By Sandy Johnson

The Honda Classic Golf Tournament at PGA National Resort and Spa brings excitement, great golf and a major financial impact on our area every year. Last year alone, the Classic awarded a record $2.55 million in charitable contributions! This went to 136 organizations, with the Jack Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation the primary benefactor. Much of the reason for this is the amazing number of volunteers who donate thousands of hours of their time to keep the tournament running smoothly. All of these volunteers wouldn’t be effective without the organization of Jim Coleman, who has been the Volunteer Chairperson for many years.

Working close by his side is his 19-year-old daughter Samantha. Sammy has been at this since she was 6 years old. She has been everything from a standard bearer to a caddy bib distributor, to her current position as her Dad’s right hand “man.” This year, she had the added chore of helping to direct people to safety when a massive storm with pouring rain came through on Saturday, forcing everyone off the course and out of all the hospitality suites. Every person had to be relocated into the main clubhouse, which was the only safe, permanent structure. Sammy calmly took on this unexpected task. She not only volunteers with her dad at the Honda, but also the Allianz, Doral, ADT and other local events. When she was still in high school, she had so many thousands of service hours that she just stopped counting. The best part of all this is the fact that she is now in college at Palm Beach State studying Business Management and then is transferring to Florida Gulf University where she will get her degree in PGA Golf Management.

Asked about her favorite moments, she said it was when senior player Chi Chi Rodriquez insisted that she ride in the cart with him, instead of walking with the standard. He then autographed his name card, which she framed and still has hanging in her room. She also loved it when Ben Crane, a current player with a huge following (of the younger set due to his Golf Boys video that he has made with three of the other young golfers), asked her if she would pose for a picture with him.

Sammy was on the Honda course on Monday when the delayed tournament continued and ended up with the exciting playoff between Padraig Harrington from Ireland and a PGA rookie local boy Daniel Berger from Jupiter. Padraig won on the second playoff, but it made for a nail biting ending with all of Daniel’s family there cheering him on.

An interesting side note on the tournament was some of the consequences of the massive rain storm. When the crew went out to try and get everything back in shape for the next day, they had to contend with chasing alligators and water moccasin snakes that were now on the course! Saturday was cancelled and Sunday tee times were delayed. It was a massive undertaking for Chairman Jim and Sammy to contact and reschedule all the volunteers for the new times and also the extra day that had to be added on. They took it in stride and all went perfectly.

Perhaps the best quote of the tournament came from Lukus Harvey, director of PGA National agronomy, when asked how in the world his staff managed working all day and night to get the course ready to play again by Sunday afternoon — “It is only stressful if you make it that way!” That’s an adage for all of us to live by!

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

After viewing the last of the Academy Award Best Picture nominations, I thought it was time to take a break from the “serious” fare and view pure “escapist” entertainment like Chappie, featuring Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman and acclaimed director Neill Bomkamp.

How could a film about science fiction robots fail?

While it does not quite fail, it does not succeed either.

Somewhere in the not-too-distant-future, robots have become the police force of Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to aggressive police policies, crime is minimal. However, there are a bunch of low intelligence thugs that like to steal money and create havoc. During a routine raid, a robot is shot down.

Enter Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), a genius inventor who seeks to make the robots more autonomous with his gifted software. Enter Arch Rival Vincent (Hugh Jackman) who has created a behemoth robot that relies on human communication. Enter boss Michelle Bradley (Sigourney Weaver) who only seeks a profit in selling low cost protectors of society.

Had Bradley not scrimped on the security budget, she would have noticed the criminal activities of Vincent and Deon. Eventually, Deon inserts his lifegiving software to the slain robot and “Chappie” is born. Chappie, who is kidnapped by South African gangsters, [portrayed by Ninja and Yolandi of the rap-rave group Die Antwoord] becomes acclimated to their culture and speaks their lingo.

Chappie is cute, but suffers from too many story logic flaws. It is also a movie that distracts you and makes you think of other science fiction movies like Wall-E, X-Men, Alien and Blomkamp’s Oscar-nominated science fiction flick District 9. Too bad, but the film is open-ended enough for a sequel.

This Friday the 13th features the opening of two new movies.

Eva is the recipient of 3 Goya Awards, Spain’s version of the academy awards. Like Chappie, it deals with robotics, but it also deals with human expression and emotions.

Sans robots, The Lovers is Roland Joffe’s return to prestige from his triumphs three decades ago with films like The Killing Fields and The Mission. Josh Hartnett is a marine biologist who travels from India to the Caribbean in the 18th century. This film also includes Bollywood Idol Bipasha Basu in her international film debut.

Dream the impossible dream. Whenever I hear that song, I cannot help but think that with God all things are possible. We all have dreams and hopes that we want to see happen in our lives. Even dreams that come from God seem impossible at first. However, do not forget that all things are possible with God.

DEUTERONOMY 31:8

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

NLT

When you feel discouraged, take heart: God’s promise to never leave you or abandon you is always there to get you through your troubles. Why is it that we tend to turn to Him as the last resort when He is always faithfully by our side? Are you afraid of your future? Are you afraid to go after your dreams? Are you afraid to believe that you can achieve your dreams? Do you ever feel lonely? Do you ever feel like what you are going through, you are going through it alone? Do you ever feel like you were stuck in a pit with no way out? Reread the above verse, Deuteronomy 31:8. What does this verse do to your fears or feelings of loneliness? Read Psalm 23 and let it encourage you in times of trouble! Take a fresh look at this famous Psalm and be comforted that God has walked with you, not only during the good times, but through your bad times as well. Do you ever feel like you are in a pit and your dreams have no chance of ever coming true? Always remember that the dream never dies, just the dreamer. Remember that God is always with you leading you and guiding you, and protecting you. You are never alone. Don’t quit when you’re in the pit. You only lose if you quit. Don’t be afraid to dream the impossible dream and live each day to accomplish it. Continually encourage yourself with the Word of God. Does it remind us of an awesome poem we might have read before?

“Footprints” poem

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You most, You would leave me.” The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

-Author Unknown

Even when we do not think God is there with us – He is! Be encouraged today and keep believing. Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more info., call 954-428- 8980 or visit www.clfministries.org.

By Gary Curreri

All season long, Blanche Ely boys basketball coach Melvin Randall thought he had a special team.

He was right. The Tigers won the Class 7A state title with a 72-60 victory over Kissimmee Osceola in the Class 7A state championship at The Lakeland Center on Saturday and continued to make history.

Ely (28-0), ranked No. 5 in the nation by USA Today, won its fifth state title overall and third in the past four seasons. It is the school’s fourth title since 2007.

“I can’t say they are one of the top (teams at the school),” said Blanche Ely coach Melvin Randall. “They are the top!”

Blanche Ely is ranked the highest it ever has been in school history and became the first by a Broward County public school and second in county history following Sagemont’s undefeated run last season. It is the first time the Tigers finished the year undefeated.

“It wasn’t a pushover schedule that we had,” said Randall, who also won state titles in 1997 with Deerfield (Class 5A) ,and his win 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) and 2013 (Class 7A).

“We played some teams that really pushed us,” added Randall, whose previous high national ranking was 12th in the country in 2013. “The way this team played is surprising because when you are ranked that high in the country, you are looking to have maybe four or five Division 1 players or Top-100 players on the team, which we don’t have. These kids played with a lot of heart and played together. They enjoyed playing with one another and that is what makes it good. For the most part, they listen.”

The Tigers are now tied with Ft. Lauderdale Dillard for the most state titles by a Broward County school.

Blanche Ely opened the game on a 7-0 run and led 13-2 at one point. The team stretched the lead to 13 before Osceola (26-6) clawed its way back to grab a 39-38 advantage with 4:25 left in the third quarter.

Senior Therrell Gosier Jr., who was a part of Ely’s two state championship teams as a freshman and sophomore, helped the Tigers erase that brief deficit and closed the game out with 20 of his 27 points in the second half. He also had eight rebounds.

Senior Laquincy Rideau had another balanced effort with 10 points, six assists, six rebounds and five steals, while senior guard Javon Heastie scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half. Randall said he is hopeful of a bid to the Dick’s Sporting Goods National Invitational in April in New York.

Randall said the “formula” to being successful was a simple one.

“I take it as a blessing,” Randall said. “I learned from the best – Greg Samuels, Butch Ingram, John Keister, Wade Edmonds, and I have a little bit of them in me, and I really studied them and took notes. I want to win with class and that is what is taught here. You can win, but we teach our kids the right way; they win with class.”

Randall said there is another thing on his bucket list that he would like to accomplish.

“I never met Louise Crocco from Cardinal Gibbons and I know it is another sport, but she has won championships and I wanted to know what she is doing,” Randall said referring to the volleyball coaching legend, which amassed 1,132 victories and 18 state championships in a stellar 40-year career. “I never had a chance to meet her, but I will.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

You can add Whiplash to the list of Oscar-nominated films that may be better than the actual winner [Birdman]. This is a very simple film in which young Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a first year drummer at a prestigious New York musical conservatory. The John Houseman of all educators, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) is a scary influence who wants gifted drummers to be great. Thus, the road to hell is paved with misguided intentions between a student and his mentor.

The intensity of Neiman’s drive and the darkness of Fletcher’s motivation provide an epic quality to this simple story. Whiplash forces you to rethink what it means to be successful. Young people might sympathize with young Andrew’s drive, while a former teacher might agree with mastermind Fletcher’s methods of developing talent.

Paul Reiser portrays Neiman’s loving, but ineffectual father. Reiser’s few scenes emphasize the importance of family values over ephemeral success. When accepting his Oscar for his role as Fletcher, Simmons ignited social media with his acceptance speech that supported this subtle theme of Whiplash.

He said, “Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell ‘em you love ‘em, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you.”

Mr. Kaplan opens tomorrow. This film was the official submission of Uruguay to the best foreign language film category of the 87th Academy Awards. Told in Spanish with English subtitles, this film provides serious themes about aging, the Holocaust and deadbeat dads, while creating some humorous moments.

Jacob Kaplan (Héctor Noguera) is the aging oddball of his community. Concerned that he might hurt himself, the family provides an assistant to drive Mr. Kaplan around town. While listening to the news, he learns that former Nazis have settled in his community. A child of the holocaust, Mr. Kaplan believes he has spotted a Nazi tormentor. With his befuddled assistant Contreras (Néstor Guzzini), Mr. Kaplan decides to kidnap the Nazi and send his tormentor to Israel.

Taking a cue from Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Mr. Kaplan walks a fine line between comedy and tragedy. Not until the final scene does one realize that Mr. Kaplan is either heroic or delusional, but at least he managed to enjoy another adventure with his Sancho Panza.

[Note: Speaking of Don Quixote, the play Man of La Mancha is currently showing at The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton through March 28. Info: www.thewick.org.]

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

Don’t you just want to throw a shoe at the cable news programs on TV these days? Regardless of your political preferences, the bulk of what we get is killing, savagery, partisan ravings, nit picking at insignificant nonsense, and how long can we prolong a “gaff” story. I know, I know, there’s still no law preventing us from clicking the power-off button, and I find myself doing that more and more often. But it’s the killing and savagery part that continues to haunt me – on screen, in print or dining discussions. And I’m thinking that so much of the casual killing that is in current trend began with the Big Bang of 1945, which is surely not to say that killing hasn’t existed since the dawn of time.

I just finished reading the intriguing, “The Wives of Los Alamos,” by Tarashea Nesbit. The title tells all and the ending was no surprise. The original small group of scientists and their wives, and families, were holed up for two years basically incognito, as the atom bomb was a-birthing. And then it was dropped — not once, but twice — causing incalculable horror, and producing a seismic change in the way foreign policy is conducted. Oh yes, it ended World War II and saved many lives, we were told. But hordes of people were haunted by the apocalyptic event and questioned the morality of this monstrous creation.

A Marine Corps officer wrote in Sunday’s New York Times about giving an order to kill a young boy who was seen at a distance in a battlefield to be digging into the ground, while holding an unknown object in his hand. Was he planting a grenade? Could he give the kid the benefit of a doubt? Did he have time to weigh the pros and cons? No. He gave the order to kill. But he was haunted by his action and questioned the morality of his deed.

And of course, The American Sniper had bouts of haunting misgivings despite the demands of survival, as he expertly plied his “trade.”

As I see it, the good people on this earth are living through a collective unconscious state regarding “killing.” Collective unconscious is a term of analytical psychology, coined by Carl Jung. It is proposed to be a part of the unconscious mind, expressed in humanity … and describes how the structure of the psyche autonomously organizes experience. Jung distinguished the collective unconscious from the personal unconscious, in that the personal unconscious is a personal reservoir of experience unique to each individual, while the collective unconscious collects and organizes those personal experiences in a similar way with each member of a particular species.

Slowly, and with each killing that we rationalize as being in self defense, the reluctance to take another life eases, becomes more acceptable, less immoral. We defer to Darwin, in the name of survival.

Is this as disturbing you as it is to me? We are fighting a true enemy of the mind and for a set of what we consider to be moral values — but when do WE feel forced, in essence, to become THEM?

I’m going back to Turner Classic Movies — the musicals!

On The Festival of Purim, the groggers, the noisemakers, were spun with glee. “Glee.” There is a TV show called “Glee.” It is about a group of young performers who love nothing more than to lift the spirits of their audience. They do so with their voices, their instruments and with their dance moves.

On Purim, we are supposed to be filled with “glee.” I looked up the word in a very old dictionary, a Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Edition and found these definitions: “entertainment”… “joy.”

But that just didn’t seem to do justice to the word, at least not at the times that I would say that, “I was filled with glee.” But, then, I saw the last definition given in that dictionary — “Glee – exultant, high spirited joy and merriment.”

After reading that definition, I think I am going to start using the word more often. I was in glee recently, as my congregation, Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach, had a wonderful Klezmer Band perform in our “On Stage” series. If you don’t know what Klezmer music is, you should be sure and hear some because, once you do, you will be hooked.

Klezmer music is filled with joy and, as you listen to it, your feet start stomping in rhythm with the music and, before long, don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting up out of your chair and dancing in pure delight.

By the way, there was something very special about the Klezmer group at our Temple. You see, according to their publicist, each member of the band is either a Holocaust survivor or the child of a survivor.

Yet, there they were on our stage playing Klezmer music and, even though many in attendance were up in years, by golly, they tapped their feet, and they got up and danced.

After the show, some of the Holocaust survivors who are members of my congregation were interviewed by the press.

While those interviews were going on, someone from the band asked me what my favorite part of the show was. I think he was asking me which my favorite song was. I told him that I loved all the music, and I loved the gleeful mood they had put the congregation into. But what I loved most about the concert was watching the faces of the band on stage.

These were individuals who lived through the horrors of the camps. So many people I know, after going through the horror of illness or of loss, be it of a loved one or of a job, or in the stock market, feel that they can never have joy in their lives again. Many even lose their faith.

But here were a small band of musicians who went through the horrors of Nazi Germany and, as they played their music, their faces began to light up with the brightest smiles you could ever hope to see. I could see the glee right there on their faces and that joy I saw in them … well, that was my favorite part of the show. The audience felt that joy and each of us was uplifted in spirit. We were all filled with glee.

As I write this, the Ramat Gan Dance Troupe is coming to us and I have no doubt that they, too, will lift our spirits. Most of us cannot dance like the members of that incredible dance troupe, but we can still get up and let the spirit move us. So, dance my friends, sing my friends. Let us sing and dance together and fill the world with glee.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (201 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442). Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

By Gary Curreri

Joe Patchen wouldn’t have it any other way.

The 88-year-old Pompano Beach man plays golf three times a week and doesn’t plan on stopping soon.

Patchen is still pretty good at his craft because he recently used his 6-iron and recorded his sixth hole-in-one on the Par-3, 134-yard 15th hole at the Pines Course at the Pompano Municipal Golf Course.

“This one was nice because of the six hole-in-ones I have. This was only the second one that I saw go in the hole,” added Patchen, who was playing in a Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association tournament and picked up a second place finish with a net score of 67. “It bounced twice and went in. I was feeling good that day.”

Patchen, who plays on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, said he enjoys both the camaraderie with the other golfers and the competition. He said he called his hole-in-one.

“I was talking to my playing partner and said it was about time one of us got a hole-in-one and I did,” Patchen said. “It was exciting because we had just talked about it.”

Patchen began playing in New York when he was 12 and hasn’t stopped. His last hole-in-one came three years ago.

“I have been caddying and playing golf,” Patchen said. “I play three days a week. I love golf because it is a challenge. Every single day is different. Every single shot is different. It is not the same thing day after day after day. I never know what is going to be happening that day.”

Patchen said his singular shot was a lucky one.

“I think it’s luck,” Patchen said. “We all throw the whole ball at the hole and for it to go in that little hole, I think it is luck. When you figure how many years I have been playing, 76 years … I must have thrown a million shots at those holes and only got six of them.”

Patchen believes he has a lot of golf left. He idolizes Jack Nicklaus, who he said was the best golfer he ever saw.

“I am going to keep going until I can’t play anymore,” Patchen said. “I look forward to it. I get up at 5 in the morning and have my coffee and breakfast, and go out and play golf. I just like the game. Now that I am retired, I play it a lot. I play in all kinds of weather, but I can be a little particular. If it is raining, I don’t go out. If it is cold, I don’t go out.”

Ely in Final Four

Blanche Ely’s boys’ basketball team will hope to end its season on a high note – a perfect one at that.

The Tigers remained undefeated at 26-0 and are ranked 6th nationally. Blanche Ely advanced to Thursday’s Class 7A state semifinal against North Port at the Lakeland Center with a 79-65 victory over Miami Central. A victory will mean a third state championship in four years. It would also mark the first undefeated season for the Tigers basketball program.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

As a Florida State University Communications graduate, I took at least two classes in which Luis Bunuel’s films were examined. Working in cooperation with Spanish compatriot Salvador Dali, Brunuel surrealistic cinema inspired Mexican filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro González Iñárritu. After directing the depressing Biutiful (2010), it seems that Inarritu decided to examine some of his recurring philosophy theories from a comedic perspective.

With the absurdist visuals, over-the-top-ensemble-acting and the story about a backstage nervous breakdown, one can see why the Academy Awards chose Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), as the best motion picture of 2014. In a year in which the motion picture industry made most of their box office mojo from costumed superheroes like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Birdman allows industry insiders to assuage their guilt from reaping benefits from themes they don’t necessary believe in.

Years after being out of the spotlight from playing the superhero Birdman, actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) seeks to perform in something “relevant.” Thomson funds a Randall Carver short story What We Talk About when We Talk About Love on Broadway. The film focuses on the final three preview rehearsals leading up to opening night.

Backstage, we witness intense backstage drama. Riggan’s daughter Sam (Emma Stone) helps her Dad backstage and is a recovering drug addict. Newly-hired method actor Mike (Edward Norton) gives a brilliant performance, but is a backstage louse. Mike’s girlfriend Lesley (Naomi Watts) has been a journeyman actress who is getting to perform on Broadway for the first time. Under pressure, backstage and alone, Riggan begins hearing the voice from “Birdman,” his dormant superego.

People either love or hate Birdman. The crowd I saw this film with departed the theater in silence. Some people walked out of Birdman, claiming that this was the first motion picture they have walked out of in four decades. Birdman is truly one of the most unique motion pictures to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and will be an influence upon future releases for artistically inclined producers and directors.

As I write this column, the ABC Network is releasing their celebrity participants on Dancing with the Stars, which will preview Monday night. Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks opens this weekend and features Gena Rowlands as a South Florida senior citizen who makes an offbeat friendship with Michael Minetti (Cheyenne Jackson), a gay dance instructor. This film explores the themes of intolerance and ageism, but also the spiritual redemption of dance.

My Dad would have turned 93 this weekend. One of my fondest memories was sharing a pastrami sandwich and coffee with him on Broadway 14 years ago. While Birdman retraces our steps on Broadway, the newly released DeliMan reminded me of how good that meal was, even though this documentary takes place in Houston.

There are some today who wonder why we need to observe and celebrate Black History, particularly when society has made such remarkable gains in acknowledging and embracing the worth of the Negro. “Slavery is a thing of the past,” they say. “Blacks can live anywhere, work and lead in any profession, and have access to everything needed to achieve the American Dream. We have even elected the first African American president in the history of this country. Why then,” they argue, “Should continual emphasis be given to the trials and triumphs of a people who have essentially seen the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream?”

In response, there are those who will readily point out that all is not as it may seem in American race relations. The past few years in particular have seen spotlighted accounts of injustice and prejudice in many areas of social interaction. Incidents of unarmed black men being killed in confrontations with police or armed white men has driven many to the streets in protest. In addition, the effects of 200 years of slavery, along with decades of segregation and Jim Crow laws in the South can still be seen in the psyche of some who struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. Many elders in the black community feel strongly that current generations of youth need to understand the cost of the freedoms and opportunities they now possess, and sometimes squander or take for granted.

Perhaps a more compelling reason is the same that motivates the Jews to keep the memories of the Holocaust alive in the public mindset: so that it may never happen again. History has proven, after all, that achievements and gains can be lost with the coming to power of a generation disconnected from its past.

I would add one more reason. There is something in all of us that responds positively to accounts of triumph over adversity, and progress in the face of tremendous odds. Those stories inspire and motivate us in our own unique journeys of life. Thus, we affirm Black History month celebrations.

Who could not be inspired by the achievement of Madam C.J. Walker? This entrepreneurial woman developed and sold hair care products which propelled her to become the first black female millionaire in this country. Frederick Douglass was a former slave who, mainly through self-effort, educated himself and became a prolific speaker, writer and leader of the abolitionist movement. Similarly, Booker T. Washington rose from slavery to become the most influential educator in the black community in his day. He argued for the education and self-reliance of the Negro as key to their betterment. Shirley Chisolm rode the wave of the civil rights movement to become the first African American female to serve in the U.S. congress in 1968.

There are numerous other stories of individuals whose lives have contributed to the development of our society and the betterment of all Americans. Thankfully, we have a month each year to review and benefit from the impact that they made. In the process, may all of us be equally inspired to make our own mark and leave a positive imprint for our generation and those yet to come.

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