| December, 2013

51st Pompano Boat Parade

Posted on 12 December 2013 by LeslieM

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McCloud closes out first year with Lions

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

Pages 09-16By Gary Curreri

Former NFL football player Tyrus McCloud wasn’t sure what to expect last spring when he took over the reins of the Zion Lutheran School football program.

McCloud, who played at Nova High School and went on to play two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, started spring practices with just five athletes. As time passed, he convinced more players to come out and had a 17-player roster this fall, of which nearly half (seven) were middle schoolers. Only six players on the team had played tackle football previously.

McCloud said his first-ever head coaching stint was one of the toughest jobs he’s had, and also opened up to the team stressing his “failures” rather than his successes. Among the transgressions was a drinking problem. He recounted a story where he sat with former Ravens Pro Bowler and future NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis one day and Lewis told him he’d stopped drinking because he wanted to become a star player.

Zion Lutheran began the year with two straight losses to Berean Christian, 21-0, and Canterbury (St. Petersburg), 14- 6, before finishing the year on a five-game win streak.

The Lions defeated City of Life Christian Academy (20- 6), Northwest Christian (60-0), Scheck Hillel Community School (38-19), Faith Christian (70-28) and Palmer Trinity (48- 0) as it outscored the opposition, 242-88. It marked the first winning season since 2007 when it went 7-3.

McCloud, 39, of Coral Springs, played linebacker for the University of Louisville Cardinals, was drafted in the fourth round of the 1997 draft with the 22nd pick (118 overall) by Baltimore Ravens. He played in both the 1997-98 seasons with the Ravens and was briefly with the Miami Dolphins in 2001.

Among the other challenges McCloud faced was having two younger inexperienced coaches on staff. McCloud came on board last April for spring practice and called coaching this season was “very intriguing.”

The biggest transition we had was trying to engage the athletes to get them to maximize the talent,” McCloud said. “We had to give the coaches a vision and then we had the support of the administration.”

McCloud has been the South Florida Field Director for Prison Fellowship Ministries for the past 12 years. The nonprofit organization aims to restore broken bonds between prisoners and their families while protecting their children from following in their footsteps. He had a conversation with Zion Lutheran Athletic Director Mitch Evron, who spoke of challenges with the athletes.

He said there are some issues socially, economically, spiritually and mentally,” McCloud said. “He said he might have to scrap the program, and I saw it as an opportunity to give these kids a little bit of life and move it forward.”

McCloud also said the players had to overcome fear since they had never played before. McCloud said at one point in the spring, they had 23 players but seven quit because the game was too physical for them.

That was the identity that was there and we had to put them in position to like the game, have fun and maximize talent,” McCloud said. “That was the hard part of putting the pieces together.”

McCloud said the biggest point he needed to make with his team was drawing on his own weakness. He said it was more than being a finalist for the Butkus Award in college or reaching the NFL.

I didn’t talk about my strengths, I talked about my weaknesses,” McCloud said. “I spoke of the things I failed at, the things I could have done better at, as it relates to football. Ray Lewis and I were drinking one day as rookies, and Ray was saying how we need to stop. He said he wanted to be a legend and he decided to separate to be better and not keep drinking, and I didn’t do it. I spoke to them about the pain of my past in order for them to really draw into the passion of why we need to play and the focus to move on.”

It was very humbling to open up like that to the kids, probably beyond humbling,” McCloud added. “A lot of the things I shared with those guys, I never shared with anybody in my life. The only person that knew about that story was me and Ray. I had to do some soul searching. I couldn’t watch them get beat up and defeated. It was therapy for me too because I had to open those scars up. I never even told my wife about it and we’ve been married for 16 years.”

McCloud was the defensive coordinator at Calvary Christian in the spring of 2012 and has been involved as a youth football coach in programs around Broward County. He said the core five kids (Don Andrew Hanson, Chris Judge, Rashad Witty, Ruben Monroe and Josh Forde) who came out last spring were “hoping and believing” that there would be a team and they stayed the course. The players recruited fellow classmates and they were able to field a team and defeated Palmer Trinity, 40-6, in the spring game.

I think it says a lot.” McCloud said. “We wanted to make it exciting for the school and bring some life to the program,” McCloud said. “They have sent a message to everyone this year. I believe that with the talent in Northern Broward County that Zion can be an elite program in the future.”

This is going to rank up there with the things I do,” McCloud said. “When I deal with the home school kids, inmates and doing camps … You see the smiles on the faces of the kids. You see the kids at Zion where coaches walked out on the kids in the middle of the season. This will rank in my Top 2.”

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FLICKS: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Le Grande Belleza & Bettie Page Reveals All

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

Pages 09-16By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

After a drought of almost two decades, the Thanksgiving Box Office broke records last weekend. The one-two combination of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen proved to be indomitable family entertainment.

A film that continues Suzanne Collins’ Young Adult novel series, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was buoyed by additional screenings at Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery’s IMAX.

After their unique victory in their first movie, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) fulfill their obligatory celebrity roles. Through their victory, Katniss and Peeta have sparked a quiet political evolution against the president (Donald Sutherland) and his oppressive policies. Thepresident recruits Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) as his trusted advisor to quell the rebellion.

Although the first half drags a bit, these expository scenes set up the arch of the trilogy. When the games begin, character and story intensity pick up with personal violence and hidden character motives. Like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, this is an entertaining middle film that promises a fine conclusion.

On the smaller screen at the Florida Atlantic University Living Room Theater, one can have an intimate experience with Italy’s Le Grande Belleza (The Great Beauty). Director Paolo Sorrentino tells the tale of Jep (Toni Servillo), a 65- year-old man who is tired of living in “La Dolce Vita” culture since the 1960s. Having written an influential novelette decades ago, Jep lives a shallow life in which he has lived off the reputation of his book. He undergoes a spiritual revelation when he meets a nun his age who has lived a life of chastity and poverty.

For local interest, don’t miss Bettie Page Reveals All, a documentary featuring the iconic Pin-Up girl and a bit of Boca Raton history. We learn that Bettie attended “Bibletown” (now Boca Raton Community Church) and she shot her famous jungle photos a few blocks south in the old Africa- U.S.A. park (now a housing development). Narrated by Bettie, Bettie Page Reveals All is a documentary of contrasts.

Throughout the movie, we see her glamour in various stages of dress and undress. Yet through the dead pan narration, we learn about Bettie’s battles with abuse, censorship and her own mental illness. Not seen since her spicy photographs from the 1950s, Bettie narration is hauntingly off-camera. While the woman embraces her sexual legacy, her deep-voiced southern drawl presents a warning to naïve young people everywhere.

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Everything’s Coming Up Rosen: Sounds for sore eyes

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

I am an avid reader – with tired eyes. These searchlights have served me well over many years – and they still work for me. Dimly, it’s true, but certainly adequately for everyday activities. I do not have an eye disease. And my sight is close to 20-20. What I have is end-of-thed a y – w h e n – I – l o v e – t o – cuddle-with-a-book blurs. This is even after two cataract surgeries and no real diagnosis from my Ophthalmologist … just an admonition about too much time at the computer, plus a simple treatment plan: Live with it. His unspoken language translated into: “You’re lucky after all these years that it’s no worse. Be grateful.” And gratitude is what I’m all about.

But my list of “Books I Want To Read” reaches to China and, although I do not have an eye disease, my frustration level was registering “dangerous” until I discovered Books On Tape.

And so, reluctantly, I have bartered my NPR radio station in favor of listening to a good book. I do my reading-listening in the car and, although I probably don’t average more than 2 hours a day in the car, if that much, it’s start and stop doing various household chores, volunteering, some business meetings and keeping up with social engagements; so, it’s not unusual for me to spend a couple of weeks with a 17-disk book. (Most of them have far fewer disks.) And I come right back to my place without missing a beat each time I turn on the ignition. And, no, I don’t lose interest. In fact, I love red lights. They increase my listening time.

I find myself engaged with more non-fiction than I had been before: biographies, memoirs and lots of political and trendy stuff, all from my local library. I recently went on a jag to find out as much as I could about our president and took out six books on Obama – three from the right and three from the left, and came away from that experience with a well balanced synthesis – but – you’ll get no politics in this column.

My taste in fiction is for good literature and, sometimes, I feel the need to buy a book I’ve heard, just to underline some of the powerful or poetic language, and to make notes. All of which has not prevented me from engaging in the actual cuddle with a real book. Thus far, I have resisted eBooks. I know. I know. Some of you love ‘em. But when I travel, I only take skinny books, and I hate reading on a screen. It’s bad enough that I have to read on a computer screen.

So this is a recommendation for your Christmas list for book lovers with sore eyes, book lovers who spend lots of car time or book lovers who simply can’t get enough reading time and might listen in the car (or doing laundry or cooking), or for someone who is fed up with the fare on TV and would like to knit or sew or do a craft project while listening to a good book.

And have a Merry Christmas!

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CRIME WATCH

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

DEERFIELD BEACH

Nov. 21 Two men were seen smashing a window at Hess gas station at 2515 W. Sample Rd. and then stealing six cases of beer and six packages of cigarettes.

Nov. 21 Someone broke into a car parked at 4200 N. Dixie Hwy. and stole a JVC car stereo, $5 in change and a car jack.

Nov. 21 Someone entered a home at 4120 NE 4 Terr. and stole a television, Sony Playstation, Sony Laptop and HP Laptop. Loss was estimated at $1,800.

Nov. 21 A man reported that someone stole his laptop from his apartment at 715 Siesta Key Terr. The man had been having problems with his roommate.

Nov. 21 It was reported that an iPad was stolen from a work van parked at 963 SW 15 St.

Nov. 21 A home at 601 SW 14 Court was entered and two televisions were stolen.

Nov. 22 An employee of Target was arrested and charged with stealing a Sony PS4 valued at $399.99. The theft was seen on video surveillance camera.

Nov. 22 A home at 328 NW 43 St. was entered and jewelry items stolen.

DEERFIELD— District 4

Nov. 26 Residential burglary was reported in Waterford Homes, 1181 SW 25 Ave. A BSO deputy responded to a burglary/residence there. A neighbor to the rear and acrossthe lake from this residence was sitting on her back porch when she observed a man in her neighbor’s yard. According to the witness, the man was checking the doors and windows. A short time later, the suspect was seen exiting from the smashed sliding glass window. The witness called the police. Units responded to the area and a perimeter was set. The subject was unable to be located. The victim was contacted. $5,000 worth of jewelry was taken and the sliding glass door was broken.

Nov. 30 Theft of motor vehicle parts was reported in The Waterways,4383 SW 10 Place.

Nov. 30 Drugs/narcotics offenses were reported at Deerfield Mall.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

RE: Congressional and Commission update

Dear Editor:

The United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3080, The Water Resources Reform & Development Act (WRRDA), which authorized Broward County to prefund the preliminary activities necessary to deepen and widen Port Everglades with federal reimbursement. Our members of Congress: Lois Frankel, Mario Diaz Balart, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Ted Deutch, Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson were among the nation’s lawmakers pushing for passage of the amended WRRDA bill.

In Tallahassee, Governor Scott urged the State Legislature to approve a $14.7 million investment for Port Everglades in a parallel effort to make Florida competitive worldwide and to also create more Florida jobs. The Port Everglades expansion is expected to create over 7,000 direct jobs and more than 135,000 jobs around the state of Florida.

At the Nov. 12 county commission meeting, I was honored to present and pass the V.E.T. Pass, a six-month pilot program to provide veterans in need with a free BCT Bus Pass. This is a project that I have been working on for nearly my entire time in office, and I am always pleased to pass meaningful policy that gives back to those who gave so much to our country.

Coming this month… The Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) will begin the new year by launching a 2014 Business Development Workshop Series, which is an update to the annual 12- part “How to Do Business with Broward County” series. These events are designed to expound on accessing opportunities with county government procurement and contracts. The workshops will be held at varying times and locations every month on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the county. For additional information, contact OESBD at 954- 357-6400 or visit www.Broward.org/EconDev.

My main goal is to help you foster your own “American dream.” If there is anything that we can do to assist you with your vision for a better Broward, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 954-357-7004 or by email at clamarca@broward.org. You can also stay up-to-date by viewing our website at www.Broward.org/District4, where you can sign up to receive email updates from our office.

As always, it is an honor to serve you.

Chip LaMarca

County Commissioner, District 4

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Happenings

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

Holiday Cocktail Party

Thursday, Dec. 5, 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Butler House 380 E. Hillsboro Blvd Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Fundraiser for Breakfast with Santa. $10 donation.

Yuletide Parade

Thursday, Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m.

Riverside Drive west on Atlantic Boulevard to McNab Park Pompano Beach, FL

Floats, fire clowns, dancers, bands and more. Party follows with kids’ activities, tree lighting, and Santa will be there! Also fireworks this year! Please bring nonperishable food items to McNab Park for the less fortunate. For more information, call 954-786-4111, (See pg. 1).

Family Christmas event

Friday Dec. 6, 7:45 to 10:30 p.m.

Trinity Christian 3901 NE 22 Ave. Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Hosted by Trinity’s Women’s Bible and Book Club. Includes Christmas stories and songs. FREE. Bring donations of nonperishable food items. For more information, call 954-941- 8033.

The Masters Art Festival

Friday, Dec. 6, 6 to 9 p.m.

Greight Spaces 2611 E. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33062

FREE. Live music and refreshments served at adjacent cigar bar. Exhibit of local artists, non-commission sales of art. After party at The Vega Lounge.

Objects of Beauty

Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to noon

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

Mughal paintings of India and Turkish Embroidery. Lecture and slide presentation given by artist Arline Peartree. 954-357-7680.

Every Day Green Expo

Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Quiet Waters Park – Shelter #10 401 S. Powerline Rd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

FREE, except gate entry fee: $1.50/person (Children under 5, free). Learn about environmental issues, discover ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, create treasures from trash and experience how to live greener every day. 954-357-5100.

12th Annual Florida Turkish Festival

Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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

Turkish music, dance, art, food, bounce houses, face painting and more. FREE. 954-588- 7957 or www.FloridaTurkishFestival.org.

Annual Deerfield “Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting Ceremony”

Saturday, Dec. 7, 5 to 9 p.m.

The Cove Shopping Center 1550 Hillsboro Blvd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Live entertainment, photos with Santa, miniature Pony Petting Zoo, snow flurries, kids’ activities, holiday magician, Athena the Snow Queen. Refreshments, snacks will be sold. Free shuttle service will be provided for those that park at the Main Beach Parking Lot (149 SE 21 Ave.) Bring unwrapped gifts to be donated to less fortunate. (See pg. 7) 954-480-4429.

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Butler House 380 E. Hillsboro Blvd Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

$10/family. Picture with Santa, goodie bags, breakfast, music, kids’ crafts.

Charitable Cancer Support Foundation fundraiser

Saturday, Dec. 7, 3 to 7 p.m.

The Cabin Sports Bar 154 N. Federal Hwy. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Tax-deductible donations help individuals and families who have been affected by Cancer. Info.: 954-960-3245.

 

Pompano Beach Boat Parade

Sunday, Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m.

Intracoastal from Lake Santa Barbara to north to Hillsboro Bridge Pompano Beach, FL

Watch the boats go by along the shore or ride aboard the Musette for $60, including dancing with DJ and buffet. Call 561-791-9686 for reservations.

Pompano Beach Garden Club

Monday, Dec. 9, noon

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

Growing and Cooking with Herbs” presented by Hadney Fayyaz, Edible Garden expert & educator. Refreshments served. 954-943-0029.

Toys for Tots

Monday, Dec. 9, 1 to 4 p.m.

The Allen West Foundation 6400 Congress Ave., Ste. 2050 Boca Raton, FL 33487

Grand Opening Party. Bring unwrapped new toy. If you cannot attend, you can still ship a toy to the address. 561-997- 6776. www.allenwestfoundation.org.

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CLERGY CORNER: Calling a miracle

Posted on 05 December 2013 by LeslieM

Chanukah, Christmas — the world brightens up with the lights of these holidays and people tell stories of their faith and of miracles. This year was a first in my life; I was asked if I would play Santa Claus. Sadly, I was already committed to other work on that day.

But, for years, this Rabbi has thought of what fun it would be to play Santa. All I would need is the suit, as I already have the white beard and the tummy. Now, in the past when I thought of playing Santa, I always thought about how wonderful it would be to watch little ones as their eyes bulged in delight at getting to see and talk to me (Santa), and telling me what they wanted most in the world. But I wasn’t asked to play Santa for children. I was asked to put on a Santa suit for a Nursing Home. And I think that the wishes of an elderly person are very different than that of a child, then again, maybe not.

Most of you are familiar with the game of dreidel. The word dreidel comes from a Yiddish derivation of the German word, drehen, meaning “to turn” and, today, I would like to put a new spin on it. If you think about it, when we hold the Torah, we hold it on the bottom. Perhaps, we do this as a way of saying that the words of the Torah lift us up toward the heavens. On Purim, we spin a grogger, a noisemaker, and, again, we hold the grogger from the bottom. Even the fringes of our Tallit are at the bottom of our prayer shawls, again reminding us that observing the Commandments that they represent will lift us up toward the heavens.

But to spin the dreidel, you have to hold it from the top. So instead of lifting us up toward the heavens, this simple game metaphorically spins our focus to bringing a bit of heaven down to earth.

That really came home to me as I read the latest novel by Mitch Albom titled, “The First Phone Call From Heaven.” And, as I thought about not being available to play Santa for a group of elderly residents, I wondered what kind of things they might tell me that they wished for most of all.

Reading Mitch’s book, I wondered how many of them would say that they would love to be able to talk to or to see a loved one who has passed from this earth. I wondered how many of them would cherish a phone call from heaven. Wow, what a miracle that would be. This is a season of miracles. But as a Rabbi and a Chaplain, let me tell you something, don’t wait until you are in heaven to make a call. There are those who you might not have talked to for a very long time for whatever reason, and they are literally dying to hear from you. Your reaching out to them might just bring a little bit of heaven into their lives.

This is The Season of Miracles, but it’s up to each of us to make sure that love is in the air. So, pick up the phone, make that call and make it a heavenly one on both ends of the line.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again.

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Give The Gift Of Fitness!

Posted on 05 December 2013 by JLusk

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