Melvin Randall entered this week with a 403-131 career coaching record. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

And the wins keep coming.

Blanche Ely boys’ basketball coach Melvin Randall moved into an exclusive club when he won his 400th career game on Nov. 29 with an 84-41 victory over Monarch.

Randall, in his 11th year at Ely, credited the influence of four former Broward coaching greats for his success – the late Butch Ingram, Greg Samuels, John Keister and Wade Edmond.

Randall began his coaching career as an assistant to Edmond at Ely and then moved on to Deerfield Beach where he was a head coach starting in 1992 through 2000 and won state titles in 1997 and 1999 with the Bucks and in 2007 with the Tigers.

“To be in it for this long and still have that energy,” said Randall, who is 403-131 in his 19-year coaching career, including 203-78 at Ely. “I don’t know if it is strange or abnormal, but I know that there have been many like (Dillard girls coach) Marcia Pinder [who] has been in it for many, many years.”

“I am still having fun doing what I am doing,” Randall added. “I am blessed and I feel that I am giving back what I have gotten out of it when I was in high school and in college.”

The Tigers went on a 20-6 run in the second quarter to open a 35-19 halftime lead and coasted to its fourth victory of the season, 69-51 over visiting Boyd Anderson on Saturday night.

Clide Geffrard finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Derek Walker added 19 points and eight rebounds. Josephus Bell added 10. Krishaun Myers had five points and five assists.

Randall, a 1981 South Plantation High graduate who went on to Mercer University in Macon, GA before returning to South Florida, said he still enjoys the Xs and Os and said his assistant coaches continue to bring the energy to the gym.

“They keep me going as well with new ideas,” said the 48-year-old Randall, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale. “Whether it is offensively or defensively, I am always open to new ideas. If you were to walk in the gym, you wouldn’t know who [is] the head coach and that is how I have been for years.”

He said he is also pleased with the success he has had throughout his career, in which he has averaged more than 20 wins a year.

“I am very proud of that,” Randall said. “It is not so much the Ws and the Ls, but to have a record of my seniors going off to school. That is the most important thing to me and then seeing them come back or to see them do well as young men.”

Simply Soccer Camp

The city of Pompano will host a Simply Soccer holiday break camp from Dec. 19-22 for boys and girls, ages 5-14, and of all skill levels, who will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

There are three sessions each day ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (cost is $75); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $100, and a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to noon for $50. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. You do not have to be a city resident to attend. For more information, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954-786-4119.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Last weekend may go down as one of the most dismal Decembers in box office history. Gary Marshall’s New Year’s Eve was the top of the heap, with a meager $13 million and bad reviews. The award-winning Hugo is losing money. Even the positive word of mouth has done very little to boost the profile of Arthur Christmas.

Of all the movies on the big screen, The Muppets is perhaps enjoying the strongest word of mouth and steadiest revenue. From beginning to end, it is an entertaining motion picture for both children and adults who grew up with the Muppets for the past 40 years.

Brothers Walter (A new Muppet voiced by Peter Linz) and Gary (Jason Segal, who co wrote the screenplay) travel to Hollywood to meet the Muppets. Taking Gary’s girlfriend Mary (adorable Amy Adams) with them, Walter and Gary tell the Muppets that they have not been relevant to the public since 1978.

Taking advantage of the Muppet’s low profile in pop culture, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) has plans to destroy the Muppets’ studio and build oil wells.

Of course, Kermit the Frog comes to the rescue and decides to produce a show, just like the old days.  Celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Mickey Rooney and Selena Gomez donate their time to serve on the Muppet Tele-phone. Along the way, Fozzie Bear tells some stupid jokes and Amy Adams gets to sing two good songs. Right up to the clever closing gag, The Muppets deserves its success for being so entertaining.

Opening tomorrow in local theaters is Blackthorn, an  intriguing western. James Blackthorn is the alias of infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy (Sam Shepard), an old man with regrets. Deciding to reconnect with his only remaining family, Blackthorn treks back to the United States after years in exile.

Lacking the big budget of last summer’s Cowboys & Aliens, Blackthorn succeeds with character development and unique situations. One shoot-out echoes the vastness of David Lean’s Lawrence  of Arabia. As Blackthorn, Shepard gives his most confident performance since playing Colonel Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff.

For those seeking traditional Christmas fare, the Miami City Ballet will be bringing George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker to the Broward Center for six performances starting Wednesday, Dec. 21. For tickets and show times, visit www.miamicityballet.org/nutcracker.php

Most people really don’t enjoy life; they endure it. Their lives are filled with anxiety, stress and pressure and there’s very little joy. The Christmas season is the most stressful time of the year. We worry about presents, finances, etc. I want us to look at a strategy for dealing with seasonal stress.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  NLT

STEP ONE: WORRY ABOUT NOTHING

Worry is assuming responsibility that God never intended  you to have. Worry is worthless. It cannot change the past or control the future. It is an incredible waste of energy.  Some people are born worriers; they have the ability to find a problem in every solution. Worry is not natural, it is something you learn; you have to practice to get good at it. If it is learned, it can also be unlearned. In order to relieve stress, live one day at a time.

STEP TWO: PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING

Paul is saying, don’t panic – pray. If those people who say “I don’t have time to pray” would spend their time praying instead of worrying, they’d have a whole lot less to worry about. God is interested in everything in your life. Prayer is a tremendous release of pressure. A life insurance company did a study. They learned that people who attend church once a week live on average 5.7 years longer. Why? Perhaps, people who attend church every week are more likely to pray than to worry. There is no problem too big for God’s power or too small for God’s concern.

STEP THREE: THANK GOD FOR ALL THINGS

Ungrateful people also tend to be unhappy people. Nothing ever satisfies them, it’s never good enough. We have so much that we take for granted. Develop the attitude of gratitude and watch the stress level in your life go down. It gets your eyes off the problem and on the many things we have to be grateful for. There is always something to be grateful for.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  NLT

STEP FOUR: THINK ABOUT THE RIGHT THINGS

To reduce stress in your life, you must change the way you think. You have been given by God the freedom to choose what you think about. Many people are allowing all kinds of garbage into their minds. What you think affects the way you feel; the way you feel affects the way you act. Guard your mind. Keep your mind on the right things. If the thought is not right, true, pure, lovely, etc., don’t allow it to get into your mind because it’s going to create stress. Whatever I think about, is what I am becoming.

People are looking everywhere for peace of mind. They try pills, fads, therapy, alcohol, stress reduction seminars and books – anything to give just a little peace of mind. God’s peace is a gift to you. It is a gift that cannot be explained, duplicated, fabricated or understood. God will guard your mind and heart when you have a relationship with Jesus Christ and trust Him. Instead of worrying about everything, you pray about everything. You thank God for all things and keep your mind on the right things.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

Cinema Dave stands with “The Blues Brothers” at Art Basel last week.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Opening tomorrow, Le Havre is a Finnish/French film about a sad shoeshine guy who struggles to make ends meet for his ill wife. Despite his depressive situation, he finds a person who is in a worst dilemma, a young Nigerian boy separated from his family. With this simple plot set in motion, “Le Havre” reaches its climax in a sweet and entertaining way.

Since my interview with Alice Cooper years ago, his band made the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and Welcome 2 My Nightmare became his most successful album since the 1980s. Yet, his most satisfying experience may be personal.

On daughter Sonora’s acquisition of her driver’s license, he said, “She is one of the best drivers I’ve ever seen. In school, she was the more timid kid, less aggressive of my three kids. She is now a freshman in college and drives herself to school.”

Oldest daughter Calico is part of the comedy troupe Groundlings and is making a niche for herself in independent movies. His son Dashiell recently married a beautiful blond he met on the hockey rink; Dashiell hit a slap-shot and his future wife, Morgan, was the goalie.

In two weeks, Alice and his band will be ending their No More Mr. Nice Guy Tour at the Seminole Hollywood Hard Rock.

Like a good carnival barker, Alice exclaims, “This is my best live band ever. We have Steve Hunter (Cooper band mate from the 1970s), Orianthi (from American Idol and Michael Jackson’s last band) and the voice of Vincent Price opens the show.”

The Vincent Price gesture reveals debt to the past.

He explains, “My generation, like Ozzy Osbourne and I, have a harder edge, but we were all taught by the Beatles. We had good teachers and we learned to incorporate melody lines.”

The Grammy Award noms. snubbed Welcome 2 My Nightmare but Cooper was unfazed. He acknowledges the current culture of the music and radio business.

“Some of the nominations were boring; good songs are not getting played. Radio does not play what is good, but who is supposed to be the next big thing. An album like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band would not get airplay today. I feel sorry for young bands today. My advice would be become the best live band around, learn melody and lyrics from 70s bands.”

The Howard Schnellenberger era is officially over, as the only coach in FAU Football History leaves the program with a 58-74 mark. Schnellenberger’s all-time record in 27 years of coaching college football is 158-151 with a National Championship for the Miami Hurricanes in 1983.

The Owls can thank the UAB Blazers to avoid going winless this season as FAU pulled out a 38-35 win Saturday, Nov. 26, thanks to Senior Running Back Alfred Morris’ 198 yards and four touchdowns. Morris became the first person in Schnellenberger’s career to surpass 1,000 yards twice in his career. He finished with 1,186 yards in 2011 with a 72-yard effort against ULM. In 2009, he amassed 1,392.

The embarrassing defeat by UAB led to the firing a few days later of its’ Head Coach Neil Callaway, who had a 3-9 season and was 21-51 in five years.

When the game was over, FAU sent Schnellenberger out with a fireworks display. He also gave a game-ending speech thanking everyone in the stadium for their support. It took him longer to address the media because he spent extra time talking to his players. At the end of the press conference, the popular coach was busy signing media members’ press passes.

Schnellenberger said, “This is the first time I’ve turned a football team over in this type of situation. But I want the players to know that I value them being here. I didn’t want these players to go out as losers. There are a lot of good football players on this team.”

But Schnellenberger was pleased that his retirement would turn out differently than legendary coaches like former Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden and Penn State’s Joe Paterno by leaving on his own terms.

“I talked to Bowden about this and with the way coaches are getting disposed of. I didn’t want to leave like that. I wanted this to be a seamless transition. I’ve never missed a day of work in 52 years of coaching, and I’m glad that I can retire, relax, spend time with my wife Beverlee, children and grandchildren,” Schnellenberger added. “I’ll be moving out of my football office Sunday and into a new one in the administration building Monday, helping out any way I can, but “won’t be in the way of the new coach.”

My time with Coach Schnelleberger dates back to our days with the Miami Hurricanes in the early 1980s. It will be different without my friend in the future, but the UAB win meant so much that it would have been a major injustice for him to end his final season as the only winless team in NCAA Division I FBS. Thankfully, it didn’t happen and I’m pleased he left on his own terms.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33.com.

“Eloquent silence often is better than eloquent speech.”

– Leo Rosten’s Treasury of Jewish Quotations

“If a word be worth one sheckel, silence is worth two.”

–Talmud: Megillah, 18a

Last night in the mall, they  happened to be playing one of the most famous of Christmas songs. It was called “The Sounds of Silence.” No, that  was Paul Simon. This one was called “Silent Night.”

The truth is that silence is talked about in Scripture. “There is a time for every purpose under heaven” and you had better believe that there is a time for silence. The other day, I was watching two workers set up a long ladder to do some painting. As one of them was climbing the ladder, the other suddenly called out, “Be careful” and the one on the ladder looked down and darned-near fell off the ladder. That was a time that silence would have been the wise call. But later, on his way back down, his companion yelled out, “Be careful” and it was a good thing because he had left a can of paint in the middle of one of the rungs on his way up the ladder.

There is a time to call out. But, there is also a time for silence. It seems people have forgotten about the importance of silence. Perhaps modern technology has been partially to blame. If you have been to a funeral lately, you know that we have to announce for people to turn off their cell phones. And I’m sure you’ve heard those phones ring at movies and concerts and, I would not be surprised if you have heard them go off in the midst of your Minister’s sermon.

I was officiating at a wedding the other day and, in the middle of this incredible ceremony where two people bind their hearts and souls together in the gift of love, the groom’s phone rang … and do you know what? He actually took the call.

So today I am proposing a new custom for Jewish wedding ceremonies and for all other faith’s weddings as well. I am proposing that at the end of the ceremony we don’t just break a glass. I think that a cell phone should be stomped on as well.

Let it be a reminder that there are times they should stop listening to and conversing with others and simply take time to listen to and talk to our spouse. Otherwise, your marriage will be like the glass. It will be broken and unable to be put back together.

There is a time for silence … Silence is golden!

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

There is no denying the financial juggernaut know as Twilight: Breaking Dawn: Part I, which now owns the 5th largest box office gross of 2011. While this Twilight film is as limply-directed as the previous motion picture, the story does fulfill fans’ expectations about Bella Swan, Vampire Edward and Wolf Boy Jacob with a good cliffhanger ending for Breaking Dawn: Part II.

One of the sad casualties of this vampire monster box office was Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, based on Brian Selznick’s award-winning book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Hugo (Asa Butter-field) is an orphan who lives in a Paris train station who is pursued by a bumbling security guard (Sacha Baron Cohen) for annoying a man named George (Ben Kings-ley).

What starts off as a standard required reading Juvenile Fiction novel becomes a mystery about cinematic history. Given Selznick’s ancestry (his cousin David produced Gone with the Wind) and the appearance of Sir Christopher Lee as a book salesman, Hugo is a film that will be discussed in academic circles long after the stars of Twilight retire.

In Into the Abyss, initially, Werner Herzog uses an academic approach in his straightforward documentary about death row. Fortunately, the iconic German director also brings both humor and humanity to this bleak subject. While interviewing death row inmates, Herzog admits he is politically against capital punishment. However, Herzog presents such a fair and balanced approach that advocates will find support for their own political bias.

With his soothing grandfatherly voice, Herzog asks some pretty off-the-wall questions. However, these questions create an emotional intimacy between the viewer and the interviewee. For example, when a chaplain discusses the final steps of an execution, the man comes across as a dispassionate bureaucrat. Yet, when Herzog asks the chaplain about “the squirrel story,” the man becomes a blubbering mess. Into the Abyss opens tomorrow.

Also opening tomorrow is Answers to Nothing, a piece of Los Angeles fiction. With a title like that, this motion picture has a tough story to sell. Obviously inspired by Robert Altman movies and the Oscar-winning movie Crash, Answers to Nothing features a cast of 1990s television actors who seek answers in the noir-ridden city of angels. The four subplots actually answer some questions, but one has to wonder if the questions were worth asking.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

He’s standing against the wall, arms hanging, hands clasped, as if protecting his genitals. I advance toward the checkout desk with my library books. His eye spots me, and he leaps to attention in a quick sudden move. “Have you ever used the self check, mam?”

“Mmm. Yes,” I say hesitantly. There’s no one in line. The librarians are at the ready to help me. “We’re trying to train our customers to use the self check,” he said in a low conspiratorial voice.

And with meticulous attention, he helps me adjust the bar codes under the electronic light until all have been recorded and my receipt appears.

“We’re training the people to eliminate our jobs,” he said without rancor, just in case I hadn’t caught on to the implication of his original explanation.

And so it goes in this wonderful world of automation. I can self check-out at Target, Costco and some Publixes. I can check in at airport kiosks and, for about 30 years, I have been pumping my own gas.

As fast as any government or privately-sponsored program can create jobs, automation is eliminating jobs. And, as government shrinks, we will surely find an overabundance of unemployed government workers.  It seems like a widespread game of musical chairs.  It’s no news that we are living in the most agonizingly long transition period as traditional jobs shrink.

So, in an attempt to be supportive, I thought I’d rustle up  some  information that might be helpful for future career planning. Of course, if your career has already spanned a lifetime, perhaps you might share some of these gems with your progeny. (We all know how much “progeny” likes advice, but you might just try!)

Job title:

E-Scrubber – works to undo or minimize the indiscretions that people accumulate on the web.

Deceptionist – Provides tech-enabled deception services for those wishing to disguise their activities.

Geoscraper – Makes corporate and private properties look attractive in Google-earth style aerial views.

Unplugger – Mental health professional who helps wean people from excessive use of technology.

If your expertise doesn’t qualify you for any of the above, to continue the automation trend, here are some things I found on a Google list that have yet to be totally automated. Some clever inventor or entrepreneur might figure out how to close the gap here,  thus eliminating all housekeeping jobs: making the bed;  ironing clothes; cleaning; dusting; vacuuming  with the flip of a switch or the clap of two hands (yes yes, I know about the automatic vacuum – but what about dusting?); helping the kids with homework? No! It was on the list, but let’s never eliminate THAT, although, admittedly, it’s getting to be more and more of a challenge.

Jobs, jobs, jobs. We lose them. We create them. We mix and match them. Where will my library friend go when all of us folks approach the automatic machines and check out by ourselves?

As I mentioned in a previous “Clergy Corner,” I grew up in a small town in the northern part of New York, very close to the border with Canada.  The town was in the middle of the Adirondack Park, on a lake, and surrounded by mountains. Not mountains like Colorado, but mountains just the same.

November was always one of my favorite months.  It’s well into the school year so you’re already over the shock of going back to school after a long summer break.  All the trees have turned and the mountains are filled with beautiful colors of brown, orange and red, and, soon, if not already, the leaves start to fall.

The first snowfall of the year is something very special.  You know it’s coming and you can’t wait until that first morning when you wake up to find everything covered in white.  It is such a beautiful sight.  Everything looks so clean and pure. It’s almost like a fresh start.

November also has Thanksgiving.  I love thanksgiving.  What does thanksgiving mean to you? Family, food, football or a short vacation from work and school?  Thanksgiving means a lot of things to a lot of people.  For me, it’s the combination of several different things. The change in the leaves, signifying change in life; snow, telling me that we can change and that there is forgiveness; family, because we will be getting together; and, of course, Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on all God has done for us.

Ephesians 5:20 says, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Giving thanks, especially in the midst of some of the difficult times many are going through, is difficult. Maybe it’s because of our perspective. The Bible teaches that without a proper relationship with God, we cannot have a proper perspective.  Gratitude and Grace come from the same root word.  If I’m thankful for what I’ve been given and for what God has done for me, then that will be reflected in my living a gracious life and giving grace to others.

Think and Thank are also from the same root word.  If we sit for a moment and think about all that God has done for us, sending His Son to die on the cross to provide a way of salvation, preparing a place in Heaven for all of those who put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and daily providing for our needs.  I think we sometimes forget that God never promised to provide for our wants, but only for our needs.

Let’s take time to THINK about all God had done for us, then THANK Him for His provision.  This will provide us with a heart of GRATITUDE, which will produce a GRACIOUS attitude.

Editor’s Note: As we savor our recent Thanksgiving time with family and friends, let us remember to give thanks all year long.

Deron Peterson is is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

Duffy Dillon gives his Broward County Sports Hall of Fame induction speech. Photos by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Two local Pompano men never thought they would be named in the same sentence of the likes of Dan Marino, Coach Don Shula, H. Wayne Huizenga, Dara Torres, Chris Evert and others, but there they were.

Duffy Dillon, who currently lives in Pompano Beach, and Barry Krauss, who starred at Pompano Beach High School, were recently named to the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame. The duo were among six 2011 inductees at the
annual gala at Broward County Convention Center. The Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Sports Development office presented the event.

They were joined by Wendy Bruce Martin (gymnastics), Joe Castiglione (athletic administration), Gene Monahan (sports medicine) and Louis Oliver (football), who are now part of the Hall of Fame, which broke the century mark of inductees with this year’s event.

“I was in shock,” said Dillon, 46, who heads up the Ft. Lauderdale Aquatics Swim program. “It was a little bit of a concern of mine with me being young in my coaching career. These types of awards are typically for end-of-career achievements, especially with swim coaches Michael (Lohberg) and Jack (Nelson) in the Hall of Fame …They assured me it was from an athletic perspective and not the coaching. I was fortunate to have the God-given talent, and for me, this is a lifelong passion.”

Dillon, a 1983 Ft. Lauderdale High School graduate, was a two-time NCAA champion and All-American at the University of Florida. He has been the director and head coach of the Ft. Lauderdale Aquatic Swim Club since 2004.

“It’s unbelievable,” Dillon said. “When you consider all of the great athletes and coaches to come out of Broward County. It’s pretty awe inspiring and you feel pretty special.”

Krauss, 54, a 1975 Pompano Beach High School graduate, played football for the University of Alabama, where the All-American spent 13 years playing in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins.

Krauss looked around at the table and thanked his family for being there, including his brother Eric, whom he said “was the better linebacker of the family.”

“This has to be one of the most wonderful days of our lives,” said Krauss, who choked back tears throughout his speech. He is currently a broadcaster and motivational speaker based in Carmel, Indiana.

“We have come a long way and our family is together for the first time in years. This is awesome,” added Krauss, who was introduced by his father, Rob. “This is about dreams. Most times, we give up on our dreams … When I was growing up, it was always my dream to play for the Miami Dolphins. When I finally suited up for them and I was standing on the sideline, I cried.”

Barry Krauss speaks during his induction.