Jordyn Griffith helps the Deerfield Beach Sharks win the state championship. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Jordyn Griffith has been playing softball for the past four years and knew this year would be special.

“I thought we would be good this year because we have a lot of good players and we work together as a team,” said Griffith, 10, who helped the Deerfield Beach Sharks 10-Under softball team win the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) ‘A’ state title with 9-2 victory over its arch rivals, the West Pines Diamond Dusters. “We are really good together. We don’t fight.”

Brooke Antonio’s two triples led the way for the Sharks in the title game as the local squad finished the year 73-4 and won 13 of the 15 tournaments they entered.

Griffith and the Sharks spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in the country by USSSA. They also finished as the fourth-ranked team in the country.

“It is more pressure, but we play the same way we do and [don’t] let the pressure bother us,” Griffith added. “We rarely even brought it up. We just tried and had fun. I like it because it is fun and you get exercise when you run. It is a fun sport.”

The Sharks opened action in the state tournament, winning the first three contests by a combined 29-0 score. Amy Robbins, Sami Restrepo and Tiffany Saba starred at the plate in victories over St. Pete Fury, West Coast Vipers
and the Sunrise Thunder.

Deerfield Beach followed that up with a 3-2 victory over the Port Orange Blazers before downing Wellington Wild, 8-1, to advance to the championship round against the Diamond Dusters, which needed to defeat the Sharks twice for the title.

West Pines won the first game, 5-0. However, Deer-field Beach prevailed in the second contest, 9-2, to win the state title. Karissa Bauzon also had two hits in the final, while Brandi Antonio allowed just one hit in notching the win on the mound.

Coach Karla Antonio said they are a great bunch of girls.

“They are fun and always entertaining,” Antonio said. “They work very hard, and I can’t say enough about them. The parents are good too, which is very important. The kids are only 10. They have a lot of years ahead of them.”

On Aug. 20, Deerfield Beach High School’s Class of ’81 celebrated its 30th reunion with a special gala held at Deer Creek Country Club. The day before, they held an all-class reunion at Bru’s Room in Coconut Creek.

Reunion Photos

Pompano Beach’s Gwen Bencie wins the state championship in the Girls C Division Paddleboard event in the inaugural Florida State Junior Lifeguard Championships in Ft. Lauderdale recently. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach’s Gwen Bencie enjoys learning about the ocean.

The 10-year-old also enjoys competing and putting the two together while participating in the inaugural Florida State Junior Lifeguard Championships in Lauderdale recently.

“It’s mostly hard,” said Bencie, who competed for the Ft. Lauderdale Junior Lifeguard program the past two years. She won the Girls C Division Paddleboard event at the state competition.

“It teaches you how to save lives and rescue people. What you would really do if you were a lifeguard. I want to be a lifeguard when I am older. I think the competition is really important because I want to win and we can get points for the team.”

Bencie said her favorite event was the paddleboard, although she competed in all of the events.

“It’s fun,” Bencie added. “Sometimes, I go surfing and I like working out.”

Ft. Lauderdale scored 1,052 points to take the state title, while Pompano Beach was second with 668. Deerfield Beach was fourth with 289 points.

Mike Brown, 37, who has headed up the Deerfield Beach Junior Lifeguard program for the past 14 years, had 14 of his 70 junior guards competing in the event. Brown said two of his current city lifeguards came from the junior program.

“The benefits are you are teaching them water safety and teaching them how to save someone’s life,” Brown said. “You teach them how to identify dangerous water conditions and also how to use surf crafts like a paddleboard and how to catch waves.”

Deerfield Junior Lifeguard James Rivera, 14, a Boca High 9th grader, has been competing for five years and said it is fun.

“Sometimes winning is important,” said Rivera, who also swims for the Deerfield Beach Dolphins Swim Team. “It is pretty serious, but it is also fun, too, at the same time. It is a good experience.”

Lighth­­ouse Point business owners are heading to city hall next week to protest a recent crackdown on the sign ordinance. Business owners have turned off their open signs rather than pay fees and permits to keep them on in protest of a sign ordinance that is now being enforced in Lighthouse Point.

“Many retail store fronts have a neon “OPEN” sign in their front windows so that customers can know that the location is open for business,” said Pac N Send owner Penni Morris who is upset about being visited by code enforcement over an open sign. “It is an invitation to stop in. We have been issued warnings and violations, and are being required to get a permit for these lighted open signs which include appearing before the community appearance board.  An open sign should not be considered advertising, but rather an essential part of letting the public know we are open for business.”

Morris isn’t the only business owner upset. Graeme Donald at Daily Grind said he turned his sign off in protest of the fees and ordinance.

“This should be changed,” Donald said. “This is a basic requirement, for a business to say you are open.”

Business owners have requested the commission put the item on their agenda at the next meeting on August 23, and Morris is asking that all business owners concerned about the sign ordinance and violations to attend the meeting.

In a 4-0 vote just after 8 p.m. tonight, Aug. 15 Deerfield City Commission voted to turn it’s Fire Rescue services over to BSO in what was a full confidence  of Sheriff Al Lamberti. The contract will start Oct 1.

See story in full in 8-18 Observer newspaper. See video of the vote and Sheriff Lamberti  on Observer TV

a crane operator at the Dixie Flyover highway construction site was also injured by lightning.

“The crane operator was working a remote-control device that was attached to the crane,” Deerfield Beach Fire-Rescue Chief Chad Brocato said. “The crane was struck by lightning and current traveled down it and struck the operator.”

Brocato said the crane operator suffered burns to his abdomen and right arm.

“He is in stable condition for the most part. Other than having first-degree burns, there was no blistering,” Brocato said. The unidentified man was taken to North Broward Medical Center for treatment.

He is an employee of Cone & Graham, lead contractor at the Flyover site

Jennifer Gottlieb (At-Large)

First, on Aug. 11, School Board member Dave Thomas of Coral Springs says he is resigning. Now, one day later, it has been confirmed by the School Board that Jennifer Gottlieb (At Large) is also resigning, effective today.

While Thomas’ resignation letter has been officially released to the press, Gottlieb’s has not at this time. Thomas said his decision to leave “is prompted by a recent family medical situation…”

Gottlieb, who went through the Broward School system herself and graduated from Nova High School, was originally elected to the board in 2006.

Any person who leaves the School Board will have to be replaced and that decision will remain in the hands of Governor Rick Scott.

Dave Thomas

At  10:00 a.m. this morning a fire was reported at Peking Tokyo Buffet Located at 1219 S. Federal hwy in Deerfield.  Flames were seen coming through the roof in the back.  Deerfield Fire responded with a full battalion.

The area was blocked off by BSO and is still an active scene.  Cause of fire unknown. Updates to come. See video of the scene on Observer TV

Carrying the Olympic torch is quite an honor and one your teen could have if nominated. Coca-Cola is currently seeking nominations for teens that reflect their live positively values to do just that for the Olympics to be held in London in 2012. Ten teens will be selected to carry the flame around Oxford, England July 9-12, 2012 as it makes its way to London for the Opening Ceremony on July 27, 2012. Teens must live healthy and be active and encourage others to do the same. They must strive to make a difference in their community and must be active in helping our planet. To nominate a teen, visit www.LivePositively.com and submit and essay (150 words max) that expresses why this nominee is a great example of living positively. Nominees must be legal residents of the U.S. and between the ages of 13 and 18 as of July 25. Deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 15!

A Guest Editorial from a famous Historian and our Publisher

In 1887, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:

“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.”

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;

From spiritual faith to great courage;

From courage to liberty;

From liberty to abundance;

From abundance to complacency;

From complacency to apathy;

From apathy to dependence;

From dependence back into bondage.”

Therefore,the question for each of us today as Americans  is — “What am I going to do about it?” (With an emphasis on the “I”). Everyone who loves this country needs to get involved. It will require a massive effort.

We need you!Get involved!

David Eller, Publisher