Do you feel lucky…

Well, do you?

It is coming up on the 10- year mark, since Wilma.

Yes, we have been very lucky for the last almost 10 years.

I bet there are some generators out there that haven’t cranked since 2005. You know who you are.

During the next 90 days, we have to temper living in paradise with looking over our shoulder for Mother Nature.

This is the time we should be looking for Chef Boyardee and Rayovac ® battery deals.

Clean those pine needles out of the tracks of your accordion shutters and put a little 3-INONE oil on them now, while you can take your time.

Find that jar of bolts for the bolt-on shutters and put them on the floor by the front door. Now you’re ahead of the game and can sleep better.

I want to thank our advertisers who helped us put out this Hurricane Update.

I hope you will keep this issue on top of the fridge in case you need it.

Jim Lusk

Vice President

Hurricane Season 2015

Dear Editor:

This is a word of caution to the residents of Deerfield Beach.

Just because we have been fortunate these past few years to have escaped the wrath of a hurricane, it would be foolish to let your guard down [now].

Look at the damage that the recent rainstorm we had wreaked on our trees and roads.

Those of us who were here during Hurricane Andrew can tell you that the results of one storm can be devastating.

The supplies needed can be kept on hand, and if there are advance warnings, the two things you want to be sure of are: 1) that you have enough cash on hand and 2) that your gas tank is on full — since a number of these locations will not be operational if power is lost.

Please remember, it is better to be safe than to be sorry.

Jean M. Robb, Mayor

Deerfield Beach

Thank you: fire fighters

Dear Editor:

My 8-year-old son Nicholas and my 4-year-old son Lucas love Fire Trucks!

My husband, my dad and I decided to take them to the Deerfield Beach Fire Station (Fire Station No. 66) to look at fire trucks and meet some of the firefighters.

We were warmly greeted by the fire fighters and they were kind enough to show the boys their fire truck.

Nicholas and Lucas were so excited to see a fire truck up close and even got to sit in it!

I want to thank these fire fighters for being so sweet to the boys, for making them laugh, and absolutely making their day by taking time out of their busy schedules to give the boys an awesome experience.

I also want to express my gratitude to these fire fighters and all fire fighters for everything they do, every day.

Jennifer Hall

Deerfield Beach

Concert: Three Doors Down & Seether

Friday, July 24, 7:30 p.m.

The Amp 1806 NE 6 St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

For more information on these bands and concert and how to get tickets, visit www.pompanobeacharts.org.

ALDI hiring event

Saturday, July 25, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel 100 Fairway Dr. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

ALDI stores in Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton are hiring store associates ($12/ Hr.), Shift Managers ($16/ Hr.) and Manager Trainees ($22/ Hr.) To apply, must be 18, have a high school diploma or GED, be available to work anytime between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Sunday and have retail experience (management experience for management positions). Must be able to lift 45 lbs. Drug screening and background checks will be conducted for potential employees. Employees with over 25 hours a week are eligible for full health insurance and dental. ALDI’s wages and benefits are higher than the national average for retail. All employees are invited to participate in 401 (k) program.

Card Party

Tuesday, July 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

Held by Benevolent Patriotic Order of DOES, Drove 142. Open to the public. Bring your table of friends or group. $4, includes dessert and coffee. Call 561-479-2002 for reservations.

5th Annual Family Night

Tuesday, July 28, 5 to 9 p.m.

Duffy’s 401 N. Federal Hwy. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Eat, drink and have fun. 10 percent of proceeds benefit NE Focal Point. Meet the staff, learn about their services and programs, find out about volunteer opportunities, win a door prize. Call 954-480-4449 for information.

Health and Financial Wellness Fair

Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 30 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

FREE Blood-pressure checks, cholesterol and diabetes tests, glaucoma and vision screenings, financial seminars and more. $25 gift card will be given away at each financial seminar. Learn stress reduction techniques. Meet health and life insurance representatives. Get children’s fingerprinting. Enjoy chair massages. Win door prizes and giveaways throughout the day. For more information, call 954-786-4626.

Save the date: 4th Annual Country Music Festival

Saturday, Aug. 1 Main Beach Parking Lot Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Listen to country music, browse through booths, including arts and crafts vendors, while enjoying the ocean breezes. Food and beverages from local restaurants will be available. Come and spend a day at the beach with the family while listening to a variety of country music entertainers. Along with the great music, there will be a Classic Car Show Exhibition presented by JM Family. Info: 954-480-4429.

Ice Cream Social

Sunday, July 26, 2 to 5 p.m.

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

Enjoy delicious ice cream while browsing through the “Christmas in July” backyard sale. Free concert from It Takes Two. Gift basket drawing. Butler House tours. Food and beverages for sale too. www.deerfield-history.org.

As we enjoy the high days of summer in South Florida, we are wary of the potential for tropical storms and the dreaded hurricane to interrupt our lives.

If you have ever given it any thought, you will have considered that just about every place on the planet is subject to some type of storm.

In this country alone, there are a variety of natural manifestations that affect the different areas of this nation.

Snowstorms in the Northern states, tornadoes in the Midwest, earthquakes on the West Coast and hurricanes in the South are just a few of the inevitable realities that we will have to contend against and live with.

More than a disruption to our lives, storms are destructive and potentially deadly.

Recent news coverage showed the damage caused by flooding in Kentucky and Arizona. Homes were saturated with water, vehicles were swept away and lives were put at risk. Similarly, an ice storm can topple power lines and damage roofs.

Hurricane force winds can decimate unstable structures and make projectiles out of debris. And raging fire storms can wipe out thousands of acres of forests and destroy an area’s ecology.

While some would place the cause of storms on man-caused climate change, they have really been occurring as long as life has existed on earth. But why do storms occur, and what purpose do they serve? Outside of human involvement, storms have origins that are best explained by scientists and meteorologists.

Their purpose may be a mystery to their victims, but those who study storms point to some advantages. Hurricanes and winter storms are said to vent off heat from the lower levels of the atmosphere. And the same storm that erodes the beach on a barrier island actually fortifies the back side of the same island through new sediment deposits carried by the wind and waves. In addition, nutrients on the ocean floor are stirred and cycled to the surface to boost marine life. And lightning is said to maintain the electrical balance in the atmosphere, as well as help with nitrogen deposits in soil.

We’ve likened the adversities of life to storms, and even refer to them as such. Could there also be an intent in some of the difficulties that we inevitably face?

If one looks closely enough, he may indeed find some semblance of a purpose for his pain. Many successes have resulted only after a series of setbacks. Necessity (want or lack) is said to be the mother of invention.

A weakness in one area may cause us to discover a strength in another. And some people with disabilities are driven to achieve, and often excel, in their efforts.

While answers to the purpose for life’s storms are not always easy to discover, and some may never be found, it does not hurt to ask. As King Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Faith in God has enabled many believers to weather the storms of life. The comfort of Biblical promises, and the strong sense of God’s presence has provided peace through some of the greatest challenges.

As you prepare for the possibility of a hurricane, make sure you also have the spiritual equipment to help you survive the emotional and spiritual upheaval that may come your way. “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat” (Isaiah 25:4).

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

Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) homicide detectives are investigating the death of an adult male diver who became unconscious Wednesday morning in Pompano Beach.

The man had gone out on the water in the Sea Dog Diver from Odyssey Charters. Around 11:40 a.m., BSO Communications received a distress call. The diver was taken out of the water unconscious. Lifeguards on wave runners approached and boarded the boat to assist in rendering aid. The charter was met by the BSO marine unit and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue at the dock located at 2708 N. Riverside Dr.

The diver was pronounced dead at Broward Health North.

Photo by Mike Jachles, PIO/ BSFR

Around 2 p.m. yesterday, a fire was reported to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) in the 5300 block of NE 8 Avenue in Deerfield Beach. When units arrived, heavy smoke was showing. A search of the house produced a 80-year-old woman from the back bedroom that was removed by fire fighters.  The woman is in good shape.

By Gary Curreri

So much for the home field advantage.

Deerfield Beach Select All-Stars coach Joe Silvia believed his team had a home field advantage when it took the diamond in the Big League Baseball State Tournament recently at Floyd Hull Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale.

Deerfield Beach (2-2) opened the tournament with a 12-2 victory over Port St. Lucie before dropping a 6-1 decision to Clearwater/ Dunedin, the defending Big League World Champions.

“They played hard, but when we lost to Clearwater/ Dunedin it took the wind out of them,” Silvia said. “That was the championships game on Saturday.”

Deerfield Beach seized the lead in the top of the first inning on an infield single by Brendly Martina that scored Blake Guisti for a 1-0 advantage before Clearwater/ Dunedin rallied for the victory and advanced to this weekend’s Southeast United States Regional Tournament that gets underway July 17, also at Floyd Hull Stadium.

Justin Glover got things rolling for Clearwater/Dunedin with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Clearwater/Dunedin padded its lead with one more run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth thanks to a bases-clearing double by Ian Lisle.

Deerfield Beach pitcher Nick Ferngren, who had his first no-hitter since he was 11 in a 10-0 sectional win over Ft. Lauderdale, didn’t allow a hit until Glover hit his round tripper in the fourth inning.

Ferngren, 19, of Coral Springs, is in his first year on the team.

“I love it,” said Ferngren, who recently graduated from Cardinal Gibbons and headed to Rhodes College in Memphis, TN to play for the school next year. “The camaraderie is great. It is like family here. Most of the guys on the team have been here for like three years and they make me feel like I have been here just as long.”

It is the first year playing Big League baseball. He previously played for the South Florida Huskies in a showcase league.

“I have only been pitching for a couple of years now,” Ferngren said. “I didn’t get a lot of innings in high school. I am not surprised with how well I have done. I expect a lot out of myself.”

Deerfield Beach went on to split its next two games as it downed Dade City, 11-7, before closing out the tournament with an 8-5 setback against Ft. Myers to finish second overall.

Silvia has coached for 27 years and coached Big League baseball for the past 11 years.

In 2010, the team was one out away from winning the state tournament as it fell to the same Clearwater/Dunedin squad. The team was up 5-4 with two outs and the outfielder missed the catch and three runs wound up scoring for a 7-5 victory.

“This team is one of the better teams we have had in seven or eight years,” Silvia said. “This team gelled together. They are all friends and they all support each other. There was no negativity on this team. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

Deerfield Beach had played seven contests at Floyd Hull during the season. The team was composed of players from eight different high schools. Martina, Ferngren, Dalton Williams and Drexler Maccaay paced the team among others.

“We graduate about half the team,” Silvia said. “They were a great group of kids.”

By Rachel Galvin

With a big smile, determined spirit and contagious sense of humor, Master Sergeant Cedric King told stories of his personal battles and how he has taken each challenge head-on and come out victorious. This recipient of a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and other military accolades had his life come to a halt in 2012 when, during his second tour in Afghanistan, he was severely injured by an IED. This blast caused permanent loss to part of his right arm and hand and the amputation of both legs. This crushing blow could have been the end of his illustrious career, but he was determined to make a new path.

Just 21 months later, he completed the Boston marathon, running on prosthetic blades. He has gone on to compete in other marathons, Ironman Triathalons and more.

His inspirational dedication to success has led to him speaking to everyone from Fortune 500 company leaders to spending time with President Obama and the First Lady.

But despite his accolades, this North Carolina native remains humble at heart and took his time to travel here to Deerfield Beach on Friday to talk to kids at the local Teen Center, after being invited by John DiPrato.

The teens are part of a special program called Early Prevention Intervention, which started June 8 and runs through Aug. 7. The group meets daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and helps teach kids (ages 16 to 18) about possible job opportunities and career skills they will need. They mentor and train the kids, as well as take them on fun field trips.

Deputy Harold Morrison, who is a Community Liasion and started the program, said, “A few years ago, I came up with this [after seeing programs done by the state and thinking ‘why not do it here’]. Kids give up their summer to do this. We mentor them, teach them life skills. Hopefully, by the end of the summer, they have made a decision what they want to do for a career. We give them snacks, lunch, pick them up from their house and drop them off. We take them to Westside Park to play ball, go bowling, have cookouts with parents. Some parents want me to address certain things with the kids and I do.”

He interviews perspective participants thoroughly to make sure they are dedicated.

“This is not about babysitting kids for the summer.” he said.

“We meet with businesses, anywhere kids can get a job. We discuss what the difference is between working at a corporation vs. being self-employed. We go with them to tour colleges,” said DiPrato, Co-founder of Driver’s Alert, who helps to fund the program.

Students receive community service hours at high school for attending.

“I think Deputy Morrison is amazing,” said Stephen Greenberger, Special Projects, BSO. “What he does to make a difference in kids’ lives … this program is huge. He should be commended. I came out to support this phenomenal program.”

King said speaking to these kids was the best time he has had in a long time.

“This is what I live for. You are giving me a chance to be a kid again with my friends,” he said. “These kids are just like me. I was born in a poor part of North Carolina with the same disadvantages financially and mentally as they have. They could have been me. This could have been my community center.”

King added, “I wanted them to know the things I wish I would have known at 17. I bought into false pretenses, ideals. At 37, I can pick out where the false things were and share it with these guys.

“I grew up in a trailer that is so far away from the Fountainbleu where I am staying now, the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in. I speak at conferences in front of rooms full of millionaires and don’t feel intimidated. [My] story bridges the gap. Everybody has had adversities rich,poor; black,white.”

He told the kids, “In America, what we consider as problems are blessings. In America, we are born with freedoms at day one. [Immigrants] are risking their lives to get into this place.

“Be good at what you do and do that passionately. It will lead you to what you are supposed to do in life. Whatever you believe in, do that, believe in it. When you believe in something, the power becomes larger than the mountain in front of you. Maybe not on day one or day two, but consistently over time, you will dominate.

The mountain makes us humans look small as big as it is. You will not be able to stop it from being tall and long, but inside of you, you can generate the power to walk over it. More than anything, just be you. There is no other you on the planet. People can tell if you are not authentic. When you are the authentic version of yourself, those who really like you like you more and those who don’t will move to the side.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With 2015 more than half way over and the San Diego Comic Con in the rear view mirror, I must admit that I’ve enjoyed more big screen movies this year than in 2014.

I’ve also heard people’s honest reaction and applause at the end of the post credits sequence.

Terminator Genisys did not receive such a reaction. Despite the hype in rebooting the Terminator franchise, this film cost more money to produce than it received in box office revenue. James Cameron’s original Terminator was a science fiction romp that was in tune with the times in which it was made. The best science fiction is reflexive like that. With an emphasis on Big Bang Theory Sheldon Cooper-like theories about time travel, Terminator Genisys feels out of synch with 2015 popular culture.

Told from the perspective of Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), the time traveling hero from the first and fourth movie, the audience learns that machines have taken over Earth. The surviving humans are led by John Connor (Jason Clarke), the messianic hero of the previous four movies. As in the first movie, Connor sends Reese back in time to stop the machines from taking over the world. Unlike the first time travel mission in 1984, there is a technical glitch to change the time line in 2017.

This film features too many dialogue scenes with this kind of information. Even though he was a peripheral character in this fifth Terminator movie, it is truly Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance as “Pops” Terminator that connects the audience to any empathy.

“I’m old, but not obsolete,” he says at one point in the movie – a truism to be sure, but Arnold’s box office has declined drastically since he served as the Governor of California. His last box office success was Terminator: Rise of the Machines 12 years ago. Yet, his diminished screen persona steals each scene with deadpan humor from the lead characters as played by Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke and Emilia Clarke, who is no Linda Hamilton.

With Donald Trump’s recent comments about border security and Joachin “El Chapo” Guzman’s prison escape from a Mexican prison, be on the lookout for the documentary, Cartel Land. Promising unprecedented access, this 98-minute documentary presents two vigilante groups who seek to eliminate a common enemy, the drug cartel.

If I can’t make it to the movies this weekend, I will be reading Harper Lee’s long-awaited book, Go Set a Watchman.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 29 A man reported his car vandalized at 110 NE 19 Ave.

June 30 A woman reported that a man stole her purse by suddenly snatching it from her shoulder at 601 E. Sample Rd.

July 2 A man said a person he invited into his home at 1241 SE 3 St. stole his iPhone and laptop.

DEERFIELD – District 4

July 3 Theft – Retail/Shoplifting took place in Deerfield Mall, 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Subject walked out of Publix and bypassed all points of sale without paying for the merchandise.

July 3 Theft – Retail/Shoplifting occurred at the Super Target, 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Suspects stole over $1,000 worth of gaming controllers from Target.

July 3 Information was reported in Deer Creek at 576 Deer Creek Via Verona, Deerfield Beach about Deer Creek Country Club’s website being hacked into.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 19 The victim was shopping at a CVS at 3580 N. Federal Hwy. and said someone stole her purse containing her driver’s license, $100 in currency and credit card from the front passenger side seat.

June 21 The victim lost her wallet while she was shopping at 3772 N. Federal Hwy. She made a purchase at a nearby store and then realized she didn’t have it. It contained five credit cards, a driver’s license and a Social Security card.

June 21 The victim returned home after running errands and, moments later, a neighbor found the car across in their front yard at 4920 NE 27 Ave. It is not known how the car got there.

RE: Fire Rescue

Dear Editor:

The voters are ignorant when it comes to the Deerfield Fire Department [Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue].

They claim some 1,000-plus calls and other calls to justify increased costs to consumers. *

They receive exorbitant salaries, the highest retirements in the nation over the average person, work very few actual hours responding to calls, and enjoy the good life. Yes, they occasionally save lives, but their duty is not nearly as dangerous as a police officer.

I have observed the Fire Department responding to a call where someone is ill, fell off a chair, or where there is a minor fender bender and yet they send an ambulance and a fire truck when the fire truck is not needed. This justifies a call and personnel even though they are not needed.

We should go back to an all volunteer Fire Department with the millions in equipment available to volunteers and save the taxpayers millions of dollars.

It won’t happen because the Fire Department has the city commissioners in their pocket.

Charles Laser

Deerfield beach

*Editor’s note: Despite reported increased costs, Deerfield Beach’s Fire Assessment Fee is tentatively set to remain the same – at $175 for Residential — for the upcoming 2015-16 Fiscal Year that begins Oct. 1.

Public hearing on Fire Assessment Fee is slated for Friday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 a.m. in Commission Chambers at Deerfield Beach City Hall.

A new contract will be negotiated between the city and Broward Sheriff’s Office before the beginning of the new fiscal year, in October.