| June, 2015

Wyatt Wins; Hopes for more

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

sports062515By Gary Curreri

A chance encounter with Phil Mickelson as a 10-year-old helped launch Wyatt Rubin’s golfing career.

I was just starting out in golf in 2007 and me and my dad went to Doral and we followed Phil Mickelson during his round,” said the 18-year-old Rubin, who lives in Pompano Beach. “He had just finished the 13th hole and flipped his golf ball to me. He said, ‘here you go kid.’ I still have that ball today. It was the Holy Grail for me.”

Rubin recently won the Junior Golf Association of Broward County’s Boys Championship Flight by firing an even par, 72 (35-37) at the Plantation Preserve Golf Club. Fellow Pompano Beach resident Isak Nilsson tied for sixth just four shots back after shooting 38- 38-76.

Rubin hit 13 of 18 greens for his win and putted well as he totaled six birdies in his round. He recorded birdies on 1, 7, 9, 11, 15 and 17 and came back from a double bogey on 10.

He started playing in the Junior Golf Association (JGA) of Broward County when he was 10 and was in the lower flights as he worked his way up. The best he had done in the JGA of Broward was tying for third at Plantation Preserve last year.

The recent Calvary Christian Academy graduate is in the process of walking on at Florida Atlantic University. He is preparing for a September tournament staged by the school for walk-on golfers.

It would be amazing to play college golf,” said Rubin, who helped his high school team win district and regional titles in golf. “Just like going to states in high school was a big deal, to be able to say I played a Division 1 sport in college would be a really good accomplishment. I am going to try my best and we’ll see.”

Golf almost wasn’t in his future. He made the Calvary Christian school team as a seventh grader, but gave up the sport in the eighth grade.

I was sick of golf,” Rubin said. “I played in a lot of tournaments that required me driving like two hours when I was younger. I played both days on the weekends and it took all of my time. I wasn’t playing very well. It was just so time consuming and it was frustrating.”

Rubin didn’t even watch golf on TV and didn’t play the sport at all for a year.

When I came back for my freshman year, I was refreshed and from then on I kept getting better and better,” Rubin said. “It was exciting because I got to hang out with all of my friends and my coach Marty Fanning, who was my teacher in the third grade and is like a mentor of mine.”

He said the JGA of Broward County has been the majority of his competitive golf experience. He likes the players and the organizers.

It is such a cool thing to wake up on a Monday morning and go play some competitive golf,” Rubin said. “Competitive golf is a feeling you can’t replicate anywhere else.”

Knowing he won a tournament that a current PGA golfer has probably won in their history is also exciting.

I was thinking the whole week after I won I was like the big man on campus for one week,” Rubin said. “I am sure there have been some really good golfers who have won the boys championship in the past.

Every time I won a lower flight tournament in the past, it felt good, but it wasn’t the Championship Flight,” he added. “And to finally pull off a championship where all the best players were in and to call myself the best in the entire JGA for that week, really felt good.”

In other divisions involving local golfers at Plantation Preserve, Pompano Beach’s Daria Korovina shot a 30 to place fourth in the Girls B Division. Weston’s Polina Anisimova carded a 25 to win the division.

Two Pompano Beach golfers finished fourth and sixth respectively in the Boys Junior Division. Dylan Glatt shot a 42-41-83 to finish fourth, while Nicklaus O’Bryan was sixth just three shots back with a 43-43-86.

Deerfield Beach’s Justin Danzansky carded a 48 to finish seventh in the Boys A Division. He was seven shots back of Sunrise’s Orangel Machado. In the Boys E Division, Daniel Melnick of Pompano Beach shot a 24 to finish four shots behind winner Evan Kuperman of Parkland.

Pompano Beach’s Mateo Desmond carded a 14 to tie for second with Lauderhill’s Israel Bailey in the Boys F Division. Pembroke Pines’ Jose Esteras also shot a 2-over par, 14 and won the division on a tiebreaker.

There are five more weeks left in the JGA of Broward season, including the three-day final tournament to be held at the end of July at Jacaranda Golf Club, Woodlands Country Club and Ft. Lauderdale Country Club.

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Oceans234 unveils plan for remodeling

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

society062515By Rachel Galvin

After their first step of launching the sale of their engraved brick pavers on June 11, which will wind along from the front of the restaurant to the beach, Oceans234 held another event to unveil the rest of the plans for a million dollar renovation that will take place in August.

The renovations, by A.W. Rosse & Associates, will take place over 8 weeks. On June 23, Media was invited to see renderings of the new look and try samples of some of their new flavors. They will have a new logo and the interior and exterior will be completely revamped, including the bar area.

They are not adding to their square footage, said owner Danielle Rosse, but being more efficient in their use of space. The indoor will extend onto the patio, a perfect locale for private occasions, seating 40 people.

The fresh new look is accompanied by new flavors. For starters, you will be able to try fried calamari, chicken lettuce wraps, seared pork belly, crab cake or more. “Land and Sea” will offer plenty of entrée options from grilled bronzino, tuna or Mahi Mahi to filet mignon, skirt steak, free range chicken or even Lobster mac and cheese.

Rather grab a sandwich? You can try a burger or get more exotic with a dolphin sandwich or blackened snapper reuben. They will have plenty of salad selections, like Thai Chicken, Poached Pear or Shrimp and Crab salad, and many sushi options too.

There will be a “Renovation Unveiling” for the general public at a happy hour Friday, June 26 at 5 to 7 p.m. at the restaurant. There are plenty of events summer-long as well.

Brick pavers, which can be engraved with name or logo, benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Deerfield Chamber of Commerce and Broward Health Foundation’s KIDS Campaign. They are still for sale online or at the restaurant. Their goal is to raise $50,000 and they have already raised $18,000.

For more details on all of the above and upcoming events, visit www.oceans234. com.

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FLICKS: Inside Out, Cinema Paradiso films

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While Jurassic World is still the champion of the box office, Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out scored $91 million over the weekend.

Disney/Pixar created a string of critical and financial successes with films like Monsters Inc., A Bug’s Life, Wall-E, Ratatouille, Up, and peaking with Toy Story 3.

Since 2010, however, Disney/Pixar has been dominated by rival companies and Disney’s own internal production company. But, Inside Out returns Disney/Pixar to its former glory.

Inside Out is a simple story about Riley, an 11-year-old girl who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. The genius of this movie is that most of the dramatic conflict is Riley’s internal struggle between Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black) and Fear (Bill Hader). The emotions are personified with individual characteristics and provide each voice actor a field day.

The first five minutes of the film presents a happy family unit. The move from Minnesota to California is presented as an adventure, creating fond memories. Yet, when the dust settles from the move, Sad begins to intrude on Riley’s core memories, tarnishing the past. When Joy tries to prevent this from happening, the two emotions are sucked into the netherworld of the subconscious.

While remaining “a kids movie,” Inside Out enters the realm of a college freshman psychology class. In Riley’s subconscious, we meet her baby fears (party clowns) and her invisible friend, Bing Bong (Richard Kind). This part of the film takes on a darker hue, much like the melancholia many 11-year-olds face through the rites of passage.

Much like the crowd reactions to Monsters Inc. and Toy Story 2 & 3, children are comforting their parents who are sniffling and tearing up. The film provides the psychological double entendre that makes the Disney/Pixar partnership a continuing cinematic force to be reckoned with. It is also an entertaining flick with a superb musical score from Michael Giacchio, who also scored Jurassic World. Giacchio is the next generation’s John Williams.

Meanwhile, at Cinema Paradiso The Farewell Party opens June 26 at Cinema Paradiso, Hollywood. An award-winning film from both the Israeli and Venice film festivals, it is a dark comedy in Hebrew with English subtitles about euthanasia. July 9-16, Cinema Paradiso, Ft. Lauderdale, will be presenting “Filmed in Broward,” sponsored by Broward 100, a celebration of films produced here. Line-up includes crowd favorites like True Lies, Body Heat, Married to the Mob, Analyze This, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and more. For more info., visit www.fliff.com.

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CRIME WATCH

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 8 A home at 273 NE 40 Court was broken into and an Xbox and two video games were stolen.

June 9 A car parked at 370 Deer Creek Jefferson Dr. was entered and the glove compartment was rummaged through.

June 9 A metal and wood trailer parked at 433 Goolsby Blvd. was stolen.

DEERFIELD – District 4

June 8 Robbery with no firearm or weapon took place in Trail Plaza at 1799 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. The subject was arrested on charges of robbery with no firearm or weapon.

June 12 Theft occurred in Waterford Courtyards South, at 2646 SW 15 St., Deerfield Beach. Unknown subjects(s) removed a beige, 2002, 4-door, Toyota Corolla with FL tag DIG E72 from the parking space. The vehicle was locked.

June 12 Theft – retail/ shoplifting was reported at Target, 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd, Deerfield Beach.

The suspect was captured on video surveillance and then stopped by a loss prevention officer after removing merchandise from several aisles. The items were returned. Total loss was valued at approximately $1354.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 1 Someone spray painted a window of an old video store at 4750 N. Federal Hwy.

June 1 Someone stole drainage grates from a construction site at 2831 NE 39 Street. There were five cast-iron frames and a manhole cover. Loss was $1,000.

June 2 Victim said she made a purchase at a fast food restaurant and then went to a nearby store and realized she didn’t have her wallet. The victim said a woman may have taken it while she was in the balloon aisle at the store located at 3780 N. Federal Hwy. The wallet contained a driver’s license, $18 in cash, and credit cards. Total loss was $148.

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

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

UPDATE from Tallahassee

Dear Editor:

This update is to inform you of what has been taking place during the Special Session.

The House votes on a $78.7 billion state budget Friday evening, June 19. The spending plan for 2015-16 represents an increase of $1.6 billion compared to the current fiscal year.

Budget questions and debate were scheduled for [last] Thursday and Friday.

After the House and Senate pass the budget, it goes to Gov. Rick Scott, who has line-item veto authority.

The state’s fiscal year ends June 30, so Gov. Scott will need to act on the budget by then to avoid any complications to state government operations.

While the House did not approve a Senate plan to expand health care coverage, the final budget does include $450 million in state general revenue in addition to federal and local funds to provide hospitals and clinics money for uncompensated care.

The budget also includes increased spending on education for public schools, funded at $7,097 per student, a 3-percent increase compared to this year.

I was able to advocate for my district and Broward County on several budget line items.

State Rep. Shevrin Jones

District 101

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HAPPENINGS

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

Splashtacular

Friday, June 26, 6 to 10 p.m.

Quiet Waters Park 401 S. Powerline Rd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Features games, movie, bounce house, prizes and splash time in the water playground. The fee is $6 per person (ages 12 months and under free); pre-registration is required. Also held July 10 and 24, and Aug. 7. For more information, call 954-357-5100.

Women’s Retreat: Upsy Daisy Relying on God to Lift Us Up

Friday, June 26 to Sunday, June 28

Comfort Inn Oceanside 50 Ocean Dr. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

For all women of the community. Sponsored by the Women’s Bible & Book Club of Trinity Church of Lighthouse Point. 3-day event is $75. For information, call 954-941-8033 or email info@trinitychurchlighthousepoint.com.

Fundraiser Yard Sale

Saturday, June 27, 8 a.m. to noon

First Christian Church Day School 1860 NE 39 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Vintage toys, books, clothes, desks and household items. Proceeds support non-profit licensed pre-school. For more information, call 954-942-2549.

Ham Radio Field Day

Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28

Villages of Hillsboro Park 4111 NW 6 St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Ham radio enthusiasts can join members of the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association as they demonstrate their emergency communications skills by operating temporary amateur radio stations. FREE.

The Feast Day of St. Peter

Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m.

St. Peter’s Anglican Church 1416 SE 2 Terr. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Holy Communion and free luncheon. All are welcome. 954-695-0336.

Dixie/ Swing Jazz session

Sunday, June 28, 1 to 4 p.m.

Elks Lodge 700 NE 10th St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Presented by Hot Jazz & Alligator Gumbo Society, $10. For more info., call 954-563-5390 or visit www.hagsjazz.com.

Save the date: Avis turns 60

Fun*raiser to benefit honor flight

Friday, July 3, 5 p.m.

Muddy Waters 2237 W Hillsboro Blvd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Come celebrate Avis Swenson turning 60 with a fun*raiser to benefit Honor Flight. First 60 people to attend and donate to Honor Flight will receive a free drink.

Zonta Festi-Fall seeks vendors

Zonta is holding their 3rd annual Festi-Fall at Emma Lou Olson Civic Center in Pompano Beach, Sept. 26. They are currently seeking vendors. Join the arts and crafts vendors, jewelry artists, bakers and more. For more information or to be a vendor, call 561-392-2223 or 561-482-8708. For more info on Zonta, visit www. zontadeerfieldbeach.org. Look for more details on the event closer to the date.

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CLERGY CORNER: Who am I?

Posted on 25 June 2015 by LeslieM

There’s been a lot of recent news attention given to those in an apparent identity crisis.

Famed Olympian Bruce Jenner unveiled his transformation as Caitlyn on nationwide television.

Rachel Dolezal, a white woman in Spokane, WA, came under the glare of public scrutiny when it was revealed that she had been claiming to be a black woman. Her estranged parents were the ones who outed her for what they felt was a deception since there was no evidence of black heritage in the family tree.

None of this is really shocking in the context of contemporary society. We’ve known for years that there are men who want to be women, women who identify as men, blacks who want to be white, and now there are some whites who think that they are black. Surprising? Not really. Confusing? It doesn’t have to be.

The search for identity has prevailed upon human existence ever since mankind came into being. The Biblical worldview teaches that, in Genesis, God created man and woman giving them specific instructions that pertained to their identity and purpose in creation. It was the serpent, Satan, who posed the question that confused the first man and woman about who they were, and who they could really be (see Genesis, Chapter 3). Falling for the deception that they could be gods themselves, and make their own determinations about good and evil, they violated the one restriction of their Eden existence and plunged mankind into sin and rebellion against God.

The Old Testament portrays God as passionately pursuing mankind so they could reconnect with Him and discover their true identity.

He even established a nation through Abraham to distinguish the blessed life of submission and obedience to the Creator, from a dissatisfactory lifestyle of self-government and self-determination.

The challenge for those whom He called was whether to trust His way and forsake their own ideas, or to reject the notion of a God they could not see while charting their own paths in the visible realities of life.

Psychologists tell us that everyone longs for significance, and a sense of belonging and purpose in life. Our identities are an integral part of where we fit and how we function in the world. It is, therefore, important that we understand who we are and what we are to do, if we hope to find fulfillment in this life.

The New Testament portrays God as lovingly providing a remedy for man’s sin, and offering the opportunity to discover who each of us was created to be. It appears that what Satan suggested in the Garden was actually attainable, if one did it God’s way. John, Chapter 1, Verses 12 and 13, states, “But, as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

It is my prayer that Bruce/Caitlyn and Rachel find their true identity and purpose in a real relationship with God.

It is my prayer for all of those searching for meaning to their existence. The external preoccupation with one’s identity will never satisfy the internal quest for fulfillment.

Only God can fill that vacuum with His presence, His power and His purpose. Only the Creator can define His creation and declare its true intent.

How strange it seems, but also how wonderful it is to discover that in giving up ourselves to Him, we find out who we truly are.

Bishop Patrick L. Kelly is the pastor of Cathedral Church of God, 365 S. Dixie Hwy., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. 954-427-0302.

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Teen arrested in Deerfield Park Elementary school burglary

Posted on 22 June 2015 by JLusk

pic18-year-old Solomon Shiver was arrested June 14 for stealing 10 laptops and a $23,000 video conferencing system from Deerfield Park Elementary.

Shiver had trespassed on the school twice and he could be seen on video walking around the school and also stealing items.

His arrest came about due to an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.

He faces charges of grand theft and burglary.

 

 

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Pompano Beach Middle takes third in county

Posted on 18 June 2015 by LeslieM

sports061815By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Middle School eighth-grader Shariff Rodriguez couldn’t have picked a better time to perform his best.

Rodriguez, 14, bettered his previous best throw by nearly 11-ft. in winning the discus event (109-02.50) to take first place in the recent Broward County Middle School Track and Field championships at Coral Springs High School.

His performance helped the boys’ team place third with 30 points.

It was my greatest throw I made in track ever,” said Rodriguez, of Pompano Beach, whose previous best was 98-ft., 6-in. “When I heard the total, my heart was just pounding. I was happy they had to get another measuring tape because the first one had run out.”

My nerves struck, threw me, and my right arm just felt like Superman,” Rodriguez said. “I just got in the circle and all my nerves filled me up while I was throwing and all of a sudden I just let the disc go and it did its job. That surprised me a lot. This is really big. It is a blessing to be here.”

It was redemption for Rodriguez, who thought he had won the regional competition last year; however, his throw of 87- ft., 9-in. didn’t count because he was disqualified.

I threw the game-winning throw and stepped out the front (of the ring) and got disqualified so I couldn’t get to county’s last year,” Rodriguez said. “So, this year, I kept reminding myself to go through the back.”

Rodriguez, who hopes to throw in college, said he is unsure why he was able to better his mark so substantially this year.

I don’t really know,” Rodriguez said. “Every sport I do, the nerves fill in my stomach before I compete. I was about to fall apart because it was county meet and the nerves just went through me, and I just threw and went as far as I could.”

Other top performers for the Bengals included: Pompano Beach Middle’s Joshua Scott, who was fourth in the high jump (5-04); Jovan Williams, who took fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.92); Tosheum Meade, who was fifth in the boys 200-meter dash (24.48), and Brian McClain, who captured seventh in the boys 800-meter run (2:20.39).

The Pompano boys’ 4×100- meter relay took third with a time of 46.41, while the Bengals’ 4×400-meter boys’ relay was fourth with a time of 3:52.81.

The girls team took sixth with 20 points led by Jaleah Williams, who finished third in the girls’ 400-meter dash (59.81). The girls’ 4×100-meter relay was second with a time of 51.27, while the girls’ 4×400- meter relay was third with a time of 4:23.88.

MIDDLE SCHOLAR ATHLETES

For the first time ever, the Broward County Middle School Athletic Association (MSAA) handed out Scholar/Athlete Awards. Every MSAA middle school was eligible to select students to receive this award.

The awards ceremony was held at the Plantation High School Auditorium on May 28. Each student named by a middle school was recognized and presented with a scholar athlete medallion.

Local middle school scholar athlete award winners included: Rodriguez from Pompano Beach Middle for the boys and Allegra Allen (girls). Deerfield Beach was represented by Claire Ries (girls) and Zacharie Saint Victor (boys).

Each member school was eligible to select a male and female from their school to receive this award,” said Michael Roland, student activities liaison for Broward County Public Schools.

To be eligible, a student must have an unweighted 3.0 GPA, have no ‘U’s for the entire year and have participated in two sports.”

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FLICKS: Jurassic World

Posted on 18 June 2015 by LeslieM

flicks061815By Dave Montalbano

Those who have been reading my column for over 15 years know that I am not going to give Jurassic World a bad review. It has everything a summer blockbuster movie is supposed to have: action, adventure, romance and humor. I am certain when I see the film again, I will get really annoyed by some of the story flaws (Really- two Afghanistan Veterans would entrust their lives to a pilot without an aviation license?),but, overall, I am pleased that this film has been breaking box office records. It offers something for everyone.

It has been 22 years since visionary John Hammond opened Jurassic Park. The designer flaws were minimized and the dinosaur park has expanded into Jurassic World. As entertainment parks become more competitive, so does the need to draw new customers, thus creating a new exhibit – the Indominus Rex – a genetic Frankenstein monster made of predatory dinosaur DNA. When things go chaotic,animal expert Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is called upon to tame the creature. Despite being an animal expert, the administrative brain trust ignore Grady’s wisdom and the situation gets worse.

The dinosaurs are the stars; yet,actors Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins and Judy Greer keep the human element interesting. The special effects extravaganza delivers first rate action sequences.

One standout scene involves Pratt’s battle with a pteranodon. While the scope of the scene is epic, it is the small details that make this scene nerve racking and dangerous.

Even the night time climax is presented with visual clarity,depending on where one sits. I was fortunate enough to see it at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science IMAX Theater (MODS) where the dinosaurs were actual size on a five-storey movie screen. The film will be showing at IMAX until June 30. I’ve heard reports that, at some screenings, people could not see the dinosaur’s heads on smaller screens.

While best known for portraying“Marty” in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, actor/stuntman Martin Klebba portrayed “the pteranodon” in Jurassic World. Wearing “motion capture pajamas,” Klebba was injured when actor Chris Pratt threw him down during a fight scene. Shaking it off, Klebba repeatedly performed the same stunt again in what became a very memorable scene from the movie.

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