Fourteen people were taken to four hospitals in Broward and Palm Beach counties after a bus and two cars collided in Deerfield Beach, according to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.

It happened around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday in District 2 a residential neighborhood just south of Hillsboro Boulevard near Dixie Highway, Sheriff’s spokesman Mike Jachles said.

Broward County Transit bus# 50  and two passenger cars crashed at the intersection of Southwest 4th Street and 2nd Avenue, he said.

A woman and a one-year-old from one of the cars were taken to West Boca Medical Center. 12 additional patients  were transported  to North Broward Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center and Boca Regional Hospital, all by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, Jachles said.

VIDEO OF THE SCENE ON OBSERVERTV

Pictured (L-R) (back row): Assistant Coach Joseph Harrigan, Nash Williams, Justin Nobles, Chris Judge, Brogenskee Polynice, Jephthe St Fleur, Jordan Strowbridge, Brandon Bornelus, Assistant Coach Scott Rosado, head coach Francis Bornelus; (front row): Coulton Yanulevich, Joshua Forde, Noah Rosado, Adrian Johnson, Preston Piltoff. Submitted photo.

By Gary Curreri

While the Zion Lutheran Middle School boys’ basketball team may not have come home with the gold from the recent National Lutheran Basketball Tournament in Indiana, the Lions turned heads and made some history in the process.

Eighth graders Brandon Bornelus and Brogenskee Polynice were selected to the All Tournament Team after helping the Lions to a runner-up finish in the weeklong, 32-team tournament at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Zion Lutheran was the lone boys’ school to have two members of its squad named to the All-Tournament team.

Zion Lutheran, which placed 12th in last year’s national tournament, opened this year’s event with a 50-41 victory over St. John, S. Euclid, Ohio and followed that up with three consecutive one-point victories to reach the championship game against Our Redeemer from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where it dropped a 54-39 decision.

Francis Bornelus was the team’s head coach and was assisted by Scott Rosado and Joseph Harrigan. The coaches nicknamed the players, The Cardiac Kids, following their narrow, lastsecond victories. Bornelus hit two game-winning baskets for the Lions.

“The kids were really, really super resilient and executed late game situations pretty well,” said John Guion, the school’s director of basketball operations and the assistant athletic director.

He is also the head varsity basketball coach. The team had lost in the state finals to St. Paul of Boca Raton, 48-47, last month.

“Chris Judge was huge for us,” Guion added. “He was a kid who didn’t have more than 10 points all year in a game and he had 16 in one of the games. Chris was so impressive. He just stepped up at the right place at the right time. He was huge for us. Polynice averaged a doubledouble for us in every game and Preston Piltoff hit a key 3-pointer in just about every game.”

Zion Lutheran also defeated Pilgrim (Green Bay, Wisconsin), 33-32, Shepherd of the Hills (San Antonio, Texas), 48-47, and Salem (Orange, California), 43-42, to advance to the title game.

“Honestly going into the tournament, we weren’t sure where we stacked up,” Guion said. “We knew we had a pretty good team. We were second in the state of Florida and we knew that St. Paul (Boca Raton) was strong. As soon as we got the first win, it just snowballed from there.

“The kids treated it as a business trip,” Guion said. “It wasn’t about having fun, it was about accomplishing something.”

Guion said the team lost in the final to a better team, but said the players handled the adversity very well and showed good sportsmanship.

“It was disappointing to lose in the final initially, but when they realized how they had come a long way,” Guion said, “it was a good result. There isn’t too much to be disappointed about. They did a great job of competing.”

Guion said it bodes well for the future of Zion Lutheran. The Lions varsity team finished the season at 16-6, but suffered a first-round loss in the district tournament.

“I expect these kids to move up and help the varsity next year,” Guion said. “Those kids that moved up from last year were pretty good players and helped my team as freshmen. Hopefully, that success works its way to me.”

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

The 17th Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) wraps up tonight in Palm Beach Gardens.

Most of the films, especially the documentaries, proved to be serious fare. After viewing Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story and Free China: The Courage to Believe, one leaves the theater feeling annoyed by trivial topics like parking meters, bad customer service and chasing the brass ring of social circles.

Besides attending the world premier screening of Zombie Hamlet, Actress June Lockhart accepted her lifetime achievement award at the beautiful Lake Pavilion on the Waterfront in West Palm Beach. In her 15-minute acceptance speech, Lockhart talked about citizenship. She is actively involved in Los Angeles charities like International Hearing Dog and helps raise funds for Santa Monica Police Department Mounted Patrol and Big Band of Barristers. Though she was the fictional matriarch in Lost in Space, in reality, Lockhart has been an advocate for the N.A.S.A space program.

When asked about the future of N.A.S.A, June answered, “There is a great necessity for private companies to get involved. They have always been involved. There is so much science that comes out of research and it pays dividends.”

Being third generation thespian, Lockhart is very grounded in her approach to show business.

She said, “It is not a matter of survival, regarding work. Dad (Gene Lockhart) told me to audition for its own sake, meet the people, but don’t sweat an audition. Therefore, there is not pressure to get the job. It is only a means to an end.”

There is life after PBIFF.

Tomorrow night, at the Movies of Delray (7421 W. Atlantic Ave.), producer Zack Norman will attend the 7 p.m. screening of his ensemble comedy, Overnight, which will also be playing at the Muvico Pompano (2315 N. Federal Hwy).

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and BSO deputies were dispatched to 1600 block E. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach at 12:44 p.m. after a worker was crushed  by a dump truck on the west side of the Hillsboro Blvd. ICW bridge. The victim, an adult male, was rushed to North Broward Medical Center by BSFR in very critical condition. BSO Traffic Homicide Unit investigators are on the scene and there is a significant traffic impact to the area.

LIVE VIDEO during the investigation on OBSERVERTV

A commercial Structure at 849 S Deerfield Ave ignited just before 3 p.m. on Tues Apr 10.  First units started attacking a 2 bay garage and called for a 2nd alarm. Ladder 102 put a crew on the roof and multiple lines were pulled which knocked this thing down quick.

VIDEO of the crews and command on OBSERVERTV

A group of dignitaries gathered atop the new Dixie Flyover bridge Tuesday morning, April 10, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony before the flyover opened to the public around 11 a.m. As Deerfield Beach Mayor Peggy Noland said, “It’s been over 25 years that this bridge has been talked about. I’m glad I lived to see the day!” State Rep. Gywndolen Clarke-Reed called this “a momentous occasion. I was on the city commission when the idea first came to fruition. To be in Tallahassee now, bringing home the dollars…” Clarke-Reed said she was very pleased that the bridge does not disconnect the community — that District 2 was especially concerned about this. She commended Deerfield Planning & Growth Management Director Jerry Ferguson for the design. “He worked very hard on this,” she said. The bridge structure gives multi-lane access to connect Deerfield Beach with Boca Raton. There are two lanes and a bicycle/pedestrian walkway southbound. Two more lanes and a bicycle/pedestrian walkway go northbound. Below that is a secondary, smaller bridge over the canal that will ultimately only be open to southbound traffic, according to FDOT Public Information Officer Miranda Iglesias. It will remain closed during brick paving installation at NE 2 Street and NE 2 Avenue.  *For more information about the Dixie Flyover Project, visit the FDOT project website, www.dixie-flyover.com, or call FDOT at 954-777-4090. The Dixie Highway Project Field Office is located at 81 NE 3 Avenue in Deerfield Beach.* See video Of Ceremony and full speed ride over Flyover on ObserverTV.*

DOT Officials plan to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the span at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday Apr 10. By 11 a.m. Cars should be cruising across the bridge. it is going to be a little tricky with the speed limits. Here is the deal: When you are heading  into Broward southbound the speed is 40, then somewhere on the bridge just before you hit the lights at Hillsboro it changes to 35. Northound into Palm Beach it will be 40 all the way.  Pay attention.

The $39.5 million, four-lane bridge carries Dixie over the Florida East Coast Railway, several Deerfield Beach streets and the Hillsboro Canal.

Broward and Palm Beach counties received federal economic stimulus money to pay for the construction.

Officials say they pushed for the span to eliminate a bottleneck where Dixie narrowed to two lanes through Deerfield Beach and crossed the tracks. They say it will ease travel between the two counties and serve as a hurricane evacuation route.

A smaller bridge was built to carry Northeast Second Avenue over the canal. That bridge, which has been carrying two-way traffic, will become one-way southbound after the flyover opens and serve as a ramp for southbound Dixie drivers coming from Boca who want to go to downtown Deerfield Beach or Pioneer Park.

Although the flyover is finished, the entire project won’t be completed until June.

Workers still have to install street lights, signs and landscaping, paint the bridge and put down permanent lane striping and a final layer of asphalt.

After the flyover opens, the intersection of Northeast Second Avenue and Second Street will close for about four weeks while it is rebuilt with brick pavers.

Observer TV will be the first video at full speed crossing the bridge.

Zion Lutheran School recently hosted a football combine for high school football players from both Broward and Palm Beach counties. Athletes line up for the 40-yard dash. Submitted photo.

By Gary Curreri

Zion Lutheran School recently hosted a football combine for high school football players from both Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A total of 75 athletes come out from area schools including Deerfield Beach High, Zion Lutheran, Highlands Christian Academy, Coral Springs Christian School, Pope John Paul II, Ely, Piper and Coral Springs Charter.

Event featured testing in the several categories, as well as 7-on-7 passing competition. The players were evaluated by height, weight, reach, vertical leap, shuttle, L-Cone, bench press reps (185-lbs.), 40-yd. dash (laser timing provided by Impact Sports in Boca Raton).

Some of the top performers included Vincent McIntyre (Zion, 2013), who ran a 7.04 second L-Cone, and a 4.36 time in the shuttle; Rylee Hage (Highlands, 2013), who completed 24 reps of 185-lbs. on Bench Press and exhibited a 32-in. vertical jump; Bobby Lentz (Pope John Paul II, 2013) had a 6.84 time in the L-Cone drill, a 4.30 shuttle and a 32-in. vertical jump, while Ryan Davis (Highlands, 2013) had a 4.65 effort in the 40-yd. dash.

“For our first attempt at hosting a combine, I’d say it was a huge success,” said new Zion Lutheran coach Jordan Adair, who previously coached at Highland’s Christian. “The kids and coaches in attendance seemed to be pleased with the opportunity to come out and compete against each other. We know that future combines will only get bigger and better. We plan to host the ZL Combine as an annual event, from here on out.”

There was a charge of $15 per athlete to cover the costs of having a camera person in attendance (to film 7-on-7, and take photos) in addition to purchasing necessary equipment for the combine.

For any interested players or parents on future events, visit www.SouthFlorida Football Academy.com.

By Becki Coffy

Hungry for a great burger? Have a hankering for a hot dog? Then be sure to stop by the newly opened Gimme A Burger restaurant at 1200 E. Hillsboro Blvd. in Deerfield Beach. The easy access and ample parking make it a breeze to enjoy this restaurant. The first thing you notice is the bright white and orange (a nod to Syracuse) decor and how sparkling clean and neat everything is. Owners Yasmin and Serhad Oktay chose the color scheme, designed the interior and the menu and their daughter suggested the hungry wolf logo. (see ad below.)

The most popular item is the hungry wolf burger, made with your choice of 12 free toppings. Or, for a small fee, you may select other toppings, such as caramelized onions, bacon, wasabi mayo, Tahini sauce and fried egg, to mention a few.

Gimme A Burger has delicious hand-cut french fries, sweet potato waffle fries and onion rings. I hate to admit it, but we tried all three and they were wonderful. The onion rings were light and crispy with real onion inside. French fries were served with the skin on – my favorite.

My husband chose the chili made with just a hint of heat as the spoonful of thick, hearty soup slipped to the back of your throat. I chose their signature cheese burger soup, rich and creamy, filled with meat and topped with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Both soups are made fresh in-house. We moved to course No.2 and my husband chose the hungry wolf burger. The burger was big, very juicy and full of flavor. All burgers are made from 100 percent certified prime black angus beef.

To shake things up a bit, they offer four other burger types. The buffalo burger is made from ground bison meat, the wow burger is prime black angus beef mixed with spicy dried Turkish sausage, the gobbler is a fresh ground turkey patty served with cranberry mayo, and the mediterranean burger is fresh ground beef infused with onions, garlic parsley, herbs and spices.

I decided to take Yasmin’s recommendation and ordered her favorite, the ‘wazzup grilled fish sandwich.’  It was marinated in a blend of special herbs and spices to punch up the flavor of this flakey white fish, topped with lettuce and tomato and finished with a wasabi mayo to add just a little kick.

Also on the menu are hot dogs and chili dogs served on a grilled bun.  There are crispy chicken tenders, a ground beef quesadilla, a grilled chicken sandwich and for the vegetarian, a ‘red, red vegan’ stuffed pita sandwich and falafel in a pita with tahini sauce.

Their signature salad comes with mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, dried cranberries, walnuts, chick peas and greek olives. Garden salads are also available. Chicken, a burger patty, falafel or grilled fish may be added.

For dessert, try the cinnamon sugar puffs. Add a scoop of ice cream if you wish or order one of their homemade milk shakes.

Gimme a Burger recently began serving breakfast from 7 to 11a.m. The ‘cluck and moo’ sandwich is an egg and cheese muffin served panini style. The ‘howling’ gobbler’ is made with an egg, cheese and turkey sausage. The Timberwolf, a sandwich made with a burger, American cheese, hash browns and a fried egg, will keep you full until dinner.

As for me, I’ll be trying the Snow Wolf Bizkitz on my next trip. These fried biscuits are served warm with powdered sugar and a side of cream cheese or mixed berry jam. Could that sound any more delicious?

Indoor and outdoor seating is offered and online ordering will be available soon. Menu available at www.gimmeaburger.com or call 954-708-2553 to place order in advance. Stop by the next time you are out. Until we eat again…

Rylee Hage

By Gary Curreri

Craig Miller wonders if there is anything his semi-pro flag football team Apocalypse can’t accomplish.

The seven-man, Pompano Beach-based team recently won the United States Flag and Touch Football League national championship in Kissimmee by defeating a pair of former national titleholders from New Orleans.

Apocalypse defeated Quick-strike (2008 champs), 30-27, and the Untouchables (2005 and 2010 champs), 36-20, for the title. Both teams were from New Orleans.

“This USFTL national title was our biggest win because the league rules are different and difficult for us, and it was the last title we had not won,” said player/coach Miller, who lives in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

“To be honest, our feelings, after the victory, were more relief than elation. This opportunity only comes once a year, and the stress is off-the-chart.”

Apocalypse, a semi-pro flag football team based in Pompano Beach, has finally added a national crown to its collection of titles. (Back row, L-R): Brad Corliss, Terrance “TB” Bunting, Bernard Summerall, Seneca Evans, James Panuindo, David “DJ” Brooks, John Wassmer, Brian Baer, Howard “Bud” Lewis; (Front row, L-R): Darrin “Tony” Walton, Reggie Haugabook, Coach Craig Miller, Derrick “Hollywood” Brown, Quinton McLendon. Submitted photo

Apocalypse was led by a pair of quarterbacks – Brian Baer of Parkland and Brad Corliss of Davie; rusher/center Derrick Brown of Tamarac; and wide receiver Quinton McClendon of Deerfield Beach. All of these players were named USFTL All-Americans.

Apocalypse tied the all-time state record set by Palace Saloon of Tallahassee in the 1980s with four consecutive A Division FFFL State Championships with its win last year and has already begun its quest for an unprecedented fifth crown in June.

Miller said the team has been so potent that it has had to cut former NFL players from its squad. The national title completed an “Apocalyptic” six-month head-to-head sweep of all national championships for the past seven years.

“We’ve had former NFL players with Division I College National Championship rings who we had to cut from our roster – including a Raider, Titan and Dolphin,” Miller said. “We had NFL receiver Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson on our roster for some local tournaments … He became a “shut-down” corner who saved a game for us in the Willis McGahee (Miami) tournament, which we won.”

The Pompano Beach-based team is slated to play in three more tournaments before the state tournament in Brevard (June 23-24). It will play in Palm Beach (April 14-15), Cocoa Beach (May 19-20) and in Ft. Myers (June 2-3).