Per a new study from Harvard Medical School and Northwestern University.

The study conducted by Dr. Hans Breiter of Northwestern University compared the brain scans of marijuana users with brain scans of nonusers. The results showed a direct correlation between the number of times users smoked marijuana and abnormalities in the brain effecting motivation and emotion.

The study determined that pot users who smoke one to seven joints a week had negative changes in the volume, shape and density of their brain’s nucleus accumbens and amygdala, which are regions of the brain that regulate emotion and motivation.

“What we are seeing is changes in people’s core brain regions that you never ever want to fool around with. More studies are needed to determine how these changes may have long-term consequences and whether they can be fixed with abstinence,” said Dr. Breiter.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy helped fund the study, which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience by Harvard Medical School, in cooperation with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Publisher’s Note: The people of the State of Florida are going to be voting on this issue in a few months. You may want to keep and distribute this information.

—David Eller

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Having opened at the 2013 Palm Beach International Film Festival, Decoding Annie Parker will be opening nationally tomorrow. In the year since its first public exposure, the reputation of Decoding Annie Parker has grown, given the subject matter and a blossoming supporting cast of actors – Aaron Paul, Marley Shelton and Alice Eve.

Having witnessed her mother and sister fade away from cancer, Annie Parker (Samantha Morton) basically lives in the moment and tends to her family. While performing a routine breast examination, Annie discovers a lump on her breast. Annie laughs at her apparent death sentence.

In spite of radiation, chemotherapy and being told that her cancer is in remission, Annie confronts this devious disease. Enter Dr. Mary- Claire King (Helen Hunt), a research doctor who believes that there is a link between cancer and family genetics. Though it takes decades to meet, both Dr. King and Annie Parker develop a unique relationship via letter writing.

Based on a true story, Decoding Annie Parker is a textbook story about the medical profession battling a dreaded illness. Yet Samantha Morton’s performance raises the film above an episode of Grey’s Anatomy disease of the week plotting. Having met the real Annie Parker last year at PBIFF 2013, one sees that a positive attitude is powerful medicine.

For Joe, Nicholas Cage is getting his best performance reviews since World Trade Center. Cage is truly invested in this character, a supervisor who specializes in the killing of trees in the swamplands. Enter Gary (Tye Sheridan), a 15-year-old who seeks employment with Joe’s crew. Gary admits to suffering from domestic difficulties, Joe agrees to hire Gary’s father, Wade aka G-Dawg (Gary Poulter), figuring that hard work cures most problems.

Wade G-Dawg is pure white trash from the neighborhood of Bob Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird and Jonas Wilkerson from Gone with the Wind. Joe is forced to fire the father, who takes it out on his son. Despite his own violent past, Joe becomes increasingly involved with Gary’s plight.

To add authenticity to his story, Director David Gordon Green hired Texas locals. Poulter was a homeless man who was given a job. As the title role, Cage deserves his kudos for playing an explosive character with restraint. Yet Joe will be haunted by Poulter’s realistic performance as “Daddy Dearest.” After production closed, Poulter returned to the streets and died before Joe was released.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

I know that I am not the only person in the world who has experienced a major house-move. I daresay that anyone reading this has or has been close to someone who has been through this “agony and ecstasy.” Why then do I feel that it is only happening to me ?

Okay, so we all go through the usual nostalgia – especially when it comes to pictures. The “kids’” baby pictures – from over 50 years ago, the celebrations and trips, and just-because-s. No selfies then. And the — OMG – Who is THAT person? She doesn’t even LOOK familiar. Why is she in so many pictures?

The wonderful thing about pictures is we never take any during our angst periods, when misery and frustrations, and anger and disappointment, take over. To look at them, one would think that life is full of “say cheese” and resulting smiles.

Of course, there are the genius examples of artwork they drew and stories they wrote, and key rings they made … to say nothing of the useless presents from all sorts of folks once bestowed with love and warmth – the ones you felt obliged to keep; and NOW how happy you are to dump them, or better, “regift” them.

But here’s what might be somewhat unique. All my life – including pre-marriage – I have saved newspaper and some magazine stories and headlines of milestone historical events. Well – not ALL of them – many! But, stupid me, I was so careless about storage. I kind of dumped them into a box in my garage and, over the years, of course, they have yellowed and withered and crinkled etc. However, there were enough that were legible and in sufficiently good condition for me to have constructed a mini history lesson in headlines — for my grandkids. Visualize: me sitting on a small stool in my garage surrounded by empty boxes and newspaper headlines: Roosevelt Elected For Fourth Term, Hitler Takes Poland, Roosevelt Dies, Truman Takes Oath, Germany Surrenders, Atomic Bomb Dropped on Japan, Japan Surrenders, Dewey Wins, (oops, mistake!), Troops To Korea, One Small Step For Man … Marley and, then, a hiatus as I was concentrating on parenting and discovering Elvis Presley and Rock and Roll Music, until: JFK Dead, Johnson Takes Office, Troops In Vietnam, MLK Assassinated, RFK Assassinated, Civil Rights Bill Passed, Watergate Break in, Nixon Resigns, Reagan Takes Office: Iran Hostages Released, Hussein Invades Kuwait, US Troops In Iraq, Clinton Elected, Blue Dress Evidence, Clinton Impeached, Clinton Acquitted, It’s The Millennium, Florida Recount, Supreme Court Declares Bush President, ATTACKED!!, Troops to Afghanistan, Hussein’s Weapons of Mass Destruction, US Invades Iraq, Largest Drop In Market Since Depression, Housing Bubble Bursts, Hillary Drops Out of Primary, Obama Elected In Historical Win, Affordable Care Act Passed, iPhone Unveiled, Oregon Recognizes Same Sex Marriage, Recreational Marijuana Legal In Washington and Colorado –

I stopped saving headlines after that. And I’ll never save them again: headlines or elephants, or matchbooks or stuffed animals, or letters. I did all that. I have switched to “minimalism.” My next move will be easy.

DEERFIELD BEACH

April 8 A man reported that an iPad 4, valued at $599, was stolen from his room at 100 Fairway Dr.

April 10 It was reported that a home at 422 SW 10 Court was burglarized but an alarm may have scared the burglar away.

April 10 A woman reported that both front tires on her car parked at 1100 SE 4 Ave. were slashed.

April 10 A man reported that his home at 312 NE 38 St. was broken into and $200 in cash was stolen from his closet.

April 11 A man reported that his home at 1428 SE 4 Ave. was burglarized and his work laptop computer was stolen.

April 11 A man working on a lawn at 1400 NW 48 Place reported that a man flashed a gun at him and demanded a power trimmer. The gunman then stole the trimmer.

DEERFIELD – District 4

April 18 Retail theft/shoplifting took place at Target, 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd. On April 18 an unknown female entered the store and used a key to gain access and steal two Galaxy S3 cell phones.

April 19 Retail theft/shoplifting was reported at Target, 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd. April 18 an unknown male entered the store and used a cutting tool to steal one Galaxy S3 cell phone.

April 19 Conveyance burglary occurred in Deer Creek Plaza, 3701 W. Hillsboro Blvd. Unknown suspect(s) broke the passenger front window of the victim’s SUV.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

April 3 Police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at 4120 NE 23 Ave. When police arrived, the vehicle fled and was stopped nearby. Police discovered jewelry, a Rolex watch and firearms, valued at $7,001 in the vehicle.

April 4 Someone punched out a driver’s side window of a vehicle parked at 3700 N. Federal Hwy. and took a purse from the passenger seat containing a wallet, credit cards, passports and birth certificates. Loss was $56.

April 7 A friend stole the victim’s Keltes .380 caliber handgun from a residence at 3851 NE 22 Way. Victim believes the man is also responsible for two other firearm thefts at the residence. Loss was $350.

RE: Metering The Cove Parking Lot

Dear Editor:

As to the idea of parking meters in The Cove, as a regular customer of a number of businesses there, it’s a bad idea, period.

You can’t ask people who work there to pay for parking. There are no meters at City Hall.

As for [the resident] who said his taxes went up last year, don’t think for a minute that just because the city commission were to get extra revenue from any source, they would not raise them [taxes] again.

Enough is never enough with government! Remember the utility tax that was supposed to keep taxes from going up too? We all know where that got us.

Steven J. Fabrizio

Deerfield Beach

RE: Metering The Cove Parking Lot

Dear Editor:

I have read with interest the Letter to the Editor by Judy Giller in the April 24 Observer [which goes on to discuss Deerfield beach].

Based on this letter, and on earlier expressions of ideas, I’ve come to respect Ms. Giller’s wishes to enhance her newly chosen home — its economy and quality of life. But it seems to me that, as a newcomer to Deerfield Beach, her sources of information have been limited.

Often the people who are loud and opinionated are those who have something personal to gain from changing what is working. I ask that you continue to keep the entire good of the city and the quality of life of those who live here first and foremost in your mind when listening to those who want changes.

The city can only hope to improve if the city is fiscally responsible AND the residents are treated well.

Adding massive congestion to the beach area is not the answer. In fact, that may well be a death knell to our beach.

Any study of residential housing results in the conclusions that it costs more to a city to service the homes than produced by the tax revenues. If development were to be the helpful solution, let alone the panacea that is suggested, then Ft. Lauderdale and Hallandale Beach would be rolling in tax revenue rather than still having had to raise residential taxes.

Allowing politicians to decide the fate of our precious gem of a barrier island will ensure that it is those who pour money into the election coffers who are the ones to benefit. Having the residents in charge is the only way to be sure our will is done in methods that protect us from that exploitation.

Allowing the beach referenda to be overturned and the codes put back into the hands of politicians will result in, if not sooner than later, our city’s becoming the typical overdeveloped Florida coastal city, and not the attractive familyfriendly city that brought her to Deerfield Beach.

I sincerely hope that she will soon develop a clearer and broader perspective.

David Cohen

Deerfield Beach

Need for Traffic calming

Dear Editor:

We have big trucks-car carriers, dump trucks and semis driving on SE 15th St. between Federal and Dixie Highway because there are NO traffic calming devices.

This is a residential area with a bus stop for children on this street.

There is one “No Trucks” sign on each end that cannot be seen. Please put up more signs and please talk to the Toyota and Honda dealers [and ask them] not to have their carriers use this residential street to unload their deliveries. Most use Federal Highway.

Perhaps our BSO, which has been contacted, can be aware and ticket offenders. I sincerely hope our commissioners can help us. Could someone please respond to this letter, so we know it has been read?

Suzi Daines

Deerfield Beach

Arts Day

Friday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NE Focal Point Senior Center 227 NW 2 St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Free event. Watercolor, acrylic painting, clay, wood carving on display. Some pieces available for sale. 954-480- 4449.

AAUW Pompano Installation Luncheon

Saturday, May 3, 11:30 a.m.

Primavara Restaurant 830 Oakland Park Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334

Speaker: MaryAnn Webel, President, AAUW. $38. RSVP to 954-524-2938 or pompanoscholar@yahoo.com.

About Boating Safely

Saturday, May 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

Everyone who completes the class is given a certificate and will be sent a Florida Boating ID card, required for boaters under 26 years. Many insurance companies give annual discounts for completing this course. Topics include: boating terminology, boat handling, navigation rules, aids to navigation, federal and Florida regulations, safety equipment and more. $35. Bring lunch. For questions or to RSVP, call 561-391-3600 and leave a message.

8th Annual Fiesta De Shred

Saturday, May 3 to Sunday, May 4, 8 to 9 a.m.

Deerfield Beach Pier Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Bringing together both skimmers and surfers for a sombrero slinging showdown. Proceeds benefit the Kiwanis scholarship fund to help send underprivileged kids to Surf Camp. Several age divisions and contests. Entry Fee includes a free event T-shirt. Call Island Water Sports for info. at 954-427-4929. Or visit www.facebook.com/events/ 538659046251519

LHP Music Festival

Saturday, May 3, 5 to 10 p.m.

Frank McDonough Park 3500 NE 27 Ave. Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Music by “Jive Band,” with Top 40 hits, at 5:30 p.m. and Brass Evolution, a smokin’ hot 9-piece band, at 7:30 p.m. Food, dancing and fun! Sponsored by Balistreri Realty, Inc., National Exchange Club and My Favorite DJ Productions.

Youth Choir Annual Spring Concert

Sunday, May 4, 2 p.m.

Pompano Beach High School 1400 NE 6 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

New Presbyterian Church presents its 30-voice “Christ’s Ambassadors” Youth Choir. Public welcome. Free admission, but offering taken. 954.946.4380 or www.newpres.org.

Save the date: Deerfield Beach Rotary Golf Tournament

Friday May 9, 11:30 a.m. (registration) 1:00 p.m. (shotgun start)

Deer Creek Golf Club 2801 DC Country Club Blvd. Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442

Sponsored by Deerfield Beach Rotary Club. Benefits Deerfield Beach High School Students. Format: Scramble Tournament. Awards dinner to immediately follow tournament. www.deerfieldrotarygolf.com.

2nd Annual Tower’s With a Heart golf tournament

Saturday, May 10, noon (registration) 1:30 p.m. (shotgun start)

Boca Lago Country Club 8665 Juego Way Boca Raton, FL 33433

Founded by the owners of Emerald Towing to raise funds to promote Florida’s “Move Over” law. The law requires motorists to move over when a patrol car or emergency vehicle/ tow truck or wrecker is on the side of the road with its lights flashing. If moving is not possible, drivers should slow to 20 m.p.h. For more info. or to sign-up/ sponsor, call 954-288-7201.

There is a time for everything under the heavens, a time to be born and a time to die … a time to open your mouth and a time to keep it shut! May 5th is Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, a day of tears and remembrance. The very next day, the 6th, is Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, a day of joy and merriment. Such is the way of the world. We have times that we are lost in grief and we have times that we are feeling high as a kite. Yet, there are people who seldom, if ever, have a chance to look on what Brian of Monty Python fame would call “The Sunny Side of Life.”

Have you ever brought a smile to someone’s face? It feels pretty good, doesn’t it?

Have you ever gotten someone to laugh so hard they were rolling in the aisles? It feels great, doesn’t it? Now, let me ask another question — have you ever hurt someone? Have you ever made someone cry? Doesn’t feel so good, does it?

And yet, without thinking, we, arguably the most intelligent beings on the planet, have an incredible habit of causing pain to others. One particular example got me in the midst of the Passover Holiday. An elderly woman I know was rushed to the hospital. As her friends and neighbors found out that she was having health difficulties, they began calling her. One took care of her beloved poodle, another took care of her mail, another came to visit her each day. Everyone was helping the hospitalized woman, putting her mind at ease and, even in the midst of her pain, she couldn’t help but smile at how her friends were rallying around her.

But then her friends began to question why the woman’s sister, who lived in the area, was not doing anything to help. They began gossiping about the sister, and it went from bad to worse. They were saying how cold she is, how she must not care about her sister at all. And, before long, one of them just had to say something to the hospitalized woman and it wasn’t pretty.

Well, there are phones in the hospital, but the woman was not up to using one just yet. So she lay there in that bed fuming. She got angrier and angrier at her sister. Then, the day came when she was able to make a call and she got no answer. Want to know why? It seems her sister had been rushed to the hospital the very same day and was going through her own medical crisis, and her friends were wondering why her sister wasn’t there to help her.

So, did all these well-meaning friends help the situation or hurt it? How much better would it have been if they simply concentrated on what they were able to do to help instead of deciding what someone else should or shouldn’t be doing? As the Talmud teaches us, “People eat and drink together, yet pierce each other with the sword of their tongues.” (Yomah, 9b)

When I was a young boy, I came home from school and saw the ugliest thing I had ever seen on my Momma’s kitchen sink. It was a huge cow’s tongue. I couldn’t believe that something that tasted so delicious could possibly be so gross. I guess it was that day that I learned that the tongue can be sweet as sugar or it can be gross as can be. It all depends on what we do with it.

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.