Note: Dates and times may change.

Contact venues to confirm.

Food Drive

Now through Dec. 4

Cinépolis USA Movie Theater

3984 W Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Going to the movies? Help the community at the same time by donating non-perishable food items. Donors who bring two non-perishable items will receive a free popcorn. Donations will go to Feeding South Florida and Agape Food Bank. Call 954-571-2445.

Lighthouse Point Garden Club meets

Thursday, Nov. 19, 11 a.m.

St. Paul’s Education Hall

2700 E. Sample Rd.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Linda Whitman, resident Landscape Architect of the City of Coconut Creek, will present “Vertical Gardening – what’s on your wall”. Raffle. Light refreshments. Visit www.lhpgc.org or call Inger Jones 954-942-9310.

6th Annual Boca Raton Food & Wine Festival

Friday Nov. 20 through Sunday Nov. 22

• VIP Dinner Under the Stars & Vineyard Party,

Friday, 7 to 10 p.m.

• Grand Tasting, Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m.

• Craft Brew Battle, Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

Florida Atlantic University

777 Glades Road

Boca Raton, FL 33431

A smorgasboard of flavor and fun — food, wine, craft beers, entertainment and more! For more information, call 561-338-7594 or visit www.bocaratonwineandfoodfestival.com.

Women in Distress Food Drive

• Nov. 19 to 20: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 3 to 6 p.m.

• Nov. 23: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Nov. 24: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Nov. 25: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jim and Jan Moran Family Center

4700 NW 3 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33064

Donate non-perishable food items (canned, boxed, jars, paper goods). In lieu of perishable food (turkeys, hams, etc.), please donate grocery store gift cards. Visit womenindistress.org or call Eileen Trower at 954-760-9800 ext. 1246.

Youth Ministry Yard Sale

Friday, Nov. 20, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

First Christian Church

1860 NE 39 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Furniture, household items, clothes, toys, books. All funds support the youth ministry and pre-school.

Beach Sounds

Friday, Nov. 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Main Beach Parking Lot

149 SE 21 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Free. Bring blankets and chairs and enjoy the performance by Crowded Streets – Dave Matthews Tribute. Note: Portions of Ocean Way and the main parking lot will be closed from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for the concert. Visit www.deerfield-beach.com/beachsounds or call 954-480-4429.

Boy Scout Troop 119 Craft/ Rummage Sale

Saturday, Nov. 21, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

St. Ambrose Catholic Church

380 S. Federal Hwy.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Rummage sale for troop 119, arts and crafts, car wash and more! Call Robin Lewis at 954-895-0500.

Miles for Smiles Walk/ Fest

Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to noon

Pompano Beach Elks Lodge

700 NE 10 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33060

12th annual. $20 for pre-registration; $25 at event. Broward Children’s Center benefit for medically fragile individuals. Circle the four-mile Pompano Beach Air Park trail and celebrate at the finish line with food and entertainment. Register at www.bcckids.org.

“South Florida Kids Got Talent” Auditions

Saturday, Nov. 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tradewinds Park & Stables

3600 W. Sample Rd.

Coconut Creek, FL 33066

Auditions open to solo or group singers who are South Florida residents aged 5 – 17. Competitors must pre-register at 954-446-0814. Final competition to be held Jan. 30.

“Grow Deerfield” Green Market

Sunday, Nov. 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pioneer Park

217 NE 5 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

The “Grow Deerfield” Green Market offers farm fresh produce, plants and flowers, baked goods, prepared foods and more. Every other Sunday. Call 954-429-0378 for information.

Pet CPR Course

Sunday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Florida Humane Society

3870 N. Powerline Rd.

Pompano Beach, FL 33073

Save your pet in an emergency with CPR and first aid techniques. Please bring an item to donate to Florida Humane Society, such as paper towels, bleach, cat litter. Space limited; register in advance at www.PetTech.net. For Pet CPR or human CPR classes, call CPR Training 2 Go, 954-461-8203.

Save the Date:

Deerfield High Class of 1975 Reunion, multiple events on Dec. 4 and 5. Contact Roslyn Hammond Siders, 561-827-6882 or ladysplendor57@aol.com.

Parade Participants Needed:

• The City of Pompano Beach is seeking parade participants for its annual Yuletide Parade on Thursday, Dec. 3. Visit www.pompanobeachfl.gov for a parade application or call 954-786-4111.

• The Pompano Boat Parade is seeking participants for the annual cruise on the Intracoastal on Sunday, Dec. 13. Pre-register at 954-941-2940 or visit www.pompanobeachchamber.com.

What can we do while the world is being terrorized?

The terror is intended to destroy and divide. The terrorist are looking for free nations that are united and looking to take away all that we believe in. How do we survive? How do we win? Can we win? Can we succeed in being a free people with good values who love and care for the world around us?

As a Jew, I can tell you yes – yes, we have survived until now and we will continue to not only survive, but thrive!

How?

Let me answer with a story:

Some time ago, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, the Rabbi of the city of Migdal Haemek in Israel was visited by Mutty Dotan, head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council. Dotan told him that he had just returned from Germany where he attended a ceremony in honor of the 25th anniversary of the twin cities pact between the regional council and the Hanover district in Germany. After the ceremony, German Bundestag (Parliament) member, Detlev Herzig, of the SPD party, approached him and related this story.

His father had died a few weeks before and, before his demise, he confessed to his son his part in the Holocaust. He explained that since there are many Holocaust deniers today, he wanted to share the truth with his son.

He told his son that he had been an officer in the German air force, the Luftwaffe, during World War II and handed him an envelope. Upon opening the envelope the astonished son found a Wehrmacht army officer’s certificate, wrapped in a strange wallet made of parchment.

His father explained that while destroying a synagogue with his Nazi comrades during the war, he encountered on the floor a scroll made of high quality parchment. The Nazi officer cut out a piece of the scroll to use as a wallet, in which he placed his celebrated officer’s certificate.

Later he discovered that the scroll of parchment was something very sacred to the Jews, it was their Torah scroll. He told his son to give over the evidence to the first Jew he would meet and ask him to deliver it to a holy Jew in Israel who would know how to use it properly.

Upon returning to Israel, Dotan decided that the one who fit the description best was Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, founder and Dean of the school network Migdal Ohr, Chief Rabbi of Migdal Haemek, and recipient of the 2004 Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

Rabbi Grossman took the wallet in his hand. There it was: Made of the parchment of a Sefer Torah, a Torah scroll, this Nazi officer fashioned a nice wallet for himself. Trembling and gripped with emotion, Rabbi Grossman observed that the Nazi had cut out a piece of the Torah from the book of Deuteronomy.

The Rabbi began to read the words inscribed in ink on the parchment of the Torah scroll. They were the terrifying words of the chapter of rebuke in Deuteronomy 28, in which the Torah warns of the terrible consequences if the Jews would abandon their covenant with G-d, if they would reject their Torah.

Then the Torah continues to say in Deuteronomy 29:9 and right there on that wallet: “You are all standing today before G-d.”

Rabbi Grossman remembered what the great Biblical commentator Rashi explains, that after hearing the horrifying words of rebuke, the Jews were terrified they would not survive. So Moses comforted them and said: “You are all standing today before G-d. Just as G-d cannot die, you too will never die.” These were the words inscribed on the wallet.

Imagine: Nazis come in to a synagogue, murder the Jews and desecrate the Torah scrolls — as was their routine. One of them has the chutzpah [audacity] to cut off a piece and use it for his personal wallet. At last, Hitler triumphed over the Jews and their G-d.

Six decades later that very wallet ends up in the hands of a Rabbi in Israel who has thousands of Jewish children studying from the very Torah they desecrated in his schools. This Rabbi now kisses the holy parchment, quotes the divine promise that we will never perish.

Through all the destruction in every generation G-d says clearly (Deuteronomy 29:9) “You are all standing today before G-d,” stand together and nothing can happen to you!

So I turn to each and every one of you and I am telling you: “Stand united, that’s how we will win this war!”

Rabbi Tzvi Dechter is the Director of Chabad of North Broward Beaches located at 4081 N. Federal Hwy., #100A, Pompano Beach, FL 33064. For all upcoming events please visit www.JewishLHP.com.

By Diane Emeott

About 220 CrossFit athletes from all over South Florida put their bodies to the extreme test at the 2015 “Deer Games” at Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center and Deerfield Beach Middle School track on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The games were hosted by CrossFit Deerfield Beach, a warehouse-style gym at 905 SE 1 Way that incorporates gymnastics, metabolic conditioning and weight training in their distinct style of fitness training. CrossFit Deerfield is reportedly one of the oldest CrossFit gyms in the area, coming up on four years.

“The response was overwhelmingly positive. We are already planning the 2016 Deer Games,” said Gabriele Schlicht, co-owner with Steven Wang, of CrossFit Deerfield Beach.

She added that this year was the first year they opened the event to the public from Miami to West Palm Beach.

“The previous two years, it was only our members,” she said.

Swimming

The daylong competition began with 12-minute team relays in the pool from 8 to 9:45 a.m. (Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center was closed to the public Saturday morning to accommodate Deer Games.)

Each team was made up of two men and two women. Workouts were created for four different skill levels – Beginner, Intermediate, RX (advanced) and Masters (over age 40).

“People just like to get together to compete. Everyone is here from a different gym,” said Shane Moser of Palm Beach Gardens.

Track

At 10 a.m., athletes walked over to the track, where they spent the rest of the day. The first track and field competition took place at 10:15 a.m.

By 4 p.m., the athletes were still going strong in the beating, hot, 89-degree sun with 77 percent humidity. The workout included jumping pull-ups on the bars, wall balls (throwing balls against the wall), ab-mad sit-ups, 200 hand-release pushups, four rope climbs and a partner carry across the field and back.

Vendors set up tents around the track, to sell T-shirts, food and to give out more information about CrossFit. Spectators and supporters lined the bleachers and were watching the games from tents they had pitched for shelter from the sun.

Athletes

“Most of the athletes here workout five or six days a week,” said Danielle Burger.

“They [CrossFit] usually announce the workout [for a competition] a few weeks out – so you have time to practice with your team,” Burger continued.

Ann Feldman explained that most CrossFit gyms are inexpensive warehouses where you get more workouts for your money.

“Most of them don’t have air conditioning,” she added.

“The CrossFit concept started out of someone’s garage,” said Danielle Sheley.

Crossfit Deerfield

Coach Sean Sporn, who has been coaching at CrossFit Deerfield Beach for 3 ½ years, said their location has double bay doors that open and “killer fans” to get a good cross-breeze, as well as all new equipment. Workout sessions are at 5:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 9 a.m., noon, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. – plus one beach workout per month on Hillsboro Beach, and one pool workout per month at Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center. For more information, go to www.crossfitdfb.com or call 754-227-5658.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy opens tomorrow at the Living Room Theater on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Boca Raton. This two-hour documentary observes two children whose fathers were Nazi War Criminals. Now senior citizens, the two live vastly different lives with contrasting philosophies. This film is a serious documentary that asks the question, “Is it character or environment that shapes one’s destiny?”

With a lighter tone, Look Again plays this Friday afternoon at Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood (CP-H) and Sunday evening at the Cinema Paradiso-Fort Lauderdale (CP-FTL) as part of the 30th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF30). On the verge of incompetent suicide, Amit (Anand Rajaram) receives special glasses from his guardian angel. These glasses allow Amit to see other people’s good or bad auras. Told with a light touch, Look Again concludes like an Aesop’s Fable about prejudice. Director Daniel O’Connor is expected to be in attendance.

Since he had so much fun last year, George Hamilton returns to party with FLiFF. The actor will be seen in Silver Skies, a dramady about seniors being forced to move from their housing facility. Along with Hamilton, film creators Jack McGee, and Nestor and Rosemary Rodriquez, will attend this centerpiece film to be shown at the Sunrise Civic Center Nov. 13 at 7:15 p.m. (It will also show in CP-H on Nov. 14)

FLiFF’s Volunteer Coordinator Janet Schwartz and Membership Director Irwin Levenstein are sponsoring a showing of the 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde, in tribute to Estelle Parsons. Having been awarded a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this film, Estelle Parsons will receive the FLiFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Film historian Foster Hirsch will conduct an onstage interview with Parsons to discuss her movie, television (Parsons played Beverly Harris on Roseanne) and academic career (teaching at Columbia and The Actors Studio). The screening begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Sunrise Civic Center with the Parsons-Hirsch interview and party scheduled afterward.

Cinema Paradiso will become Mel’s Drive-in Diner this Saturday night when Candy Clark accepts her Lifetime Achievement Award. Clark portrayed Toad’s (Charlie Martin Smith) love interest in George Lucas’s second film, American Graffiti, which was produced by Frances Ford Coppola. Like Parsons, Clark has an outstanding resume of film and television work. She has worked with Golden Age legends like Robert Mitchum, John Huston and Jeff Bridges, yet has remained viable on contemporary television shows like Criminal Minds.

To get a handle on all the films and festivities at FLiFF 30, call 954-525-3456 or visit the website www.fliff.com.

Deerfield Beach

Oct. 24: A business at 470 W. Hillsboro Blvd. was broken into and a cash register was stolen.

Oct. 27: Four men and one woman used a gun to rob three men of a wallet containing $700 and credit cards at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 950 S. Ocean Dr.

Oct. 27: A man stole a television valued at $300 from Target at 1200 S. Federal Hwy.

Oct. 28: A man broke into a home at 443 Lock Rd. and stole 20 DVDs, five phones, jewelry and cash.

Lighthouse Point

Oct. 14: A shoplifter was taken into custody after being observed placing three items in a purse and attempting to leave the store without paying at 3700 N. Federal Hwy. The items were valued at $41.57.

Oct. 15: Someone stole a bike from a rear truck bed and scaffolding from a construction site at 4001 NE 24 Ave. The loss was $780.

Oct. 18: A 2005 Chrysler 300 parked at 2121 NE 42 Ct. was keyed causing $700 damage.

“Don’t it always seem to go…”

Dear Editor:

This morning I sat on my 1950s [era] back porch looking over a small canal, feeling a slight ocean breeze, and watching the sun as it rose higher in the sky. I can’t see the ocean but I can feel it! PRICELESS! I live in a neighborhood of moderate homes owned not so much by the wealthy, but just everyday folk, working to support families, retirees and some with investment properties bought mostly because of proximity to the beach, a doable walk or bike ride. You’ll find people walking their dogs, grand-moms and mothers pushing baby carriages, some heading out to earn a living, kids off to or returning from school and retirees enjoying their homes and lifestyle they chose. You wave to people and they wave back. Some stop to talk a few moments and you realize how lucky you are to live here. This is the quality of life in The Cove residential development, adjacent to a small shopping center.

As I reflect on last night’s Commission Meeting, I am not shocked by the absence of quality of life issues presented by business owners and residents with regards [to] a hotel/garage project. TOURISM AND MONEY took center stage, expounded, applauded and embellished. For what it’s worth, I HOPE that in four years when this hotel project is completed and its doors have opened, the City of Deerfield Beach realizes all the dollars it has been promised, businesses flourish and the impact on my small quiet neighborhood is not negative. I don’t want to look back thinking of that song that reminds us: “They put up a parking lot …You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

Marti McGeary

Deerfield Beach

Thank you, Deerfield BSO

Dear Editor:

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank three law enforcement officers that serve Deerfield Beach for going above AND beyond their duty to protect us by extending genuine compassion and concern for a disabled member of our community who recently became homeless after the loss of his mother. Sergeant Ian Doriot, along with Deputies Gary Toth and Jeff Vomero, offered their kindness by providing this man with basic clothing and hygiene necessities, in addition to orchestrating contact with the right agencies and organizations that can help him. My heart is filled [from] being able to watch these men in action and know[ing] that they truly care about our community. We are in good hands.

Cristina Sasso

Deerfield Beach

Blanket retail pet bans hurt local small businesses

Dear Editor:

During a Deerfield City Commission hearing last Tuesday [Nov. 3], Vice Mayor Ganz aligned himself with an animal rights radical from Hallandale Beach and pushed through an ordinance which will force my life’s work out of business.

My family and I chose to make Deerfield Beach our business’s home for many reasons, but, most importantly, the close ties to our community. My Petland pet store is my family’s livelihood and it’s been a part of this city for nearly eight years.

My store is highly regulated by the state, the federal government and I have earned an A+ Better Business [Bureau] Rating. I have done everything right. Yet, Vice Mayor Ganz ignored the truth. He recited incorrect USDA information, focusing on a single disgruntled customer issue. This should be a warning sign for all lawful businesses in Deerfield Beach.

Ganz’s ordinance intends to protect Deerfield residents. Yet, the state of Florida already has the strictest regulations and consumer protection of any state in the country. This ordinance has forced Deerfield Beach citizens to find new pets from unregulated sources that offer no state consumer protection and proliferates puppy mills – the exact opposite of the ban’s intention.

Responsible pet stores serve our community. The Deerfield Beach population is owed the right to choose where they get their pets from. I have a passion for animals and my community. I also live for the joy that my pets give my customers. I take great pride in matching the right pet to the right family, by helping facilitate the beautiful human-animal bond that is so precious to so many.

I came to America to create a life for me and my family – to live my own American dream. Instead, I have now seen the unfortunate reality of how easily radical activists can influence our local politicians. The fate of my business has been cast.

Mayid Yamin

Owner of Petland

Deerfield Beach

Note: Dates and times may change. Please contact venues to confirm.

Showcase of the Arts

Thursday, Nov. 12, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

NE Focal Point Senior Center

227 NW 2 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Art sales benefit the NE Focal Point Senior Center. Artwork includes clay sculptures, woodcarvings, oil paintings, andother arts and crafts. Contact Tamara, 954-480-4447.

Lighthouse Point Library Book Sale

Thursday, Nov. 12 to Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dixon Ahl Hall

2200 NE 38 St.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Book lovers and collectors can shop to their heart’s content at the semi-annual book sale.

Friends of the DB Arboretum meet

Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

Deerfield Beach Arboretum

2841 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Free. Jerry Behan, an authority on both palms and Florida’s native trees, will conduct a program about the trees that are blooming now in the Arboretum. Plant giveaway. Light refreshments. Call 954-480-4495 or visit www.treezoo.com.

Movies in the Park: Paddington

Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.

Villages of Hillsboro Park

4111 NW 6 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Free. Bring a blanket and lawn chairs and enjoy a night at the movies. Snacks and glow items available for purchase.

Plant sale

Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Deerfield Beach Arboretum

2841 W Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

For more information, see Pg. 5. Call 954-480-4494.

Veterans Appreciation Dinner

Saturday, Nov. 14, 6 p.m. (cocktails), 7 p.m. (dinner)

Lady of Lourdes Church, O’Shea Hall

22094 Lyons Rd.

Boca Raton, FL 33428

Free for veterans, guests $20. Hosted by the Boca Raton assembly of Knights of Columbus.

3rd Annual Everyday Green Expo

Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Quiet Waters Park

401 S. Powerline Road

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Free. Green living demonstrations. Raffle, giveaways, food trucks, pet adoptions, education programs, vendors, information and activities. Weekend gate fees per car apply. Contact 954-357-8884.

Hoedown & Picnic in the Park

Sunday, Nov. 15, 3 to 7 p.m.

Frank McDonough Park

3500 NE 27 Ave.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Country singer Jess Taylor and DJ Joe Balistreri will get you moving with country favorites. Face painting, antique car show, bounce house and more. Enjoy complimentary food from Bobby Rubino’s. Call 954-464-7064 with any questions about the event.

Annual Fellowship Sunday

Sunday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m.

St. Peter’s Anglican Church

1416 SE 2 Terr.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

All are welcome. The bishop will be performing confirmations, welcoming new members and officiating in Holy Communion. Free parish luncheon. Call 954-695-0336 for more information.

History at High Noon

Wednesday, Nov. 18, noon

City Commission Chambers

150 NE 2 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL, 33441.

Free. Historian and author Christopher Bigney shares stories from his personal collection of presidential memorabilia. Light refreshments.

Zonta Club meets

Tuesday, Nov. 17, noon

Duffy’s

401 N. Federal Hwy.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Meetings usually include lunch, fellowship and guest speaker Susan Dunford, Oak Park Festi-Fall Vendor & Social Media Guru. Call 561-451-6767 for details.

Deerfield Beach Woman’s Club Meeting

Wednesday, Nov 18, 7 p.m.

Woman’s Club building

910 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

The General Federated Woman’s Club of Deerfield Beach invites all women to join them in improving the community through volunteer service. Planned events include the support of Canine Companions for Independence. Call 954-421-4700.

The whine of the Rolls Royce engine and oscillating whooshing sound from the four-bladed Bell 407 police helicopter hovering above echoed throughout the apartment complex’s hallways. Red and blue strobe lights danced upon the once dark and silent walls before gunfire had shattered the stillness of the evening.

“Over here,” called a first responder. “Look closely,” he said while pointing toward the lower abdomen of an adult male sprawled upon the ground being worked on by paramedics.

“You see these two small punctures?” said the first responder. “That’s where he was shot.” I had to almost squint; I’d never seen a shooting victim, nor had any clue what real gunshot wounds looked like. But there they were: what appeared to be two stab wounds by a No. 2 pencil.

Wasting little time, the victim was prepped for transport. A polite and calm paramedic looked over at me and said, “Wanna ride in the back with us to the hospital?” I needed to remain with the first responder I was shadowing for the evening, but I couldn’t help but notice the medic’s collected demeanor. For him, two bullets robbing a man of his pulse was simply another day on the job. He and the crew couldn’t let the reality of the situation distract them from their mission: saving lives.

I never learned the fate of the shooting victim, but I did become well-educated on the many other tragedies law enforcement personnel encounter during my many nights riding with the police, specifically drunk driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes,” and another “290,000 were injured” because of intoxicated drivers. One DUI Task Force sheriff’s deputy told me that, statistically speaking, 1 in 4 drivers after 10 p.m. in Palm Beach County are driving impaired.

I recall one night, while heading east on Forest Hill Boulevard, the deputy I was riding with noticed a van ahead crossing the lane markings. We kept our distance monitoring the driver’s behavior—all being recorded by the dash cam. With enough probable cause to make a legal stop —suspicion of driving under the influence — the deputy switched on the trademark red and blue strobes. A quick yelp of the siren helped the van’s driver recognize he was our target, which caused him to pull off the road and stop just prior to the I-95 overpass.

Cautiously approaching the driver’s side, the deputy quickly realized his suspicion was accurate. Accompanying the driver was an aging prostitute — her skin wrinkled and leathery-looking, undoubtedly from years of smoking. While the moment was heartbreaking, I remember the wise advice of the seasoned DUI Task Force deputy, “No one gets to make a choice that could rob someone else’s right to live.”

And that’s where my deep sense of gratitude resides —knowing that each day, police officers and deputies make the exact opposite decision that drunk drivers and other criminals make. Police initiate numerous choices that often put themselves in harm’s way so that no one is robbed of their right to live. Christ says in John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend”— the citizens, in their case. Without a doubt, those behind the badge embody the United States Coast Guard rescue swimmer motto: “So others may live.”

So, dear officer or deputy, thank you for putting on the uniform daily. For knowing you’ll be second-guessed, have your food sometimes [spit in], and be bullied by the talking heads on television and trolls on social media. For rushing into the situations everyone else is running from. For often being the face of humanity, sacrificially serving your community, while the poor choices of a few of your brothers and sisters allows for a complete vilification of your chosen profession. Thank you for choosing to go to a “normal day on the job,” which really means guys like me and my fellow citizens are able to rest peacefully knowing, because of you, we may live.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

By Gary Curreri

First-year Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn can cross one thing off his team’s bucket list.

In dominating fashion, the Bucks returned to district prominence with a convincing, 38-0 victory Friday night over visiting Piper to secure the top spot in the District 11-8a standings.

Deerfield Beach (8-1, 5-0) will tackle Cardinal Gibbons this week in its final regular season game before hosting district 12-8a runner-up Plantation in the first round of the Class 8a playoffs.

“It is a huge win bringing the championship back home to Deerfield,” Glenn said. “We wanted to make sure we took care of that first and foremost. This shows me that they will get up for the challenge.”

The Bucks, which finished 4-6 last season and missed the playoffs for only the second time since 1998 – the other time was in 2011– have outscored the opposition 300-85 and the lone blemish on the team’s record is a 33-15 loss to perennial state power Jacksonville Bolles five weeks ago.

“We came out ready to go and we are maturing,” Glenn added. “We are not as good as we are going to be and we haven’t peaked out yet. That is a thing that I am very proud of and very excited about, that we still can get better.”

Piper (8-1, 4-1) literally handed Deerfield Beach (8-1, 5-0) its first touchdown when the Bengals tried a running play on a 4th and 15 play from its own 15 on the first drive of the game.

The Bucks took over and wasted little time making it 7-0 as Giavante Evans ran for 10 yards, and one play later senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett went around left end for the score with 9:57 left in the first quarter. It was the beginning of an onslaught as Deerfield Beach made it 14-0 on the first of two touchdown runs by Kobe Farrish.

Moffett found wide receiver Cavin Ridley on a 42-yard scoring play at the end of the first half to increase the lead to 28-0. By the end of the third quarter, the Bucks had forced a running clock following a Jefferson Souza 22-yard field goal and 24-yard TD pass from Moffett to Alton Allen.

“This is a big win for us,” Ridley said. “It is a district game and we worked hard in practice. We just came to dominate and that’s what we did.”

Ridley was surprised to see Piper go for a first down early in the contest that swung the momentum.

“Respect is nothing when you are a rival team, so you have to earn your respect,” Ridley said. “So we just came out and we fought.”

Tornadoes move on

The Pompano Beach high school girls volleyball team won its Class 5a regional semifinal with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-23 victory over visiting Archbishop McCarthy on Saturday. Cassidy Bonito led the way with 31 assists, 19 digs, 9 kills and three blocks, while teammate Jasmine Souverein-Reisert added 7 kills, 5 blocks, and three digs.

By Dave Montalbano

The 30th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, which runs Nov. 6-22, opens with three opening night films on Friday, Nov. 6: Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” at 7 p.m. followed by “Jaco” at 9 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, and “Boat Builder” with Christopher Lloyd at 8 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale.

Jaco a one-time screening at the Seminole Hard Rock, is directed by Paul Marchand and produced by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. This documentary examines the short life (36 years) of this Oakland Park resident who was called “The Best Bass Player who Ever Lived.” The Jaco Pastorius Park Community Center is named after him. Marchand, Trujillo and the Pastorius family is expected to attend.

Don’t miss The Boat Builder also on Friday with actor Christopher Lloyd (known for films like “Back to the Future”) in attendance to receive his Lifetime Achievement Award. Since his debut film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he has amassed over 40 years of acting credits. The film is sponsored by make-up artist to the stars, Cyndi Boyar.

Also sponsored by Boyar, and Havana Air, is “3 Days in Havana,” showing on Saturday at the Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood and Sunday at Cinema Paradiso-Ft. Lauderdale. Actor Gil Bellows (known for “Ally McBeal,” “Shawshank Redemption,” etc.) will be here. With overtones of Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Film Noir, Bellows (who co-directed with longtime friend Tony Pantages) portrays a man who, while having a drink at a bar, suddenly gets sucked into Cuba’s primitive underground economy. This Spanish film with English subtitles will include a Cuba Libre pre-party on Nov. 8.

On Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, actress Loretta Swit will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at Cinema Paradiso, prior to the screening of the documentary, Never the Same, the Prisoner of War Experience. That evening, there will be a “M*A*S*H”-themed party at Villa di Palma, with some proceeds from ticket sales going to Swit’s charity, Ayla’s Acres, a No-Kill Rescue Organization for Pets. The film is also sponsored by Cyndi Boyar, who is a Hillsboro Beach resident.

More about FLIFF next week. For details, visit www.fliff.com.

The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers debuts at the Regal Shadowood Theatre in Boca Raton tomorrow. The film reviews tensions with Egypt and the 1978 Camp David Accords brokered between Egypt and Israel by President Jimmy Carter. Oscar-winning actors Michael Douglas and Christoph Waltz serve as the voices of Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin, respectively.