By Rachel Galvin

If the wind is blowing, Tom Leeman is kiteboarding. He began back in 2002 when he saw a friend, who is a professional kiteboarder, braving the surf. He learned by trial and error, but he suggests learning from an expert.

“Anyone who wants to learn how to kiteboard should take a lesson from a qualified instructor who is licensed and insured. That’s the safest way to get started. Kiteboarding is an extreme sport and there is a lot of inherent risk. The ocean can be very unforgiving. Sometimes, the waves are 20 ft. in the currents running 5 to 8 knots. It’s a dangerous place for the inexperienced,” said Leeman, adding, “It’s not too expensive [to get set up]. You’ll probably end up spending about $1500. You need a harness, a board and a couple kites and a bar. Most people start out with a 12 m kite.”

He added, “I was kitesurfing with my friend Jay in Hurricane Dennis and my kite went down into a huge wave that dragged me under. The winds were about 40 kn and it was a pretty hairy situation. When I got back, my friend Jay had broken both bones in his right leg. We had to rush him to the hospital so it was a pretty crazy day.”

Despite the dangers, Leeman likes nothing more than being out in the elements in the blue sea off South Florida shores. Depending on the wind, he may surf all the way up to Boynton.

“Kitesurfing is an addictive sport if you’re an adrenaline junkie you’re going to love it, but if you’re afraid of the ocean and you’re afraid of sharks, and you’re afraid of big waves, you’re not going to like it. Kitesurfing immerses you in nature. You use the energy of the wind to propel you over the ocean. It’s like nothing else on earth. It is experiential. You have to experience it to understand it.”

When not kiteboarding, Leeman is teaching it at Delray Beach Kiteboarding. To get a lesson, give them a call at 561-703-5367 or find them on Facebook. They have teachers who are licensed and insured.

“You’ll learn the proper way to kitesurf and all of the safety systems, including how to rescue yourself in case of emergencies,” he said.

When on land, Leeman also teaches JKA Karate, works on producing movies occasionally and works for BirthdayComp, which provides free birthday discounts and gifts from local businesses on people’s birthdays (www.birthdaycomp.com).

The local to Deerfield Island Water Sports might not have the gear needed for kiteboarding, but they have plenty of surfboards to get your feet wet out in the ocean. They are located at 1985 NE 2 St. in Deerfield Beach.

Find your fellow fans at these locations

Denver Broncos vs. the Carolina Panthers, baby! Tonight at 8:30 p.m. football season officially opens at Sports Authority Field in Denver, CO. This year’s Super Bowl winning Broncos – complete with Super Bowl MVP Von Miller back on board – will come up against the Panthers, who seek redemption after falling short in last season’s superbowl. Sports bars in every corner of the country have stocked up on wings and beer, and many have had shiny new HDTV screens installed for the season opener.

We all know that most residents of Florida came from somewhere else, so while we may support the Miami Dolphins, many of us also have a first football love that still rules our hometown hearts. Here’s a rundown of where in and around our neighborhoods that you can find your fellow fans, and what specials to expect at that location:

• The Cabin Sports Bar — 154 N. Federal Hwy., Deerfield – Patriots fans hang-out! This Sunday there is a pre-Patriot party from 5 to 7 p.m. with “give-a-ways.” In addition, all fans of any team are welcome here. Bucket Specials every Sunday throughout football season. 954-428-6438.

• Bonefish Mac’s — 2002 Sample Rd., Pompano – Steelers fans are rumored to gather at Bonefish, so it should be jam-packed with excited fans every Steeler night! 954-781-6227.

• Two Georges — 1754 SE 3 Ct., Deerfield Beach – Supports all teams with a football special menu and $2.50 selected beers in the bar area. Only Two Georges offers a 10’ X 8’ projection TV screen that extends out over the water for the big game. Plus 20 regular TVs, to keep everyone happy. All fans are welcome. 954-421-9272.

• City Pub — 956 S. Federal Hwy., Deerfield – The City Pub boasts approx. 200 Buffalo Bill fans. See the Baltimore Raven vs. the Buffalo Bills this Sunday at 1p.m. Enjoy their signature Buffalo Roast Beef Sandwich or the Buffalo Hot Dog for eats while watching the game. Buffalo Bills fans have found a home at City Pub, but everyone is always welcome. 954-427-8213

• Bru’s Room Deerfield —120 NE 20 Ave., Deerfield – Former Dolphin Bob Brudzinski is the owner and has made Bru’s Room into a special home for all Dolphins fans. You know they’ll have plenty of specials on food and drinks throughout football season. With enough TVs to show every game at the same time, you can stop by early in the week and check the labels on each TV to find out which one will show your game this weekend. 954-420-5959. Their Coral Springs location (1000 N. University Dr.) caters to Cleveland Browns fans — 954-656-8041.

• Hott Leggz — 3128 N. Federal Hwy., Lighthouse Point – Chicago Bears (and Cubs) fans make their Florida home at Hott Leggz, where they can get traditional Chicago Beef sandwich of roast beef on Italian bread smothered in giardiniera (sautéed Italian peppers). There’s also a TV on every table. 754-307-2444.

• Legends Tavern & Grill — 1391 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach – They’re offering specials on game weekends including $13 Bud Lite buckets and $2.50 pints on selected beers, as well as All Day Happy Hour on Sundays. Fans from all teams come here. 754-212-2655.

• Packy’s Sports Pub — 4480 N. Federal Hwy., Lighthouse Point – Packy’s is another great gathering spot for Buffalo Bills fans. With 26 HDTV’s scattered around the bar, Packy’s is taking reservations for the Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphin game on Oct. 23. Beer will be provided on the bus and some tailgating food too. 954-657-8423

Football Season starts this week. This is just a sampling of some local football hangouts. Send your game-day fun pictures to observereditor@comcast.net.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

It sounds like a broken record, but superheroes and Walt Disney Studios dominated the summer box office. Despite negative mainstream reviews, Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice did well at the box office, but did not rival Captain America: Civil War in both revenue and critical appeal. The 2016 box office crown goes to Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory, an animated tale with both story and heart.

While losing money for their producers, Kubo and the Two Strings is stop motion (as opposed to computerized like Finding Dory) animation like the original King Kong and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Lacking the narrative intensity of Finding Dory, Kubo and the Two Strings is a contemplative motion picture about life, the rites of passage and spirituality. Like a good piece of Asian Literature or an Akira Kurosawa movie, Kubo and the Two Strings places an emphasis upon colorful visualization and primitive symbolism. While Kubo is an archetypal protagonist, he is a character. Expect Kubo and the Two Strings to be an Oscar rival to Finding Dory next awards season.

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) Director Gregory Von Hausch has announced the dates for this year’s festival: Friday Nov. 4 thru Sunday Nov. 20. While guests and honorees have yet to be announced, the venues have been announced with opening ceremonies at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe and closing ceremonies at the historical Bailey Hall. The majority of films will be screened at either the Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood venues.

FLIFF will be a transformative festival. Much like old Joe Robbie Stadium, which is now called Hard Rock Stadium, Cinema Paradiso will now be known as Savor Cinema in honor of philanthropist Steve Savor. Having hosted several galas at his Villa di Palma in previous years, one can expect Steve Savor to energize the glamour aspect of South Florida’s biggest film festival.

In other news: this weekend, Tom Hanks stars as the title character, Sully, the commercial pilot who landed a jet airliner in the Hudson River. October sees the release of Dan Brown’s Inferno which is set in Florence, Italy and features a mystery evolving around Dante’s Inferno. Expect Tom Hanks to be in the news for the next two months, as Sully is directed by Clint Eastwood and Dante’s Inferno is directed by Ron Howard.

The People vs. Fritz Bauer opens Sept. 16 in local cinemas. Based on a true story, the film details German Attorney General Fritz Bauer’s efforts to bring Adolph Hitler’s chief bureaucrat, Adolph Eichmann, to justice.

With each passing Labor Day weekend, the memories of the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy fade into memory. Having turned 90, the old clown and humanitarian will be seen on the big screen on Sept. 23 in Max Rose. Playing the title character, Lewis is garnering his best notices since he was directed by Martin Scorsese in King of Comedy over three decades ago. Having recently been interviewed on the CBS Sunday morning program, it appears that Jerry Lewis will not fade into the darkness quietly.

Deerfield Beach

Aug. 21: A man reported that his 2012 Dodge Caravan was stolen from 201 E. Sample Rd.

Aug. 24: A man reported that three floor polishing machines, each valued at $1,500, and two vacuums, valued at $1,000 each, were stolen from his van at 101 Lock Rd.

Aug. 25: A woman reported that two men stole her purse with a cell phone and social security card at 761 NE 43 Ct.

Aug. 25: A man reported that a woman stole his gym shorts and a $4,000 necklace at 1938 NE 6 St.

Sept. 5: A suspect cut down plants on a business’s property at 2651 NW 48 St.

Lighthouse Point

Aug. 11: A subject was observed placing a bike against a tree at the apartment complex at 2050 NE 39 St. The subject went inside a residence and $350 in currency and $30 in painkillers went missing. The loss was $380.

Aug. 12: Someone broke into an apartment at 2321 NE 48 St. and stole a computer monitor, $200 cash and two iPads. The loss was $460.

Aug. 12: The front window screen to an apartment at 1951 NE 39 St. was slightly open when the victim returned home. He then noticed the screen to the patio was open and the patio door was open. No entry was made.

RE: “The Branding of an Island”

Dear Editor:

Please inform the people trying to give Deerfield Island a name that it already has one – see this page on broward.org

Also let them know the island’s birds, protected sea turtles and other wildlife said they don’t need any bumper stickers or frisbees to identify with their home. [This is in reference to an article in last week’s Observer].

Eileen Lovre

Deerfield Beach, FL

RE: Signage

Dear Editor:

At the last City Commission meeting, I proposed a simple but important feature for all present or future signs on buildings. They should all feature in large letters the address of the establishment or residence. As you ride down the street looking for an address right now, it is almost impossible to find a location either because the address is too small to read or non-existent. This simple remedy would make finding any address a lot easier and would benefit all.

Bernie Parness

Deerfield Beach, FL

Re: Chuck Sussman

Dear Editor:

This week, we lost one of the good guys. Former Town of Hillsboro Beach Mayor Chuck Sussman passed away just weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Chuck is the stuff legends are made of. With a gruff voice and a hearty laugh, this self-made, successful businessman would be the first one to hitch up his suspenders and roll up his sleeves to get a job done. He was as down-to-earth as they come. Hillsboro Beach was fortunate to have his official guidance for a remarkable 18 years, and I was fortunate to have him as my next-door neighbor and friend for the past decade.

Chuck opted to retire from politics in 2007 when he decided his “just-git-‘er-done” style of doing business was no longer the order of the day. “Retirement” gave him the opportunity to travel and spend more time with his family, his beloved Harley-Davidson and his antique car collection, but he always carried a soft spot in his heart for our Town.

With so much controversy in our world today, I just wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to a man who made the world a better place.

Chuck Sussman was one-of-a-kind, and he will be sorely missed by many in Hillsboro Beach.

Deb Tarrant, Mayor

Town of Hillsboro Beach

Open House Meet and Greet at First Christian Day School

Thursday, Sept. 8, 6 p.m.

First Christian Church

1860 NE 39 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Tour natural environment preschool and meet early childhood professionals. Pre-School for ages 2, 3 & 4 and free 3-hour Florida VPK and After School care. Also new program Mom’s Morning Out for 2-year-olds. For information, call 954-942-2549.

Worth the Drive: Sushi & Stroll

Friday, Sept. 9, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

4000 Morikami Park Rd.

Delray Beach, FL 33446

Stroll the gardens, sip craft sakis, taste Asian cuisine, shop in the Museum Store and listen to the roar of Fushu Daiko’s taiko drum performances. Adults: $15, children (6-17): $9, under 6 Free. Seniors and military: $13 (with valid ID), students: $11 (with valid ID). For more information, call 561-495-0233 or visit www.morikami.org.

Women’s Chorus Open House

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m.

Unitarian Universalist Church Of Ft. Lauderdale  

3970 NW 21 Ave.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309

Broward Women’s Choral Group is looking for women who love to sing. Rehearsals are Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon. For information, call 954-677-3190 or email info@bwcchoralgroup.org.

Flyway Planting Party

Saturday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. till noon

• Deerfield Island Park

217 NE 5 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

• Quiet Waters Park

401 S. Powerline Rd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Broward County Parks and Recreation Division invites the public to help plant 1,000 native trees to help birds and butterflies migrate along the Atlantic Flyway. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes, gloves and other protective clothing and bring sunscreen, insect repellent, drinking water and a snack. For all ages. Free seedlings will be available to participants who want to improve their community, clean our air and water, and help wildlife by providing places for them to thrive. Sign up by calling 954-357-5100 or register online.

5th Annual Brazilian Beat

Saturday, Sept. 10, 6 to 11 p.m.

Mizner Park Amphitheater

590 Plaza Real

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Come hear the sounds of Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Bebel Gilberto and Samba drummers. See beautiful costumed dancers in a Rio-style parade, enjoy savory Brazilian cuisine and cocktails, a Zumba showcase, a Capoeira circle, street dancing and more. Free community event.

Pancake Breakfast

Sunday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to Noon

Elks Lodge

700 NE 10 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Hosted by the Benevolent Patriotic Order of Does, Drove 142. Adults-$5/Children-$2.50. Open to the public. For information, call 954-255-3130.

Singers Dream Reunion Workshop & Dinner Showcase

Friday, Sept. 16 (pre-registration)

Hampton Inn

660 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Singers, musicians and artists that have been, or desire to be, taught coached or mentored by internation-ally acclaimed singer/musician/teacher Gene Townsel and Berklee voice professor/recording artist Jeff Ramsey, sign up; space is limited. Tickets andpre-registration forms are available at The Source, 230 Lock Rd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. Pre-registration is $40 and on site is $45. Advance tickets for Dinner Showcase: $45-singles/$85 – couples. Tickets at the door: $50-singles/$95-couples. For information or registration, call 561-436-0868.

Save the Date:

Fifth Annual Breakfast Palooza

Saturday, Sept. 24, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Church of the Living God Fellowship Hall

186 SW 6 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Bid on the finest home baked goods in town, homemade and preserved from grandparents and great grandparent’s cookbooks. Also enjoy entertainment. Donation-$15 (includes breakfast and chance to win a designer handbag.) Children 12 and under $6. For tickets, call 954-235-7944 or email bfulmore235@gmail.com. Visit www.breastedsoldiers.org.

Save the Date:

• Smithsonian Museum Day Live

Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Free Tours. Donations accepted.

• Historic Butler House

380 E, Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

• Old School Museum

232 NE 2 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

• Florida Railway Museum

1300 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

• Authors and Autographs

Sunday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Butler House

380 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Local authors will sell and autograph their books. Want avendor table? Email elilly707@aol.com.

For more information about these events, visit www.deerfield-history.org or call 954-429-0378.

If you were like me as a kid, Christmas morning was the most anticipated morning of the year. I would toss and turn all night until about 4 a.m. when I would embark upon the mission of waking my parents — year after year to no avail.

In my 12th year of life, there was added expectancy. I was confident Santa Claus would deliver the year’s hottest toy: a Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash track set. Undoubtably by 9 a.m., my Hot Wheels cars would be whirling along the clover-shaped track, zooming through one of four intersecting “crash zones.” Months of agonizing waiting would finally come to bear its fruit in the form of epic crashes.

Santa delivered, both figuratively and literally. An overwhelming sense of happiness burst forth as I ripped the wrapping paper to reveal my Criss Cross Crash track set. The moment had arrived. Immediately I began to build the track. Wait a minute. This can’t be right. Where is it? It has to be here! No. No! These were my thoughts as I realized that one piece of track was missing. I had, for the most part, lost every little league baseball game up until this point in my life, and yet somehow, this moment was considerably more deflating.

As soon as the stores re-opened my dad and I went to make an exchange only to experience calamity number two: No Criss Cross track sets in stock. In this moment of crushing disappointment, somehow I found myself in the BB gun section of the store with my dad asking the most glorious question of all, “Would you rather have a BB gun?” Life changed forever. Criss Cross Crash would fall to the bottom of the memory pit — forgotten, thanks to my new Daisy pump-action BB gun rifle, and the countless hours spent protecting my backyard from an invasion of GI Joe and Ninja Turtle action figures — and my sister’s New Kids on the Block figurine.

I learned a valuable lesson that Christmas: Sometimes you have to give up something you love for something you love more. And 15 years later, God would have me revisit this wisdom.

During my mid-20s, I came across Pastor Craig Groeschel’s book titled Chazown: Define Your Vision. Pursue Your Passion. Live Your Life on Purpose. Pastor Craig uses the Venn Diagram method to reveal how when our spiritual gifts, core values and past experiences merge, we discover a clearer understanding of our God-given purpose. It was through much prayer, meditation and wise counsel that I discovered my God-given purpose.

At age of 27, I gave up something I loved (flying commercially) for something I loved more (investing in the next generation).

Too often we are afraid to fully surrender to the will of God citing the example of the wealthy ruler who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life (Luke 18:18). When Jesus instructed him to sell all his possessions, we know that he left sorrowful, unwilling to give up what he loved—in his case, wealth (Luke 18:22-23). We fear Jesus will ask us the same of us regarding whatever it is we choose to love more than Him. But when we grasp the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross, we will acknowledge that the things we love are “worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:7-8). It is in this revelation that our response will differ from the sorrowful ruler as we willfully give up the things we love for the One we love more to live the purpose God has for our life — knowing everything we need can be found in the provisions of our Savior. He is all we need.

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

When it comes to the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguards, summer and surf equals success.

Team Pompano turned in stellar performances this year at the three Junior Lifeguard competitions – Regional meet in Hollywood, State meet in Fort Lauderdale and then the 2016 USLA National Junior Lifeguard Competition at Hermosa Beach, California.

Summer Schulte, 13, an eighth-grader at Pompano Beach Middle School, turned in a career-best performance at the recent National Junior Lifeguard competition. Schulte won four events in the B Group Division (12 and 13-year-olds) and placed second in her other event to pace Pompano.

Schulte won the Surf Swim (Distance Swim), Paddleboard, Rescue Relay and Ironguard and was just edged out at the line in placing second in the Run-Swim-Run. She said winning her first event – the surf swim – gave her a lot of confidence for the rest of the competition because she had never won that event before.

“It felt really cool,” said Schulte, who was doing exhibition races with the junior lifeguards at age 8. Competitors need to be 9 to officially compete. “I didn’t think I was going to win that many (events at Nationals)…I learned a lot at this year’s camp and practiced in the California waters before the race so when I got to the actual race I knew which spots would work better. There were a lot of holes and the other girls were falling because they didn’t know where to go.”

The competition in California was difficult with approximately 4,500 Junior Lifeguards in Los Angeles County alone. Competitors from this county had to compete in a “prelims” event so that only the top competitors were able to compete at Nationals.

Notwithstanding, Team Pompano prevailed as National Champions in five events and Team Pompano won 25 medals at nationals (the top five finishers in each event earn medals). Team Pompano was the most medaled Florida team.

In the Girls B Division, Bella Taylor took first in the Rescue Relay; second in Ironguard, third in Run-Swim-Run and fifth in both the paddleboard and Surf Swim (Distance Swim). In the Boys C, Jake Schulte won the Ironguard was second in the Run-Swim-Run and was third in the Surf Swim (Distance Swim). Juliana Freire was fifth in the Distance Run and Alejandro Quinones took fifth in Surf Ski.

The “A” Division Swim Relay (Ronald Hache, Shane Schulte, Mia Marquez, Alex Marquez and Aaron Blanco) placed fourth, while the U-19 Swim Relay (Taylor Barton, Kelly Schulte, Alejandro Quinones, Ala Zielinski and Victoria Zielinski) was third.

“We were up against the best of the best on their home turf and we did really well,” said Nemia Schulte, president of the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard Association. She has been president for the past four years of the group and has five children in the program, including Julia Schulte, 20, who represented the United States in Australia (2012) and in France (2014).

Team Pompano, with 208 total junior lifeguards in the program, won the state competition by more than 100 points over runner-up Fort Lauderdale.

At the state competition, winners included Grace Parnas (paddleboard, beach flags and surf-swim) in the C Division; Jake Schulte in the C boys division with wins in the distance swim, paddleboard, run-swim-run; Bella Taylor (distance swim, paddleboard, run-swim-run) in the Girls B Division; Victoria Scarpinito won beach flags for Girls A group and third in ironguard girls; the Under-19 ironguard swim relay also won. The team was composed of Mattheus Santos, Kelly Schulte, Tyler Zuyus and Victoria Scarpinito.

Another strong performance at state came from the C Division Ironguard: Yvonne Lane, Jake Schulte, Reese Andres, and Grace Parnas, who finished third. Two brothers also did well at the state competition as Alejandro Quinones finished third in Paddleboard in the U-19 Division, while his younger brother, Christian Quinones (B Division) also came in third in both the beach flags and paddleboard.

Fort Lauderdale’s Jackie Nava, 13, won the B Girls Beach Flag event at both the Regional and state competitions. It is only her second year competing.

“There is a lot of competition, but you just have to be more competitive,” said Nava, an eighth-grader at Westminster Academy. “This (program) teaches you that you have to be a good teammate and they support you. It is also good to win.”

Other top performances at regionals included: Shane Schulte (Pompano, Boys A), Alejandro Quinones (Pompano, Boys Under-19), Summer Schulte (Pompano, Girls B), Nicolas Calice (Boys B), Grace Parnas (Girls C), Reese Andres (Girls C) and Bella Taylor (Pompano, Girls B).

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

This Labor Day weekend, two movies open with some award merit. Mia Madre was in competition in the 2015 Cannes film festival. The film’s leading lady, Margherita Buy, earned the best actress prize at the David di Donatello Awards in Italy. Life, Animated will be considered for Best Documentary during the 2017 awards season. Both Mia Madre and Life, Animated are entertaining motion pictures in which viewers will share some laughs and shed some tears.

Mostly in Italian language with English subtitles, Mia Madre introduces us to Margherita, an independent filmmaker producing a movie about workers’ rights and entrepreneurship. As she waits for her leading man, Barry Huggins (John Turturro) to arrive from America, Margherita checks her phone for the latest news about her sick mother.

Despite seemingly improving, the mother is terminal. Margherita must balance the demands between work, raising a teenager who is not doing well in her studies and impending grief. The American actor also brings onto the set his own petty neurosis and linguistic confusion.

Despite playing the protagonist’s irritant, Turturro’s appearances are welcome comic relief. In a supporting role, Turturro is allowed a full range of negative behavior, but remains somewhat likeable. Margherita Buy earned her David di Donatella prize for a retrained emotional performance. The audience feels for Margherita and her dilemma, which pays off for Mia Madre’s final scene.

Ripped from last year’s headlines, Life, Animated presents the story of Owen Suskind, an autistic, young man who learned to communicate with people by watching Disney animation. Using home movies, Owen’s parents discuss how the 3-year-old’s behavior changed overnight. Despite getting excellent medical attention and attending the best special needs schools in Washington D.C., Owen is sad and lonely. Feeling inspired, Owen’s father takes a puppet (Iago from Aladdin) and starts a conversation with Owen. A whole world opens up between Owen and his family.

While there is a great deal of joy in Life, Animated, there is also some harsh realities. Both parents are facing their own mortality and Owen breaks up with his only girlfriend.

These pains are universal, which is why these Disney animated movies like Aladdin, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast are magical motion pictures. If an autistic young man can find knowledge through Disney animated movies, perhaps we all should take a cue from Owen.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Deerfield Beach

Aug. 15: A woman reported that while she was sleeping, someone broke into her home at 212 NW 53 St. and stole $5,500 worth of jewelry.

Aug. 15: A woman reported her home at 262 NW 54 St. was burglarized and three gold rings each valued at $500, a wallet and $25 in cash were stolen.

Aug. 16: A man said that another man hit him and his girlfriend and then stole his wallet with $522 in cash. The two men were involved in an altercation at 250 S. Ocean Dr. and both men had lumps on their heads. All three subjects gave different accounts of what took place.

Aug. 17: A home at 284 NE 39 Court was broken into through a rear door and three televisions were stolen.

Aug. 17: A man reported that his former roommate moved out and stole a $1,500 welding machine. The incident was reported at 1385 SW 29 Ave. The man accused of the theft was contacted and he denied taking the machine.

Aug. 28: A victim reported the bed liner of his truck was stolen at 2972 SW 11 Pl.

Aug. 28: Merchandise was taken from a store located at 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd. As the subject fled without attempting to pay, his vehicle struck another parked vehicle outside.

Aug. 28: A subject took items from a store located at 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd. by concealing them in her purse and clothing, and left without attempting to pay for the merchandise. The subject was detained outside the store by Publix Loss Prevention.

Lighthouse Point

Aug. 6: Two mountain bikes valued at $80 were stolen from the side of a building at 2500 NE 36 St.

Aug. 6: A loss prevention officer observed a female subject place items in a shopping cart and left the store at 3700 N. Federal Hwy. without paying. The merchandise was valued at $37.62. She was apprehended outside the store.

Aug. 10: The victim said someone stole a Donald Trump political support sign from his residence at 2547 NE 22 Ave. The loss was $20.