Since our family, the Eller family, has lived in Deerfield Beach since 1923, I’ve often been asked to put in writing some of the history of the area, either experienced personally, or that I heard from my parents or grandparents. For some of you old timers who might be worried about certain old “scandals” don’t worry. I won’t be writing about those (smile).

— David Eller, Publisher

College life was good, but not always fair

In my last Historical Essay, I shared about my first day in college at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, where I played a guitar with my new friend, Bob Bidwell, learning rock and roll. I then went out and pigged out on green olives the first evening, making myself sick.

My first roommate in that dorm turned out to be a rather difficult fellow named Dale from New Jersey, who did not want to be there and was determined to make both our lives miserable. He succeeded for a few days before I was able to arrange to get a new roommate who was more compatible.

David Eller and Bob Hutson

His name was Bob Hutson from Tampa, Florida, a quiet type fellow engineering student whose family owned an orange grove and who could have been a twin of the movie star Tom Selleck. We soon found out that he could attract the ladies with his tall good looks and I would schmooze them along with personality and guitar. We made a good team and had a great time the rest of our five years together in college as engineering students, 2½ at Stetson University in DeLand and 2½ at University of Florida in Gainesville.

Since I was on a scholastic scholarship, however, I had to make exceptional grades to keep my scholarship. Fortunately, I had had a high school teacher named Joe Calis at Pompano High School who had given me some good advice. He told me, “David, when you get to college, it is very important for you to make really good grades your first semester. If you make mostly A’s your first semester, the professors the second semester will know you are a good student and will ‘carry you’ going forward, giving you the benefit of the doubt and blaming themselves if you’re not doing quite as well in their class. They will grade you up. Meanwhile, most of your freshmen classmates will be partying their first semester, many flunking out. So, their second semester, they will have to study all the time and you can ‘take over’ their first semester girl friends. It’s a win/win for you.”  He was right, and it worked. Life was good.

Wally Smith was another friend I made on our dorm floor. His nickname was “spider” because he was real skinny with long legs and could literally walk up the wall in the hallway by spreading his legs out to each wall and jerking each leg up in spurts until he could touch the ceiling with his hands. He once bragged that he could get us good seats on Saturday night in the normally crowded theatre in downtown DeLand. When we got there, he bought a small bag of popcorn and water which he mixed together and took it up to the balcony of the theatre, telling us to stay below. He then leaned over the balcony, over the best seats in the theatre, and made loud “throw up” noises as he scattered the wet popcorn on the people down below. They started jumping up and running to the rest rooms to remove what they assumed to be nasty stuff. Wally ran down and directed us college boys to assume the great seats, which had just emptied. We tried not to look at them or smile when they came out of the bathroom and went down to find new seats down front.

Life was good, but not always fair.

David Eller

By Andrea Freygang

Playfully Panache owner Stacey Pesaturo with her daughter, McKayla, 17 months. Her 4-month-old was sleeping behind her.

Finding quality affordable kids items just got a little bit easier with the recent opening of Playfully Panache, a children’s consignment boutique.

Located inside Trail Plaza on W. Hillsboro Boulevard, the brightly lit shop is owned by a former teacher who began her own shop to stay at home with her kids.

“I was a teacher and went on leave with my pregnancy, but being out of work was hard with kids, so I decided to open a shop,” said Stacey Pesaturo, owner. “I just really wanted to be with my kids.”

When deciding what type of business to own, she said that she discovered that baby clothes and items were really expensive and decided to open a consignment shop to give people an affordable but quality option.

“Our biggest challenge was being so pregnant and finishing up the store,” she said. “And obviously juggling all that and two kids.”

Inside the store, Pesaturo has everything from Carter’s to True Religion and Rock-A-Bye bassinets to Bellini.

“We offer all brands and everything from $3 to $50,” said Pesaturo. “We have preemie up to size 8 currently available, but will accept anything up to size 12.”

One thing the new owner and mom is excited about is collecting uniforms to donate to needy children.

“There are so many kids in need …  At schools, the families don’t have the money for uniforms, and I want to gather and donate,” she said. “There’s so many people out of work, so if you bring them here, we will donate them and give back to the community.”

She also tries to give back to what she calls “local heroes.” Firemen, policemen, teachers, nurses and the military get an additional 10 percent off in the store with the proper identification.

Six days a week, you’ll find Stacey in the store minding both her kids and the sales.

“It’s a challenge, but I love it,” she says.

Playfully Panache is located at 1867 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Open Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.  to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. (Closed on Monday). 954-426-6060.

By Gary Curreri

Shortstop Mia Veliz fields a grounder during a recent practice at Deerfield Beach Middle School. The Sharks are the No.1 one USSSA 10-Under girls softball team in the country. Photo by Gary Curreri

Deerfield Sharks girls softball coach Karla Antonio had a feeling her team would be good, just not this good.

The 10-Under girls team added another tournament title to their growing resumé as they hope to close out the season as the top-ranked USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association) team in the country.

The Sharks won the Swamp Classic in Palm Beach Gardens recently to run their overall record to 64-3. The team is still 56-1 in the USSSA, the organization that hosts the World Series. Deerfield Beach has won 13 out of 15 tournaments since October.

Antonio said they started the team in 2009 and were playing out of a local high school before getting “kicked off their field.”

“So, for six months, we were homeless,” said Antonio, who also has an alliance with Nova Southeastern University softball coach Lesa Bonee, one of the team’s coaches. She has also allowed them to use their Davie facility.

“We were just going to different parks or we would play in the grass. We spoke to [Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Manager] Blaise Leone and asked, ‘if he could please, please, please let us practice at [Deerfield Beach] Middle School. He caved in last year and gave us a home and ever since, we have been doing really well.”

And how … The Sharks finished last season 45-17 and in the top half of the USSSA, taking 17th out of 34 teams at the Disney Wide World of Sports venue.

“This year, we hope to win it,” said Antonio, who has a couple of 11-year-olds on the team because their birthdates fell inside the eligibility rules. Players need to be born in 2000 or later. “Last year, we were mainly an Under-9 team, so we are a year more experienced.”

Shortstop Mia Veliz said when she started on the team in the beginning, she wasn’t sure how good they would be.

“I definitely did not think we would be this good,” Veliz said. “We got a lot of new girls and we improved in offense and defense and we’ve gotten better as a team.”

One of Antonio’s twin daughters agreed:

“It is awesome that we are No.1,” said Brooke Antonio, who, along with sister Brandi, is one of two of the key players on the squad. “It means we are the best team in the nation. I didn’t know we’d be this good! After a few tournaments and we didn’t lose, I knew we were pretty good. Some of them were tough and some were pretty easy.”

The team will open its quest for the USSSA World Series title when it plays in the USSSA State tournament in Vero Beach from July 8-10.

By Rachel Galvin 

On June 19, the Gab Group put on the 1st Annual Mizner Park Downtown Drive in Boca Raton. From Model Ts to sports cars (like Lamborghinis) and even a car owned by Elvis, the streets around the shopping destination were lined with hot autos that patrons clamored to see up close.

Families like the Ramirez’s (Lilliana, Dalier and daughter Amanda) used looking at the cars of yesteryear as a great getaway for Father’s Day.

Elvis once owned this vehicle.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Middle School 8th grader Denise Spann (left) finishes second in both the 400-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Broward County Middle School Track and Field Championships at Cooper City High School recently. Photo by Gary Curreri

Denise Spann took the loss hard in the Broward County Middle School Track and Field Championships.

The Pompano Middle School 8th grader hoped to win the title in the girls’ 400-meter dash after placing second last year. She was the top seed in the event having qualified with a time of 59 seconds flat.

The Margate 14-year-old gave it her all; however, rival Shankeise Shivers, from William Dandy Middle School, was a little better and handed Spann her first defeat of the season in the event. Shivers, also an 8th grader, clocked a 57.30, while Spann was right behind at 58.87. It was one second off her career best AAU time of 57.77.

“I was just trying to come in and do my best, and my great opponent, Shankeise, had the better race today,” Spann said. “It is good to get the competition here because during the year you are used to winning a lot. This will make you work harder for it.”

Following the race, she dropped to her knees and sobbed and then had to prepare for her second race of the night – the 200-meter dash. Spann said she’s been running track since she was 9.

“It is fun when you win and you have to have a lot of dedication for the sport,” said Spann, who runs every day of the week with meets on the weekend. “Sometimes, you are going to lose. You learn how to be humble and not be cocky going into a race. If you go in cocky, you are not going to win.”

Spann placed second in the girls’ 400-meter dash with her second best time of the year at 58.87. She was third in the girls’ 200-meter dash (26.70) and was also a member of the fifth place 4×400 relay that clocked a time of 4:39.31.

Spann’s best finish in AAU track came at last year’s nationals for 13-year-olds when she placed seventh overall in the 800 as she clocked 2:21.69.

“On a scale from 1-10, it’s a 10 because I don’t do anything else, and I am really good at it,” Spann said. “I want to go to at least the Olympics.”

Deerfield Beach Middle School’s Cadeebra Calecote took fifth in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.98, and teammate Ariyan Herring was seventh in the girls’ 100-meter dash as she clocked a 13.61.

Deerfield Beach Middle School’s Luis Ayala won the boys shot-put championship with a toss of 45-03.00, while teammate Malik Flemming placed third in the boys 100-meter dash with a clocking of 11.75.

Deerfield Commissioner Forum for District 2 to be held on July 11, 2011 at The Deerfield Country Club at 7 p.m.  All candidates have confirmed attendance and will be there. The public is invited and will have a chance to submit questions to the moderator, time permitting. The moderator will be Dr. Mary Drabik, provost of South Florida Bible College. The address is 50 Fairway Dr., Deerfield (in District 2).

Deerfield Beach’s 4th of July Celebration takes place at the Main Beach Parking, Ocean Way & SE 1st St. Free concerts all day and a variety of food vendors. Sponsored by the Deerfield Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)

Entertainment
Smuggling YoYos ~ 1-3 PM
Scott Ringerson, “The Elvis Experience” ~ 4-6 PM
The David Ray Band ~ 7-9 PM

Spectacular Fireworks Display from the International Fishing Pier – 9 PM
FREE event with complimentary shuttle service from locations west of the Intracoastal.

Parking and Shuttle Service*
Parking on the barrier island will be extremely limited during the event. Park at the Cove Shopping Center and walk across the bridge or take the complimentary shuttle service between the Cove Shopping Center and the beach.
*Shuttle service will run on July 4 from 11AM – 5:45 PM, at which time Hillsboro Blvd. and the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic. Road will reopen following the fireworks display.

Colorful kiddie pools look innocuous enough, but a new study finds that a child drowns in an inflatable, portable pool every five days in warm-weather months.

“Because portable pools are generally small, inexpensive and easy to use, parents often do not think about the potential dangers these pools present,” said Dr. Gary Smith, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in a statement.

Kiddie pools are typically sold in the yard aisle of big-box stores, next to sprinklers, water slides and kids’ flotation devices. Brightly colored or festooned with Disney characters, they seem like they wouldn’t be any more dangerous than a typical child’s toy.

But when the researchers of the new study, published in Pediatrics, looked at drowning and accident reports involving children 12 years and younger from 2001 to 2009, they found a total of 244 incidents in portable pools, including 209 drowning deaths and 35 near-drownings.

The vast majority — 94% — involved children younger than five, and 73% occurred in the children’s own yards. About 81% of the incidents happened during the summer.

Pool safety comes up every summer (which officially begins June 21), of course, but many parents may not realize that the same risks that apply to permanent, in-ground structures apply to portable above-ground pools as well. Some soft-sided, inflatable pools can reach depths of 4 ft.

“It only takes a couple of minutes and a few inches of water for a child to drown. It is important for parents to realize that portable pools can be just as dangerous as in-ground pools,” said Smith.

The most effective method of prevention is adult supervision: the study found that children were being supervised in fewer than half — 43% — of all drowning and near-drowning incidents. In 18% of these cases, children were left momentarily unattended due to a parent’s brief distraction, like running to answer the phone or chatting with a neighbor.

In addition to supervision, the authors of the study recommend installing other safety features like barriers, pool alarms, removable ladders and safety covers. These protections are usually in place with in-ground pools, but they may not always be available for portable versions — and families who use such pools may not be able to afford them. What’s more, while many states require isolation fencing for in-ground pools, they don’t do the same for the temporary pools.

The Division of Forestry at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services enacted today a temporary statewide restriction prohibiting open campfires on all state lands due to extreme drought conditions and increasing wildfire threats.

This temporary restriction against open campfires prohibits all fires placed openly on the ground until further notice or until the threat of wildfire is significantly diminished.  Cooking fires contained in commercially-designated apparatuses such as grills and embedded metal fire rings are not prohibited at this time.

“The Florida Division of Forestry is committed to providing safe and quality recreation areas for the public,” said Jim Karels, Director of the Division of Forestry. “However, we need the public’s help in keeping visitors and natural resources safe by refraining from lighting campfires on state lands.”

The restriction applies to state forest lands and public lands managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Department of Environmental Protection and regional Water Management Districts.

In the past six months, Forestry personnel have responded to more than 3,300 wildfires and battled almost 200,000 acres of burning wildlands across the state. While the majority of these fires were caused by lightning strikes, a large number were acts of arson or human carelessness.

For more information regarding the campfire restrictions on state lands or Florida wildfire activity and to learn how you can help, visit www.fl-dof.com or contact your local Division of Forestry office.

By Declan Murphy

On Wednesday, June 8, U.S. Representative, District 22, Allen West — the sole Florida-based member of the House Small Business Committee — was a keynote speaker at an event entitled “Small Business: Innovation Tools” hosted by the FAU Research Park in Deerfield Beach.

West emphasized the importance of small businesses in growing the economy, and asserted that they are being neglected.

West outlined three points he believes will help small businesses “turn it [the economy] around.”

1) West claims that spending needs to be controlled in D.C. He mentioned a recent effort in D.C. to cut and eliminate useless, expensive defense programs that were draining money from the federal budget. 2) West also affirmed that “increasing taxes is not the answer” and in order for small businesses to grow, tax policy changes must be made. 3) West stressed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently imposed new regulations on small businesses, forcing them to spend money to meet standards that are not that vital, given the current dire economic climate.

He also made mention of the Small Business Encouragement Act he introduced, which is currently in the House’s Ways and Means Committee, where appropriations are determined. The act, if passed, would change the Internal Revenue Code, giving small businesses of fewer than 100 employees — that hire unemployed Americans — a work opportunity tax credit. The Small Business Encouragement Act could save employers up to $12,000 a year per hire in some parts of the country.

After West presented his ideas and views, he took questions from those who attended. In answering one question about what should be done to repair the economy, West claimed that “the entrepreneurial spirit” has led Americans, and America in general, to great accomplishments such as the moon landing. He went further by saying that “the entrepreneurial spirit” is what will fix America’s economy, not big government. When answering another question, West addressed the debt problem. He stated that he believes issues such as the national debt should be approached with “a vision of ten to twenty years ahead” and the debt problem cannot be solved by a quick fix but that it rather requires a long-term solution. West also said that the “problem with decisions being made is that they are short-sighted”. The congressman also offered his opinion on education: that it must be practical and applicable to real jobs and careers. He suggested involving the private sector in public education. He said encouraging professionals, such as a C.P.A. or lawyer, to come and talk to high school students about how what they are learning applies to their careers would go a long way in ensuring that the education our children are receiving is practical and conducive to real opportunities in the job market.