Broadcast producers have found a goldmine in reality-based programming. From the network stations to cable, and even Internet channels, reality television is the flavor of the moment. From popular shows like Real Housewives of (pick your city) to Survivor, The Bachelorette, Dancing with the Stars, Biggest Loser and the Amazing Race, there has been an abundance of programming that is relatively unscripted, unrehearsed and reality-based.

One of my favorites is HGTV’s Property Brothers, where twins Jonathan and Drew guide couples through the process of purchasing and renovating fixer-upper homes. The premise is simple: most couples have a limited budget but an unrestricted wish list. They usually can’t afford the homes that meet all their demands and must pick from several homes that are in their reach but need a lot of work. The brothers have become masters at seeing past ugly paint colors, weird interior layouts and outdated kitchen appliances to imagining, and then producing, magazine-worthy homes that leave the new owners in awe.

The truth is that at one time those fixer-uppers were brand new and appealing. Time, use and wear inevitably took a toll on them, however, leaving them in need of refreshing, renewing and updating. Our lives and experiences, over time, can be such that they leave us weary, worn and dilapidated. Once bursting with energy, passion and zeal, we can look around one day to find ourselves weak, overwhelmed and dispirited. But, like those homes that can be re-imagined and repurposed, there is a potential and possibility that can yet be unleashed in us.

The start of a new year often presents an opportunity to review and renew our lives. Most of us make resolutions in an attempt to make improvements and change for the better. Losing weight, saving more money, giving up bad habits and learning something new are some of the more popular goals that people set for themselves at the beginning of each year. The truth is that we can begin new things or make adjustments at any time, but the first month of a new year provides the added benefit of an emotional boost. Everything seems fresh and most people seem to be filled with optimism about themselves and their prospects for the months ahead.

Opportunities are always around us, but sometimes we focus so much on our obstacles that we fail to notice them. Life doesn’t have to be so adverse that we feel trapped and unfulfilled. Like a dilapidated home that is re-imagined and given new life, we, too, can experience renewal and be refreshed.

Believers know that God is constantly calling us to renewal: spiritual, emotional and sometimes physical. His plans for us are far superior to what we can imagine, and, if we look to Him, we can experience His guidance. As Solomon observed in Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

As this year begins to unfold, be encouraged to embrace the opportunities you have to experience renewal, and to make changes for the better. Include God in your planning and discover the good things He has purposed for you. Begin each day by looking to Him for direction and heeding His instruction. The confident assertion of King David, in Psalm 16:11, is “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” That sounds like a good plan to me. Try it, and may your year be filled with renewed joy, pleasure and fulfillment.

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

By Gary Curreri

With 20 returning seniors from last season, it wasn’t the season that Blanche Ely High School football coach Nakia Jenkins had hoped for; so, after careful thought, he told his players and administrators last week that he was resigning.

Jenkins, who finished 2-9 this season and 8-14 in two seasons as the Tigers head coach, did manage to reach the playoffs in both seasons. The Tigers lost to Atlantic, 21-13, in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs last year and Dwyer, 16-14, this season.

“I think it’s best for myself and the community that I move in another direction,” Jenkins said. “I think it’s best for my family and health to step away from the game of football.”

Ridley decides

Cavin Ridley is going from being a Buck to a Bulldog.

The Deerfield Beach High School senior receiver decided on the University of Georgia, surprising many who thought he would go to the University of Alabama, where he would join his older brother, Calvin, a freshman receiver and major contributor on the national championship squad.

“This was by far the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my life,” Ridley wrote on Twitter. “As you all have seen, I have really struggled to choose between some amazing universities with outstanding football programs. I took a step back to go over my recruiting options and take an in-depth second look at all the schools on my final list.”

The four-star recruit is regarded as one of the top skilled players in the country and briefly committed to South Carolina before switching to Georgia two days later. Ridley helped the Bucks win the District 11-8A title this past season. Deerfield Beach fell to the eventual state champion, Flanagan, 17-0, in the Class 8A Regional championship contest.

Local cheer teams qualify for state

Several local high school cheerleading teams are headed to the Florida High School Athletic Association state finals following their recent performances in the Region 4 tournament at Dillard High School.

Blanche Ely had the highest finish of the local teams as it placed 6th in the Large Non-Tumbling Division, while Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach placed 12th and 13th , respectively, in the Small Non-Tumbling Division at the competition. The three teams all scored at least 60 points and are headed to the state semifinals.

The Small Non-Tumbling, Small Varsity, Medium Varsity competitions will be held on Friday, Jan. 29, while the Large Non-Tumbling, Large Varsity, Extra Large Varsity, Small Co-Ed and Large Co-Ed competitions are on Saturday, Jan 30.

Beach soccer tourney slated

The South Florida United Youth Soccer League will host its inaugural SFUYSA Beach Soccer Tourney on March 12-13 on Pompano Beach.

The tournament, which is coordinated by Pro-Am Beach Soccer, will feature all divisions and age groups from youth to men, women and co-ed.

The tournament format will consist of Micro Soccer, 4v4 (4 field players, no goalie and small goals will be used); the Under-9 division plays 6v6 (5 field players, one goalie), while all other divisions play 5v5 (4 field players, one goalie).

The first place will receive a team trophy and player medals, while second place teams will receive player medals.

For more information, call 415-308-0603.

In 2012, on the evening of the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a group of Islamic militants attacked two American diplomatic compounds in Libya, killing Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, and injuring 10 more. The first response from the U.S. State Department was the claim that the attack was a protest over an anti-Islamic video that had surfaced on the Internet in July 2012. The “protest video” theory was proven false and [some say] was a diversion by the State Department, which had failed to provide adequate security for Americans on foreign soil.

Based on the book 13 Hours by Michael Zuckoff, producer/director Michael Bay has attempted to cut through the propaganda and present the story of the Benghazi tragedy.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi opens and closes with Jack Silva’s (John Krasinski) arrival and departure in Benghazi. Leaving his large family at home, Silva is a security contractor for the American diplomatic compound and not-so-secret CIA annex. Silva works with a competent team of former military men, who are supervised by a boss with a Napoleonic complex.

The day of Sept. 11, 2012 starts off quietly, but Ambassador Stevens and the security team are advised to keep a low profile on this sad anniversary. As the sun begins to set, terrorist thugs begin encroaching upon the diplomatic compound. It is a subtle movement at first, but by sundown, barbaric intentions are revealed.

13 Hours tells a compelling story that is nuanced by the fog of war. Director Michael Bay uses many cinematic techniques that can trigger an emotional reaction. At the start of the battle, there is use of some frantic editing. As the battle rages on, there is some fantastic cinematography that is presented with concise visual clarity.

Best known for his comedic performances, Krasinski reveals more depth as an actor in this film. The actor’s ensemble is understated, capturing the fraternal culture of soldiers in the foxhole. Bay provides subtle moments for these men, showing moments of humor in the face of dread. This film provides an emotional wallop.

This week’s Torah portion Beshalach (Exodus 14:26 – 15:26) relates that dramatic moment when at the brink of being captured by the mighty Egyptian forces, the Red Sea parted before the Hebrews. The newly-born nation of Israel crossed to the other side and embarked on its journey to freedom.

Do we have anything in our lives today that could even remotely reflect that unparalleled and stupendous miracle? Yes, says the Talmud, and it is the miracle of a marriage that works. “To match couples together is as difficult as the splitting of the sea,” states this ancient Jewish text written around 1700 years ago. What is the meaning behind these words? Everybody knows that the process of finding a life’s partner and maintaining the relationship may at times be excruciatingly difficult. But why, from all extraordinary miracles described in the Bible, does the Talmud choose specifically the miracle of the splitting of the sea to depict marriage?

Do you remember your groom?

Before each of us was born, say the Kabbalists, we were shown, in heaven, the souls of our respective grooms and brides. Now, when you saw the soul of your future husband in the spiritual realms, you were ecstatic. You were witness to an extraordinary spirit, a towering beacon of light, a great personality. You thought to yourself: “For such a husband, I will do anything. I will be there for him in the deepest possible way. I am ready to ‘split’ for him any day.”

Similarly, when you encountered your future bride there in the sublime plane, you were just blown away. What a profound heart! Will I truly have the privilege of building a home with this human being? How will I ever be able to show enough gratitude for the joy of having a relationship with this woman?

Then, you were born. Twenty, 25, 30, 35, 45 years later, you feel an attraction to your spouse, to that soul that once so overwhelmed you. You take a look … But you do not recognize him or her.

“Him? You want me to respect him?” many a woman says. “He is an obnoxious, egotistical, self-centered man.”

“Her?” many a man exclaims. “You expect me to appreciate and honor her? A world-renowned needy and insecure kvetch?”

Many of us fail to recognize in the face and personality of our spouses what we once-upon-a-time saw in their souls. Marriage is the ability to recognize your true spouse, beneath the layers of “rubble” that may eclipse his or her true dignity and beauty. A good relationship stems from the understanding that life is a battlefield in which we often stumble and fail and that the beauty and profundity of human life consists not of a continuous stream of light and perfection, but rather of the light that emerges from amidst darkness, of the serenity that emerges from turmoil, and of the harmony that sprouts forth from strife.

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 Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The awards season is peaking today with the Oscar nominations announcement. While films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens dominate the box office, this awards season provides unique opportunities to view eclectic movies.

Besides being a Golden Globe nominee, Mustang, which opens tomorrow in select theaters, is France’s submission to the Oscar’s Best Foreign Language motion picture nomination. Set in Turkey, Mustang follows the misadventures of five teenage sisters.

Trouble begins when the girls are seen frolicking on the beach with some boys. While the play seems innocent enough, the incident causes a scandal in the neighborhood. Things go from bad to worse as the family elders take Draconian measures to keep the girls in line.

[The girls seek to escape their repressive household where they are expected to stay virginal and spend time preparing to be good wives. Traditions seen in this film mirror everyday reality for many in that region.]

In a strange way, Mustang made me think about two Clint Eastwood movies. In Unforgiven, a personal incident is mishandled and eventually explodes into a full scale civil war. In Mustang, the girls’ claustrophobic relationship echoes that in The Beguiled. Even though it is presented as tragedy, there are moments of joy in Mustang that recall the innocence of films from France’s legendary director, Francois Truffaut.

One of Truffaut’s contemporaries was Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, whose dramas confronted family secrets. Opening tomorrow, Closed Season, directed by Franziska Schlotterer, shares DNA with the Bergman universe. Set in the Black Forest of Germany, a childless couple hides a Jewish refugee on their farm, circa 1942. One day, the infertile husband suggests that his wife conceive a child with the refugee. Things get complicated after conception occurs.

On a lighter note, Brooklyn recently left the big screen and will soon be available on DVD. Saoirse Ronan portrays an Irish immigrant who comes to America to live a better life. This delightful film features a fine ensemble cast and was screened at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. If Brooklyn is recognized by the Academy, expect a return to the big screen.

Ray Romano once said, “As a comedian, you don’t want to upset someone with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). They’ll write you a letter … and another one … and another one … and another one.”

We may laugh, but the reality is that OCD is crippling. People suffering from this condition develop compulsive behaviors in which they become obsessed with performing certain rituals repeatedly to only temporarily find relief from the plaguing anxiety. Simply put: Someone obsessing over their safety may lock and re-lock a door again and again. For many, this is a neurotic condition; they know the repetition is for naught. They understand that they are no safer whether they lock the same lock once or four times over.

If you’ve read this far, you’re either my mom or you’re curious to see what this has to do with Christianity. Allow me to explain.

While not true OCD, I believe many of us have what I like to call OCD Christianity. We’ve latched on to certain obsessions within our faith and have created rituals that help us feel more Christian. And, as with OCD, we recognize these behaviors and still perform them even though we know they do not draw us closer to God. If anything, they weigh us down and distract us from strengthening our personal relationship with Him.

To grasp my abstract thought, track with me through three things we obsess about. One, we obsess about condemnation. We see the world living in sin and think, “Turn or burn.” We use guilt and shame to bring people into the faith. Unfortunately, this approach makes God’s plan small and boring — uninviting and unexciting.

And, naturally, if we begin to obsess over condemnation for others, it’s not long before, two, we obsess about self-preservation — Are we saved? Are we good, God? Check out Luke 3:7, when John the Baptist addressed the Pharisees and Sadducees: “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath?” He pointed out that, just as snakes flee a brush fire to save themselves, these guys were only concerned about self-preservation, believing their rituals would save them. As much as it may pain us to admit, in this case, we probably relate more to the Pharisees and Sadducees than to the recent converts.

Three, we obsess over comfort — doing everything in our power to avoid being uncomfortable. Yet, nowhere in Scripture do we find a call to safe and comfortable living. Quite the opposite, right? This obsession blinds us from the realization that Heavenly comfort is facilitated by earthly discomfort.

So, there they are. I had to put them out there to say this: From these obsessions, we’ve created rituals that ransack our understanding of Matthew 7:22-23: “On judgment day many will say to me ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’” To put it in modern context: “Without leaving our comfort zone, we started a small group in your name and read our Bibles, and attended Sunday school, in your name, and even had a really cool event that grew our attendance … in your name, of course.” Yet comprehend carefully Christ’s response in Matthew 7:23: “But I will reply, ‘I never KNEW you. Get away from me…’” [emphasis added].

Wait, what? So there are people who do Christian-ey things and they won’t enter Heaven?

Yes.

God isn’t asking us to do things because they make us feel like Christians. He’s inviting us into an authentic relationship with Him. But, if we obsess about condemnation, self-preservation and discomfort, we’ll read our Bibles, pray, give of our time and resources, etc., because doing so will make us feel like “we’re good” instead of an effort to actually deepen our relationship with Him. We’ll miss the point completely — be His disciple; go and make disciples. It’ll all be, as with OCD, for naught.

But, be filled with hope! John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ, who would, once and for all, atone for our sins. Find joy in that we are free from having to lock and re-lock the door, metaphorically speaking. We can brake — put a stop to our obsessions — by fully surrendering to His will, by trusting Him at His Word, by accepting that He is our assurance of salvation. And then, out of our overflow, we will freely live the two most important commands: Love God and love your neighbor — without the crippling fruitless rituals which bring us no closer to being known by Him.

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

Since the 2012 season, Blanche Ely’s boys’ basketball team has won three state titles (2012, 2013 and 2015) in addition to forging a 106-11 record during that span.

The team lost five times in 2014 when it dropped four games to Boyd Anderson and one to Cardinal Gibbons, the last time it lost more than three times in a year. In fact, not since 2008, the year after Blanche Ely won the Class 6A state title, have the Tigers lost more than six games in a single year. They finished 18-8 that season.

Blanche Ely coach Melvin Randall is in his 23rd year, including the past 15 with the Tigers, and has an overall record of 514-153 including, by his standards, a pedestrian 9-7 mark this season following the team’s 69-47 loss to Dacula (GA) in the Kingdom of the Sun Tournament in Ocala on New Year’s Eve. The team has suffered five losses in the past seven games.

“It’s a whole new group,” Randall said. “It is a young, young, young, young, young team. The seniors that we have are not stepping up. They are still hiding behind the eight ball waiting for those players that graduated to pop on the court, and that is frustrating.”

“We just don’t have any leadership,” added Randall, who won state titles in 1997 with Deerfield (Class 5A) and his win with the Bucks in 1999 (Class 6A) came at the expense of his current school Ely, 77-69. After moving over to Ely, Randall won state titles in 2007 (Class 6A), 2012 (Class 7A), 2013 (Class 7A) and 2015 (7A). “I just have to raise these young boys and go from there.”

Randall, whose team moved over to District 14-7A with the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas and Fort Lauderdale, said the team is still searching for its identity.

“We just have to play ball,” Randall said. “We just have not really bought into Tiger basketball.

“It goes back to missing the summer, of [not] playing during the summer,” Randall said. “They decided to go and do other things. We’ve got injuries, but my thing is I am very, very competitive and I don’t like to pose excuses. If we have five players to get out on the court, we need those five players to play.”

Randall is counting on senior Mark Houston (SG, PG) and injured senior Trevor Goodrum (SF, PF) in addition to junior Geremy Taylor (SF, SG).

“They are the main ones because they have been there,” Randall said. “Not only on the local level, but on the state and national level as well. These are the ones who should really be catering to these young guys and raising them, and we’re not doing a good job of that. Because, if we are not doing our jobs, how can we teach it to those young kids? That’s where the problem is right there.”

Randall said it is a different feeling to be taking so many losses this early in the season. The Tigers suffered two losses by one point – Pebblebrook (GA), 64-63, and Sagemont, 58-57. The team also has a 74-73 win over Northeast and a 73-71 win over Fort Lauderdale.

“Yeah, you get a little spoiled,” Randall said. “It’s not a great feeling to be on that other end after not being there for a while. We were blessed. It is something that we learn from. The one-point losses that we lost, and the buzzer beaters that we won – we will learn from all of those. These babies have to grow up quick.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

2014 was such a disappointing year that last year I could only name seven movies for my annual Top 10 list. A few weeks later, Hollywood released their Academy Award considerations and I would have balanced the list with the following motion pictures: American Sniper, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything and Whiplash.

The movies for 2015 provided escapist entertainment. Beyond my own enjoyment, I could consistently hear people laughing, crying and applauding the images on the big screen. With good stories, interesting characters and clear visualization, movies were simply more fun in 2015. The included Top 10 list sidebar is presented in reverse alphabetical order.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens just dethroned Avatar as the biggest grossing motion picture of all time. Given the fragmentation of movies between television and Internet, the record breaking box office figures reveal that people still want to see big screen epic entertainment. Jurassic World allowed ticket buyers to see the actual size of a Tyrannosaurus rex on the Museum of Discovery’s 5-story IMAX screen.

2016 will feature a big screen box office battle between a Star Wars spin off (titled Rogue One) and Star Trek Beyond. Given the success of the Marvel Comics Expanded Universe, arch rival DC Comics plans to expand their universe with Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which will be followed up with Suicide Squad, featuring the Rogue’s Gallery of Villainy.

Despite a sense of diminishing returns from last year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel is predicted to regain the box office championship throne with Captain America: Civil War. While Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) are expected to fight on the big screen, Civil Wars is a political movie that will examine the fine line between security and liberty on May 6, 2016.

Change is in the air locally. The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) is under new management. Given that the base of operations is in Manalapan, it remains to be seen if PBIFF will have relevance for our Observer readers this April. Stay tuned, we always have the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in November.

2016 will mark my 17th year writing this column in which we have witnessed the home video evolution from VHS to DVD to direct streaming through businesses like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Yet, for all of these technical innovations, nothing beats seeing a flick on the big screen for popcorn-eating Saturday Matinee fun.

The Biblical account of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt has been one of the most inspiring stories for the oppressed, enslaved and downtrodden throughout history. From the American Revolution to the slaves of the American South, to Martin Luther King’s Let Freedom Ring, the narrative of the Exodus provided countless peoples with the courage to hope for a better future, and to act on the dream.

Moses’ first visit to Pharaoh demanding liberty for his people only brought more misery to the Hebrew slaves; the Egyptian monarch increased their torture. The Hebrews now would not listen any longer to the promise of redemption. Now let us pay heed to this strange verse in Exodus:

So G-d spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and He gave them a command (charge) for the children of Israel, and a command to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, to let the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

G-d is charging Moses with two directives: Command the people of Israel and then command Pharaoh the king. However, the verse is ambiguous: What did G-d command Moses to instruct the people? The message for Pharaoh is clear: Let the children of Israel out of Egypt. But what is it that Moses is supposed to command the people themselves?

The Jerusalem Talmud says something profoundly enigmatic: G-d instructed Moses to command to the Jewish people the laws of freeing slaves.

The Talmud is referring to a law recorded later in Exodus: If a Jew sells himself as a slave, the owner must let him go after six years. He is forbidden to hold on to the slave for longer. This was the law Moses was to share with the Israelites while they were in Egyptian bondage.

Yet, this seems like a cruel joke. The Children of Israel at this point were crushed and tormented slaves themselves, subjugated by a genocidal despot and a tyrannical regime, enduring horrific torture. Yet,at this point in time, G-d wants Moses to command them about the laws relevant to the aristocrat, the feudal lord, the slave-owner?

The answer to this question is profoundly simple and moving, and is vital to the understanding of liberty in the Biblical imagination.

“Before Pharaoh can liberate the Jewish slaves, they must be ready to become free. You can take a man out of slavery, but it may prove more challenging to take slavery out of a man. Externally, you may be free; internally, you may still be enslaved.

What is the first and foremost symptom of being free? That you learn to confer freedom on others.

The dictator, the control freak, or the abusive spouse or parent, does not know how give others freedom. He (or she) feels compelled to force others into the mold that he has created for them. Uncomfortable in his own skin, he is afraid that someone will overshadow him, expose his weaknesses, usurp his position or make him feel extra in this world. Outwardly he attempts to appear powerful, but, inwardly, his power is a symptom of inner misery and confinement.

Only when one learns to embrace others, not for whom he would like them to be, but for whom they are, then can he begin to embrace himself, not for whom he wishes he was, but for whom he is. When we free those around us, we are freeing ourselves. By accepting them, we learn to accept ourselves.

Who is powerful? He who empowers. Who is free? He who can free others. Who is a leader? He who creates other leaders.

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power,” President Abraham Lincoln said. Ask yourself, do you know how to celebrate the soaring success of your loved ones and constituents? Do you encourage them to spread their wings and maximize their potentials? Can you allow others to shine?

Pharaoh may set you free physically. But former slaves can become present tyrants. People who were abused often become abusers themselves. It is what they know about life; it is the paradigm they were raised with. They grew up in abuse and slavery, so they continue the cycle with others.

The first commandment the Jews had to hear from Moses, before even he could go the Pharaoh to demand he let them go free, was, “One day you will be free. Remember that freedom is a gift; use it to free others.”

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 Gary Curreri

George Disch recently picked up his first career hole-in-one when he aced the Par-3, 125-yard 7^th hole at the Pompano Beach Golf Course.

“I had no idea it was going in,” Disch said. “I hit a nice high shot straight at the cup and knew it was going to stop. It hit the hill and the hole was back in the green that day.”

Disch used an 8-iron to get the hole-in-one during a four-man scramble event for the Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association at the Greg Norman Signature Pines Course.

“There was a very strong wind, so I used my 8 iron,” said Disch, 67, of Pompano Beach, who has been playing golf for 35 years and is a 17-handicap. “It bounced once, hit an upslope and went right into the cup.”

Disch said he normally would hit a wedge on the hole, but went with the 8-iron because of the wind and pin placement.

“It is my first one, I was really excited,” Disch said. “Hopefully, I’ll get another one. It was great that we won (the tournament).”

Disch and his partners, Paul Murphy and George Torres, won the tournament by two strokes with a 63. Since they were a threesome, they played alternate shots.

Cote pockets $2,250 with win

Charles Cote of Pompano Beach, birdied three of his last nine holes to pull out a one-shot win on the Florida Professional Golf Tour (FPGT) Tuesday at Wekiva Golf Club in Longwood, FL.

Cote outdueled Patrick Sheehan of nearby Oviedo 133 to 134. They were tied for the first round lead at seven under par 65. Sheehan led by two after 27 holes but parred the back nine as Cote birdied Nos. 10, 15 and 16.

In regulation, Cote made 12 birdies and a bogey, at the par-4 seventh hole the final round, for a closing 68. Sheehan also had seven birdies Monday but just three on the front nine Tuesday, on the first two holes and at the 9^th for 69.

Scoring his first FPGT win, Cote earned $2,250 from the $13,150 purse. Sheehan, second among 62 entries, collected $1,520. Sheehan has five FPGT victories over the past five seasons.

After a short Christmas break, the FPGT resumes its 10^th season Jan. 4-5 in the New Years Open at Black Bear GC in Eustis. For information and entry, go to www.floridaprofessionalgolftour.org.

Local skater takes 12^th at Championship

Pompano Beach’s Lara Annunziata, 12, recently placed 12^th in the Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships in Simsbury, CT with a score of 87.10.

Annunziata, who represents the Skating Club of Florida out of the Palm Beach Iceworks in West Palm Beach, qualified for the Sectional competition when she won the Novice Ladies Group B session en route to a 3^rd place finish overall in the South Atlantic Championships in Aston, PA one month earlier. She was second after the short skate.