Before sinking, June 7, off Deerfield’s pier.

By Rachel Galvin

On Sunday, June 7, a large crowd gathered on Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier to get a glimpse of the Rapa Nui Reef being sunk. This public art project consisting of 15 Moai heads, molded after the statues found in Easter Island made by the ancient Polynesian people, had made its trek from Stuart, FL and found its way down the Intracoastal Waterway on Friday to dock at Two Georges before heading to the Atlantic for the sinking.

The Rapa Nui Reef was created by artist Dennis MacDonald following the vision of benefactor Margaret Blume.

After sinking, June 7, off Deerfield’s pier.

When the reef went down, with the barge it sat upon, it appeared to tip over. It appears to have ended up upside down at the bottom with some of the statues breaking off. It is unknown what type of repairs will be attempted at this time.

Boats surrounded the barge to capture the excitement and divers videotaped below. (To find out more about how the barge was sunk, read Nautical Views in this week’s paper).

The event on the end of the pier was emceed by Jim “Chiefy” Mathie and several dignitaries spoke, including Mayor Jean Robb, who declared it Margaret Blume day, Commissioners Joe Miller (Dist. 1), Gloria Battle (Dist. 2), Richard Rosenzweig (Dist. 3) and Vice Mayor Bill Ganz (Dist. 4), as well as County Commissioner Chip LaMarca and Marti McGeary, 2nd vice president  of The Woman’s Club.

The Rapa Nui Reef comes down the Intracoastal, Friday, June 5, toward Two Georges in Deerfield Beach.

Steve Scaggs, owner of Two Georges, stands next to Arlinton Pavan, owner of Dixie Divers (seated), at fundraiser at Two Georges Saturday, June 6.

Artist Dennis MacDonald with his Rapa Nui Reef, Friday, June 5.

Special themed drink–Naked Moai, was available this weekend at Two Georges and other local locales.

The weekend was filled with activities, including a Pier Clean-Up by Dixie Divers (and Arlinton Pavan, who was instrumental in finding the barge, as well as supervising, coordinating and videotaping the sinking), a fundraiser for Public Art at Two Georges on Saturday night, including a silent auction and dinner, as well as a Moai ice sculpture. The restaurant even served a special drink for the occasion, the Naked Moai, with Naked Turtle Rum, Mango, Pineapple and Coconut Water. Their Happy Hour on Friday was also popular. The Woman’s Club, who sponsored the event, also sold T-Shirts to benefit Public Art.

SEE MORE PICS in this week’s paper.

Jim “Chiefy” Mathie emcees at sinking event Sunday, June 7.

Marti McGeary, president of The Woman’s Club, presents benefactor Margaret Blume with a thank you and a plaque, Saturday, June 6.

By Gary Curreri

Gaspar Cecchi can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

The 12-year-old from Miami Beach has been playing beach tennis for the past two years and he was one of an estimated 250 competitors who took part in the 7th annual Deerfield Beach World Cup Beach Tennis event this past weekend in Deerfield Beach.

“It is my type of game, my type of sport,” Cecchi said. “It is a racquet and a ball. There is no bounce. It is outside on the beach and I get a tan. You are diving and I get to be with my friends and family. It is better than just spending time sitting on a couch watching TV and playing video games inside.”

Cecchi views winning as being important.

“In tournaments, it is very important for me to win because later on you get better,” Cecchi said. “You play harder opponents and learn from it. When I play A Division or Open Divisions, I get pro points. You get higher (rankings) and maybe you get as high as the pros.”

In this tournament, he played in both the Men’s Open and Junior Division.

“I like playing against the men,” Cecchi said. “There are some people who are tough. They play better or they are tall. They can also run more. The hardest to me are the lefties because you don’t know where to shoot the ball. If you are a righty, you know where to put it. If you are a righty against a lefty or a lefty against a righty it is harder because you don’t know where to put it.”

The International Beach Tennis-USA event was cosponsored this year by Frank Congemi and SEXY Beach Tennis as a co-title sponsor, along with Dos Equis Beer. The three sponsors put up the $5,000 winners purse that was handed out to the various divisions.

Adrienne Cerra, president of the International Beach Tennis-USA, said the event doubled in size this year to 250 competitors.

“We used a lot of social media and the word is getting around how awesome Deerfield Beach is,” Cerra said. “We were very pleased with the turnout. This is going to be in the Olympics. We just have to continue to grow the sport. There are people playing all over the world. There are thousands and we are going to continue to try and get the support of the sponsors, and the media and TV will help.”

Simply Soccer Camp

Area residents are invited to attend the Simply Soccer camp at Mullins Park in Coral Springs.

Simply Soccer seeks boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels, for its 27th annual summer camp series that begins this week in Coral Springs.

This summer’s camp dates are: June 8-12, 15-19, 22-26; July 6-10, 13-17, 20-24, 27- 31; Aug. 3-7, 10-14, 17-21.

There are three sessions ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tiny Tot program from 9 a.m. to noon. Players will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

It is the longest running soccer camp offered by the city. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For information on the Coral Springs camp, call 954-345-2200.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

It has taken me a week to wrap my mind around Tomorrowland. For 4/5ths of the movie, I was transported to the culture of my 1960s childhood, the irrational exuberance of President Kennedy’s New Frontier. We had rocket ships going to the moon and The Jetsons showed us that common man would have flying cars in the not too distant future. Then, Y2K happened, and my generation did not get our flying car.

Tomorrowland’s leading man George Clooney and I are roughly the same age. His character, Frank Walker, is presented as a science wiz kid who crosses theoretical swords with David Nix (Hugh Laurie) at the 1964 World’s Fair in Flatbush, Long Island. With a magic pin, young Frank sees visions of a positive future. When he reaches middle age, Frank becomes like Clint Eastwood from Gran Torino, a grumpy old man who tells children to stay away from his porch.

The teenager bothering Frank is Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), who also was given a magic pin from Athena (Raffey Cassidy), a young person associated with Governor Nix. Frank and Casey develop an uneasy alliance and use their technological wits to save the world.

In the final fifth of Tomorrowland, we face the obligatory showdown between Frank and Nix and the thrashing of ideas. The biggest problem with this film is that the villain’s concerns are really the state of the union today, instant gratification from violence is the norm. Instead of presenting a solution to our problems of the day, Tomorrowland subtly warns us that we are doomed.

The Farewell Party opens tomorrow. This 2014 Israeli film concerns itself with the social norms of senior citizens in an assisted living facility. With a touch of Doctor Kevorkian, this drama provides dark humor about euthanasia.

For those considering movie fare south of Lighthouse Point, Cinema Paradiso will be presenting The Connection, a French thriller starring Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin as a narcotics officer trying to crack a major kingpin. This film is said to be France’s version of the Oscar-winning 1970s classic The French Connection starring Gene Hackman.

For info, visit www.fliff.com.

Last, but not least, the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Science and Discovery (MODS) has kicked off their summer blockbuster season. The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tomorrowland and San Andreas are currently on the 5-storey screen. Next week, Jurassic World opens. Book your tickets early, for shows have been selling out.

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

DEERFIELD BEACH

May 19 A woman reported her home at 81 NE 7 St. entered and burglarized.

May 19 A woman reported her purse stolen from her unlocked vehicle parked at 3850 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

May 20 It was reported that a mini-van parked at 401 S. Powerline Rd. was entered and a purse with $50, an ATM card and documents were stolen.

DEERFIELD – District 4

May 26 Conveyance burglary took place in the Gates of Hillsboro at 4001 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. BSO responded to a burglary to a vehicle.

May 26 Theft – Retail/ Shoplifting occurred in Deerfield Mall at 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. The subject stole four packages of bacon. Total loss was $25.46. The subject had 18 prior retail theft felony convictions.

May 26 Theft – Retail/ Shoplifting was reported in Deerfield Mall at 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Suspect walked into Publix and concealed $29.55 of merchandise in her purse and proceeded to walk past all points of sale. The suspect was detained and the merchandise was recovered.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

May 13 A victim went to the police department at 2061 NE 26 St. to report that someone used his identity to open an account and changed his address to a residence in Davie.

May 14 A subject stole $38.62 worth of groceries at a store located at 2460 N. Federal Hwy. and fled into an awaiting vehicle.

May 14 The victim said she was distracted by her two children and noticed her purse was missing after she drove away from 3700 N. Federal Hwy. The purse contained a wallet with credit cards, and other items. Loss was $160.

RE: Off ramp 95 & Hillsboro

I commute to Deerfield Beach daily and it normally takes 40-45 minutes. This morning was different.

I exited 95 onto the Hillsboro Boulevard off ramp at exactly 8 a.m. this morning and I saw a solid line of cars ahead of me. I initially assumed, quite incorrectly, that westbound traffic was once again blocking those exiting 95 from making a left and going eastbound on Hillsboro Boulevard. When I got close enough, I could see that was not the case.

I watched as the light changed to green and I counted the number of cars that got through and went left onto Hillsboro before it changed to red. The first time, I counted four and, the second time, I counted five. I could see that this was going to take quite a time to get to the red light at Hillsboro and I was right.

I finally got to the light at Hillsboro at 8:26 a.m. and I finally went left onto Hillsboro at 8:28 a.m., a total of 28 minutes from the time I got onto the exit ramp.

I am accustomed to my normal commute time but to add 28 minutes to go a mere 200 yards is ridiculous.

The timing of this traffic light is obviously defective. Can you please direct me to the entity that oversees these matters?

Thank you,

William E. Bucknam

Note: Kudos to Capt. Robert Schnakenberg for resolving this problem by Wednesday morning with the assistance of Broward County Traffic Engineering.

National Donut Day

Friday, June 5

Dunkin’ Donuts will commemorate the holiday by offering guests a free donut of their choice (while supplies last) with the purchase of any beverage. The offer is good all day on June 5 at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants nationwide.

Dive In Movies: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Friday, June 5, 8 p.m.

Houston Sworn Pool 901 NW 10 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Dip in the pool while you enjoy a featured movie. Free. Snacks and refreshments available. Get there early and get your photo taken with real mermaids! For more information, call 954-786-4111 or visit www.pompanobeachfl.gov.

Splashtacular

Friday, June 5, 6 to 9 p.m.

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

Carnival/circus-themed event. Activities include splash time, a bounce house, games, free popcorn and prizes. Tickets are $6/person (children 12 months and under are admitted free). For all ages. 954-357-5100.

Golf Tournament

Saturday, June 6, 8 a.m.

Crystal Lake Golf Club 3810 Crystal Lake Dr. Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Hosted by The City of Deerfield Beach and Broward Sheriff’s Office. Benefits the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which supports the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. For more information, see pg. 5 or call 954-480-4429.

About Boating Safely

Saturday, June 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spanish River Park, HQ building 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, which is required for boaters under 26 years. Topics include boating terminology, boat handling, navigation rules, aids to navigation, federal and Florida regulations, safety equipment and more. $35. Bring lunch. For pre-registration or information about upcoming classes, call 561-391-3600 and leave a brief message for a call back.

Day of Hope

Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pompano Citi Centre 1955 N. Federal Hwy. Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Free face painting, kids’ fitness boot camp by Pompano Fitness, a special appearance by Chuck E. Cheese and a bungee trampoline. Kids can create luminaries for Relay for Life of Pompano Beach teams, carousel rides for $1, raffle prizes and more. Benefits American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Pompano Beach. Hope Bracelets will be sold as well and special same-day discounts will be available at some stores. For more information, call 954-943-4683 or visit www.pompanociticentre.com.

In Honor of D-Day

Saturday, June 6, 2 p.m.

Parish Hall, St. Martin Episcopal Church 140 SE 28 Ave. (Atlantic Blvd. & the Intracoastal Waterway) Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Documentary film Silver Wings/ Flying Dreams: The Complete Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots to be shown. Held by The Florida State Society and The Lighthouse Point Chapter. Meet Director Bill Suchy. Reception to Follow. Free, but goodwill offering to help veterans appreciated. Also collecting for Wreaths Across America. For info., call 754-224-9447 or embrauer@bellsouth.net.

Hillsboro Lighthouse Tour

Sunday, June 7, 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

Alsdorf Park 2974 NE 14 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Transportation is only by boat from Alsdorf Park. Tours run hourly. $25 per person, free for HLPS members. Must wear fl at shoes with rubber soles and closed toes. No sandals, flip-flops, or shoes with heels are allowed inside the Lighthouse. Children must be accompanied by an adult and must be a minimum of 48 in.” (4 ft.) tall to climb the tower. No pets allowed. The Hillsboro Lighthouse is open for public tours one day each month. For a list of 2015 tour dates and shuttle launch locations, visit www.hillsborolighthouse.org/tours.

Mr. Weiss is a carpet salesman in Pittsburgh. I suspect that he spends each of his workdays observing people in his store as they look at all the carpets that are available. And, as he watches them, he may hear them say that they like this one or that one. He may hear them say that this color is great or this one is not bad. He may even hear them say, “Yuck!”

Some people may opt for one particular carpet on their first visit. Others may come back a few times. Some may just be browsing. Others will feel as though the store is either too expensive or that it has nothing they really like, or, perhaps, they did not like the way they were treated by the staff.

Keeping this in mind, it was not surprising to me that Mr. Weiss wrote an article called, “Confessions of a Synagogue-Hopper,” telling the story of how he enjoys hopping from one Temple to another. He even became a member of a few of them.

But, it would be a mistake for you to assume that because a congregation is Reform, Conservative or Orthodox that you know what their service will be like.

And I have a bit of a problem with Synagogue Hopping. You see, I looked up the word “Hop” and one of the first things I saw in the synonyms was “to bounce.” Hopping from one Temple to another is like bouncing. You will hop around and look for all the ups and downs of the Temple, instead of growing to feel like family and focusing on what you need to change within yourself and how you need to grow and mature, and build a relationship with G-d. You will spend your time analyzing what the Temple is doing right or wrong from your vantage point.

Another synonym for “Hop” is “Hurdle” and, if you hop from one house of worship to another, you may well put hurdles between you and G-d and those hurdles may become harder and harder to leap over. (Perhaps, that is where the expression “a leap of faith” comes from).

The next synonym I saw was “Trip” and, if you spend all your time hopping from one house of worship to another, you just might get yourself all tripped up and, sadly, that could lead to a big fall.

There is one more synonym I saw that I want to share with you “Skip.” If someone is a regular at my Temple and one Shabbat I do not see them in the pews, I know to check up on them. But if someone does not attend regularly, it will be pretty hard to notice that they are not there. And, if you hop from Temple to Temple, it can become very easy to skip whenever you do not feel the urge to attend.

Oddly enough, the antonyms for “hop” are “to allow” or “to permit.” If you hop from one Temple to another, then you are not permitting yourself to become truly at home with the other members of the Congregational Family and you are not allowing yourself to have the full experience of becoming fully familiar with the service and how it can lead to a greater connection with others and with G-d.

So, instead of being a Synagogue- Hopper, why not consider becoming a “Synagogue-Hoper!” Experience all the ups and downs of your life with your Temple Family and with G-d by your side.

Let me close with a wonderful story of hope. There was a king who sentenced a man of his realm to death. The poor soul told the king that if he let him live, he could teach the king’s horse to fly, but the king would have to postpone his execution for one year.

Another man who was also condemned to death, asked him, “Why delay the inevitable?” and he replied, “It is not inevitable. The king might die, I might die, the horse might die. Then again, I might just teach the horse to fly. The odds are four to one in my favor.”

Do yourself a favor. Come to Shul filled with hope and we just might teach you how to fly!

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (201 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442). Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

Emily Post – we need you now! For those of you to whom this allusion brings blank stares, let me fill you in: Madame Post was the guru of etiquette and manners for what is now the geriatric generation. She died in 1960, leaving a legacy of written material — books and columns – stating with no equivocation the rules of proper behavior. As far as I can tell, no one questioned her credentials in this regard, and most everyone who was anyone willingly acceded to her stipulations.

Fast forward to the world of today when concern for manners and etiquette are either at the very bottom of one’s “list of social reforms which I endorse” or they are the butt of parlor game jokes and Bill Mahr monologues.

In the world of body tattoos, nose and tongue rings, and cleavages by the acre, little attention is paid to personal image, common courtesies, table manners or offensive behaviors. A long time coming, but table manners is somewhat my theme for today.

Okay – so I acknowledge that table manners evoke images of dining as opposed merely to “eating,” which is often done from a standing position and/or from a takeout cardboard container reminiscent of pretty nearly every sitcom where the protagonists sit on a couch in front of a TV, mostly with chopsticks, slurping down intermittent swigs of whichever “cola” the networks get paid for doing “product placements.”

Dining, however, occurs when real people actually come together for social reasons in addition to gustatory reasons.

So my question concerns the “social reasons:” Can “texting” (or phone fiddling) at a dinner table be categorized as anything other than bad manners? And indeed, why is it so universally acceptable? Answer? Because it is so universal an activity — as in: everybody does it.

Well, I don’t! And I find it extremely offensive when others do it. Half the time, they are responding as if the person on the other end of the call is holding his or her breath and, that response-time were factored into their emotional well-being. The other time they are scrolling — unsolicited-ly — for pictures in anticipation of a few faux appreciative expletives in praise of appearance.

And it is so all-pervasive, this intense concentration on a small hand-held inanimate object that is close to containing all that matters to us in our lives. How scary is that? And how scary is it that this is fast becoming part of our DNA?

It is also fast becoming an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” game. And this is what has thrown us so off kilter.

The other day, I was one of four people dining in a restaurant. The other three, during a break in service between ordering and receiving our meals, whipped out their smartphones. One was answering a call that was anything but an emergency and was engaged in a “regular” conversation. The other two were scrolling for a reference to some subject we had been discussing. These were not “dumb” people, nor were they in any other way oblivious of social mores, nor were they thoughtless, inconsiderate people. They were dear people and good friends who had totally succumbed to the cult of join-the-crowd behavior. Is it like climbing the mountain because it is “there?”

Where will it end? Emily Post, I’m afraid you are toast.