shavuot. This comes from the concept of Israel being the land of milk and honey … and it reminds us that the Torah … that G-d’s Word should be sweet and nourishing to our bodies and our souls.

And, just as G-d’s Word is nourishing to us, we should do what we can to nourish others, which brings us right back to the Festival because Shavuot falls in the harvest season. There is a wonderful commandment about the barley harvest where we are told that we are to permit the poor to glean the stalks that fall to the ground during the harvest.

Of course, the Book of Ruth’s main focus is Ruth herself. Ruth converts to Judaism. The other day, someone asked me if they could convert to the Jewish faith. I told them that it was a very lengthy process. And I used another meaning of the word glean in my talk with her. I told her that Judaism is not an instantaneous thing. It must be gleaned. Even after the conversion process is over, you must continue to learn, bit by bit. In fact, I am still gleaning. My mentors drop some of the stalks of their wisdom, permit me to pick them up, and those stalks nourish my soul. May you glean from my words and may they nourish you.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

Hurricanes Karl, Igor and Julia (from left to right on Sept. 16) were part of the onslaught of Atlantic storms last hurricane season (2010). (Photo credit: NOAA)

The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service.

Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is predicting the following ranges this year:

• 12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:
• 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:
• 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)

Each of these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

“The United States was fortunate last year. Winds steered most of the season’s tropical storms and all hurricanes away from our coastlines,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “However we can’t count on luck to get us through this season. We need to be prepared, especially with this above-normal outlook.”

Climate factors considered for this outlook are:

• The continuing high activity era. Since 1995, the tropical multi-decadal signal has brought ocean and atmospheric conditions conducive for development in sync, leading to more active Atlantic hurricane seasons.
• Warm Atlantic Ocean water. Sea surface temperatures where storms often develop and move across the Atlantic are up to two degrees Fahrenheit warmer-than-average.
• La Niña, which continues to weaken in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is expected to dissipate later this month or in June, but its impacts such as reduced wind shear are expected to continue into the hurricane season.

“In addition to multiple climate factors, seasonal climate models also indicate an above-normal season is likely, and even suggest we could see activity comparable to some of the active seasons since 1995,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlook does not predict where and when any of these storms may hit. Landfall is dictated by weather patterns in place at the time the storm approaches. For each storm, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center forecasts how these weather patterns affect the storm track, intensity and landfall potential.

“The tornadoes that devastated the South and the large amount of flooding we’ve seen this spring should serve as a reminder that disasters can happen anytime and anywhere. As we move into this hurricane season it’s important to remember that FEMA is just part of an emergency management team that includes the entire federal family, state, local and tribal governments, the private sector and most importantly the public,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.

“Now is the time, if you haven’t already, to get your plan together for what you and your family would do if disaster strikes. Visit ready.gov to learn more. And if you’re a small business owner, visit www.ready.gov/business to ensure that your business is prepared for a disaster,” added Fugate.

Hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline; strong winds and flooding rainfall often pose a threat across inland areas along with the risk for tornadoes.

May 22-28 was national Hurricane Preparedness Week. To help prepare residents of hurricane-prone areas, NOAA is unveiling a new set of video and audio public service announcements featuring NOAA hurricane experts and the FEMA administrator that are available in both English and Spanish. These are available at http://www.hurricanes.gov/prepare.

The National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. It operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. Visit us online at weather.gov and on Facebook.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook.