–By Rachel Galvin–

For those who have not heard the news, Osama  bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaida, has been killed. The announcement was made about 10:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. President Obama spoke to the nation confirming the news. Bin Laden was found within a mansion in Pakistan where a firefight took place and bin Laden was killed. The U.S. has possession of his body.

This news has prompted large gatherings in Washington D.C. outside the White House of people chanting “U.S.A.” and celebrating. It also has prompted people in New York City to gather at Times Square. Meanwhile, social networks, like Facebook, have been extremely active as the news has reached a international audience.

President Obama called President George W. Bush and Clinton personally to relay the news. President Bush issued the following statement:

“This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done,” he said.

Although his death is significant and seems to be a morale booster, Obama said, “His death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al-Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant.”

Some American officials have mentioned that security forces will remain alert and have issued a travel warning and U.S. diplomatic facilities have been put on alert, according to CNN.

The news of this event is changing quickly and the details are sure to emerge piecemeal.

(Photo by AP)

Carmita Scarlett addresses media

–By Rachel Galvin–

At 3 p.m. April 29, Kendall Coffey, attorney for Circuit Court Judge Ilona Holmes, gave a press conference at the home of the judge’s sister, Carmita Scarlett, in which he announced that the judge “would not initiate  civil action” at this time.

This is in response to an incident that happened on Easter Sunday in which Broward Sheriff’s officers, thinking they were responding to a burglary in progress, investigated the wrong home, demanding the family members, who had just finished Easter dinner, to leave the home. (See original complete story also in Breaking News, including 9-11 call).

But what Scarlett saw was a man knocking on her window with a flashlight and she feared for her life, not knowing if it was a criminal intending to harm her. So she told her sister, the judge, who happened to be armed. The judge said time and again who she was and announced she was armed. Coffey demonstrated how she carried the gun out of the home at her side, laid it on the ground, announcing that she was putting the gun down. In her other hand, she held a cell phone, and when she went to put that down, announcing what she was doing, they yelled at her to step away from the gun, according to Coffey.

Coffey reiterated that the Judge was only taking prudent steps in this incident and that she was not confrontational in any way and is a respected judge, adding that many judges are armed.

“In the midst of a potentially dangerous situation, she acted prudently,” he said, adding “Judge Holmes is hopeful steps will be taken proactively to avoid incidents like this in the future.

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti, who also issued an apology to Judge Ilona Holmes in a statement on April 28, also felt his men acted appropriately, but regrets the misunderstanding and the unfortunate events that took place.

The Sheriff said, “This past Sunday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a home burglary in progress from a concerned citizen who provided incorrect information regarding the home address. On scene, the deputies continued to receive incorrect information from the citizen and, based upon this information, believed they were at the correct address.

“A report of a burglary in progress at a residence is an extremely dangerous and tense situation for law enforcement, which requires an assertive response. The Broward Sheriff’s Office is evaluating the circumstances of this incident to ensure that appropriate response procedures were followed.

“We deeply regret that Judge Holmes and her family went through this experience and understand that this incident, resulting from a series of unfortunate events, may have been traumatic for them.”

The judge and her family appreciated it, but Scarlett feels that officers at BSO need sensitivity training, feeling that race may have been a factor in the amount of force used in the incident.

“I don’t think crime has a color to it,” said Scarlett. “They need sensitivity classes. The chief explained to me that he has some good cops. I agree. But they were not the same cops who came to my house.”

Scarlett was joined by members of her family and her neighbor Pastor George Brown, whose home was the correct address where BSO should have been investigating, the home where a neighbor saw lights going on and off and, knowing Brown was not home, called BSO fearing burglars were in the residence.

“We still don’t know why [the lights were going on and off],” said Brown.

Scarlett said that their neighborhood is one in which “everyone has keys to everyone else’s homes. We watch out for each other. It’s old fashioned…”

Joe at Biondo’s pizza tosses the dough for a pie.

By Becki Coffy

Biondo’s pizza has been open in The Cove Shopping Center in Deerfield Beach for the past 14 months. I wish I had discovered this quaint eatery a year ago so that I could be reporting on everything on their menu. Don’t let its small size fool you, the menu is large enough to satisfy your desire for great pizzas, subs, salads and more.

Joe Biondo decided to open an Italian restaurant 40 years ago in the Port St. Lucie area and enjoyed the fruits of his labor for many years. After a career change and partial retirement, he decided to go back into the business and we are so glad he did.

Joe does most of the cooking using recipes from his mother and other family members. He proudly states that the sauce is his mother’s recipe, which he still has handwritten on the paper she gave him. His uncle shared the pizza crust technique that he uses even now for his breads and pizza dough. Good food transcends time, and he is happy to share these family specialties with his customers.

Knowing that Joe makes dough fresh every day, we decided to start with the homemade garlic knots. They were served piping hot and covered with real butter and fresh garlic. They were crispy on the outside and oh-so-fluffy and tender on the inside. The butter added another dimension to the flavor and really stepped it up a notch.

Next, we ordered the Stromboli filled with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sausage and peppers. It was stuffed with fillings and lots and lots of hot melted cheese. It was served with homemade red sauce rich with tomatoes, onions, basil and other seasonings. It was full of flavor, and, yet, light to the taste. We gobbled it up so quickly we needed a second helping to finish our dish.

Our final choice from the menu was the white pizza. Joe tells me it is one of the more popular dishes on the menu, although the pepperoni and cheese pizza always tops the list.

Again, the crust set the stage for a mouthwatering treat handmade by the owner.  Crispy and tender, it was just thick enough to hold up to the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses loaded on the top. This was a little slice of pizza heaven. The pizza can also be ordered with spinach, but I thought it was perfect just the way it was served.

The menu offers 6- and 12- inch subs. The Italian combo is the most popular, but they also have a tuna salad sub, oven roasted turkey, roast beef, ham and cheese, and even a hamburger hoagie. Rounding out the sub choices are sausage and peppers, chicken parmesan, and meatball. I intend to try both the chicken parmesan and meatball, as these are prepared using “mama’s “ recipes; and if they are half as good as the red sauce, then I’m in for a treat.

Giving a nod to Joe’s lovely wife, Janet, they have completed their sub choices with the Philly cheese steak. Janet, originally from Philadelphia, thought her hometown should be represented too. She assures me it is the “real deal.”

Pizza’s can be ordered in 10-, 12- and 16-inch sizes and there are 18 topping choices from which to choose. Calzones and Strombolis have become very popular selections, and the true ‘Buffalo’-style wings can be ordered medium, hot, garlic and barbeque.  House, Caesar and Chef salads are available, and I am told by friends that the antipasto is delicious.

Before you order, be sure to check the desserts and save room.   The filling for the cannolis is prepared daily and the cannolis are made to order to ensure their freshness. Assorted flavors of Italian ices and New York-style cheesecake are also available.

Biondo’s is located at 1619 SE 3 Court in Deerfield Beach in The Cove Shopping Center.  Monday and Tuesday offers a 16-inch cheese pizza for $6.95 and several other specials are available. Call 954-427-7754 for pick-up or delivery.

Until we eat again …

The Phillies Kyle Bombardier tags out the Marlins’ Louis Esposito in a Deerfield Beach Little League Majors Division game. Photos by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Joey Zingarella pitched four solid innings and delivered a clutch 2-out, 2-run double to lift the Phillies past the Marlins, 8-6, in a Deerfield Beach Little League Majors Division game Friday night.

Zingarella went the final four innings and struck out the final Marlins batter as the Phillies improved to 9-5 with its sixth consecutive victory. Zingarella finished the game with six strikeouts.

Kyle Bombardier, Kyle McSweeney and Andrew Putney all scored two runs in the win, while Marcel Prummel had a key defensive play in the outfield.

“We are one of the teams to beat,” said Phillies coach Chuck Brown. “I gave my younger kids a chance to play and it showed they have to show up to play every inning.”

The Phillies jumped out to a 5-2 lead before the Marlins rallied to tie the game at 5-5 in the fourth. The Phillies broke the deadlock in the fifth as Kyle DeFrancisco doubled, Bombardier had an RBI singled and Alec Brown singled. Bombardier stole home and Brown scored on an error for an 8-5 lead. The Marlins’ Evan Dolan scored in the top of the six, but Zingarella shut the door and struck out the last batter to end the game.

Brown has been coaching eight years and said he enjoys working with the players. Most of the players in the Majors Division are between 10 and 12 and have baseball experience. He said they have one practice and two games a week. If he can get some hitting in at local batting cages, they also try and do that.”

“When we start off, I really want to find out their skill level and try to develop them and make them better by the end of the season,” Brown said. “If everybody improves, then it is a mission accomplished.”

Shane Reilly, another veteran coach of the Deerfield Beach Little League, said he was happy how his Marlins’ team kept battling back in the contest. The team slipped to 5-8 on the season with the loss.

“They kept battling,” Reilly said. “They always do. We have only lost one other one-run game. Usually, if we are in it, we win it.”

Louis Esposito, who went 2 for 2 with two walks and a run scored, led the Marlins. Zach Audet was hit by a pitch, walked and had a double, while Wade Patton had a walk, single and a sacrifice fly.

Reilly said his team has five games left before the playoffs, and they have some tinkering to do.

“We have to get better with our defense and our base running,” Reilly said. “That’s where we have struggled this year. We had five outs on the base paths today and that’s where we lost it. The main goal is to get better every game, both as an individual and as a team. Our goal is to get better for the playoffs.”

Shane Lovello bears down on a pitch for the Phillies in a Deerfield Beach Little League Majors Division game.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Scream 4 opened two weeks ago with disappointing box office results. It is a sequel that was 11 years in the making to the original Scream trilogy, which had already suffered from the laws of diminishing returns. In this film, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to her hometown, the site of the original murders and the death of her mother. Sidney is in town to promote her self-help book.

Within moments of Sidney’s book signing, a body is found in the trunk of her car. Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) is called to investigate. Proving to be as incompetent as ever, Sheriff Dewey watches the body count rise as the ghost face killer murders the neighborhood cool kids. Feeling bored and neglected by living in a small town, Dewey’s wife, Gayle (Courtney Cox), becomes inspired and begins investigating the murders.

Scream 4 is an improvement over of Scream 3. The self-conscious humor about horror movie clichés remains. The biggest flaw with each successive Scream flick, the body count gets bigger and bigger. This makes the surviving characters from each film as indestructible as horror movie icons, while victims become anonymous. As he has done in the past, director Wes Craven strives for deeper meaning, but the superficial characters and plot by numbers mars any serious discussion about violence in the media.

One fun subplot of the Scream franchise is the creation of the fictional Stab movie-within-the-movie series that comments on the exploitation of horror films. This subplot is used in Tambien La Lluvia (Even the Rain), a Spanish movie that comments on the exploitation of the poor in Bolivia.

Humanitarian movie producer Costa (Luis Tosar) is shooting a biopic about Christopher Columbus and his exploitation of Native Americans. He and his director Sebastian (Gael Garcia Bernal) choose Bolivia because they can find cheap help. As they mock Columbus’ religious motivation, the production team is blind to their own treatment of their poverty-stricken employees.

Unlike the blatant slice-and-dice action of Scream 4, Tambien La Lluvia  presents passive-aggressive horror inflicted upon the poor. While filming their Columbus opus, the crew learns that a mean corporate entity plans on privatizing the water supply. This backstage drama is played out against the production of the motion picture. Unlike the solid conclusion of Scream 4, Tambien La Lluvia concludes upon lyrical symbolism that is more meaningful.

The Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) held a Groundbreaking Ceremony for Streetscape Improvements to East Atlantic Boulevard between AIA and Pompano Beach Boulevard on April 27.

This is the first shovel in the ground project in the East CRA District. Planned improvements include reconfigured street lanes, wider sidewalks for outside dining and improved landscaping, according to Sandra King, spokesperson for Pompano Beach.

Construction will officially begin on May 2.

During the ceremony, Mayor Lamar Fisher said, “This has been a long journey. Now we can celebrate that a vision has become a reality and that dreams do come true.”

Cameron Ogbourne returns a shot during the District 11-4A tennis tournament final against Douglas’ Scott Korefsky. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

If Cameron Ogbourne were to rank his first year playing high school tennis on a scale from 1 to 10, it would be an 8.5.

“I think I won more matches in the season than I lost,” said the Blanche Ely High School freshman. “My game is not where it needs to be. I need to improve my backhand.”

A favorable draw on the bracket, plus a victory over an opponent to avenge a regular-season loss, put Ogbourne in a rare notable spot for his high school tennis team.

For the first time in 15 seasons, a Tigers tennis player earned one of the final spots in the post-season district tournament. Ogbourne, who sports a 3.8 GPA in the BEHS magnet program, made a splash during the 11-team, District 11-4A tournament hosted by Taravella at Cypress Park Tennis Center in Coral Springs.

Representing the Tigers in the No. 3 singles bracket, Ogbourne used an unspectacular but patient baseline-to-baseline style of play to eliminate Coral Glades’ Jesse Sehr, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round.

The victory earned him a match in the semifinals against Coral Springs’ Jason Petusevsky, who a month earlier edged Ogbourne, 9-7, in a regular-season match at Coral Springs.

The Tiger freshman took advantage of his error-prone opponent, who committed 28 unforced errors (including 11 double faults) in the first set as Ogbourne prevailed, 6-3. In the second set, Ogbourne was even more flawless. After committing 18 errors in the first set, he cut it down to just six to prevail with a final score of 6-3, 6-2.

“As always, Cameron does a good job of keeping his cool no matter what the situation of the match is,” said Tigers fifth-year coach Concepçion Ledezma. “He’s been steadily improving as the season went along, and that’s a tribute to him, as well as the other guys, considering we hadn’t been able to practice at our own courts (due to construction work) all season long.

“I definitely see him challenging our No. 1 (junior Hashan Bhim) and No. 2 (junior David Bryan) next year,” Ledezma added. “As the season went along, the gap between them was narrowing.”

His district finals match against Douglas’ Scott Korefsky was cut short in the second set when Ogbourne twisted his ankle running down a deep, cross-court backhand winner. Korefsky went on to earn the points for repeating district champ Douglas with the victory (6-3, 4-2, ret.).

“It was pretty surprising for me to get as far as I did considering there wasn’t consistent practice time,” Ogbourne said. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was 5. I like tennis because it is a non-contact sport, unlike football or basketball. You can stay away from injuries and it is good exercise and a good way to have fun.”

Ogbourne doesn’t believe he will pursue a pro career in tennis; however, he would like to parlay his talents into a college scholarship.

“I believe that I will start next year at No. 3 and, hopefully I will move up to at least No. 2,” Ogbourne said. “I will have to work really hard and improve my backhand.”

Ogbourne and the rest of the Tigers found practice a challenge this year, as they scrambled for training locations because of the athletic facilities construction.

“A group of two to three (players) would go to a nearby court and others would go to another,” Ledezma noted. “I think Cameron’s biggest improvement was stamina, improving his advantage in the long rallies.”

It is a tough call, however. Ogbourne said it was more impressive to do well in the classroom than make history on the courts.

“Grades are important,” Ogbourne said with a laugh. “It was a nice accomplishment though. That’s a tough question.”

By Dave Montalbano

Franc D’Ambrosio (R) and Sharon Brooks, director of education, Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

www.AdventuresofCinemaDave.com

In the past month, Franc D’Ambrosio has worked in South Florida on at least three occasions — between business trips to California, New York and the Midwest.

Besides holding the record for being The Phantom of the Opera on-stage longer than anybody, D‘Ambrosio  portrayed Al Pacino and Diane Keaton’s son in The Godfather Part III, in which he sang the opera  Cavalleria Rusticana and “Speak Softly Love,” the famed “Love Theme from The Godfather.

When asked about a potential Godfather IV, D’Ambrosio said, “There has been discussions recently. I’d love to do it and will free myself from the concert schedule. Coppola is a genius.”

While he admitted that the set was ‘tense’ at times, D’Ambrosio stated that it was a thrilling experience.

“On my first day, I show up on the set and watched Al Pacino and Andy Garcia doing a scene. Al is such a method actor, we were only Anthony and Dad. Even off the set, I called him Dad and he called me Anthony.”

After viewing The Godfather Part III,” Luciano Pavarotti took interest in D’Ambrosio and he became Pavarotti’s apprentice. This is a tradition that D’Ambrosio has continued by teaching Master Voice Classes worldwide, including a recent stop at Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

For a nominal fee, D’Ambrosio listened to six singers, age 15 to middle aged. With each instruction, each student presented a stronger, more authentic performance. When class ended, D’Ambrosio stayed after school to work with additional students.

“A performance is not about you, but giving to the audience. That is what the people want and it is my job to provide that experience.”

Like his mentor Pavarotti, D’Ambrosio taught more than vocal technique. Pavarotti once said, “Franc, if you have to stop living to sing, stop singing.”

D’Ambrosio stressed this point further.

“I spend little time with high maintenance people. Life off-stage is full of adventure, not drama. I stay with good friends and drink good wine. I don’t let my mind get ahead of me, and I am careful about sleep.”

Beyond success in movies, opera and Broadway, D’Ambrosio explained his motivation.

“When you do what you love, it gives you energy. My Catholic faith is the center of my life, focusing on putting God first and nothing else … that’s how I live, to live for happiness and peace.”

Happy Easter, dear readers!

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced this month that Deerfield Beach is among 32 communities in 26 states that will receive assistance with tools that can help them get the type of development they want. The City of Deerfield Beach is the only community in Florida to be selected for this opportunity. Under the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks program, the selected communities will get help on a specific development-related challenge as well as explore general sustainable communities strategies. The City of Deerfield Beach requested assistance with an assessment of smart growth strategies, which can help the community become stronger economically and fiscally.”EPA has seen a demand for tools and resources to help communities strengthen their economies, protect human health and the environment, and create more housing and transportation choices at the local level,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The Building Blocks program will bring in private-sector experts to train communities to use tools that have been applied successfully in other places, spreading our technical assistance program’s positive effect to our nation’s communities.” 

In consultation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), EPA selected the 32 communities through a competitive process. Each community chose a specific, proven tool to be the focus of the assistance from a list that included zoning code reviews, walkability assessments, economic and fiscal health assessments, complete streets evaluations, water quality audits, and sustainable design guidelines. The City of Deerfield Beach will receive guidance in using smart growth to produce fiscal and economic health. At an upcoming day-long session with EPA-funded, private-sector experts, the city along with key stakeholders, will explore the selected tool, as well as other ways to make progress toward community goals for environmentally responsible, economically healthy development.

“In this economic climate, the city is looking for new ways to maintain services with a significantly smaller budget,” said Planning and Growth Management Director Gerald Ferguson. “This training will focus on how smart growth can stimulate private investment, provide fiscal stability in times of economic uncertainty, reduce the tax burden, and spur job creation.”

The Building Blocks program is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort between EPA, HUD, and DOT to coordinate federal actions on housing, transportation, and environmental protection. This interagency collaboration’s primary goal is to invest federal funding more efficiently in infrastructure, facilities, and services that meet multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives.

Mayor Peggy Noland believes this assistance comes at an essential time for Deerfield Beach. “Across the board, we have to do more with less. This is an opportunity for city leaders to bring together stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, so that we can develop plans for our future.”

In addition to Deerfield Beach, the selected communities are Bemidji, Minnesota; Bluffton, South Carolina; Cambridge, Maryland; Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Dover, New Hampshire; Erie County, New York; Essex, Connecticut; Fitchburg, Wisconsin; Granville, Ohio; Helena, Montana; Hellertown, Pennsylvania; Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania; Kayenta Township, Arizona; Lincoln, Nebraska; McKinney, Texas; Muskegon, Michigan; Nashville/Davidson, Tennessee; Northampton, Massachusetts; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Portland, Maine; St. Louis, Missouri; Pike’s Peak Council of Governments, Colorado; Ranson, West Virginia; Reedsburg, Wisconsin; Renton, Washington; Rockport, Texas; Shelburne, Vermont; Spencer, North Carolina; Syracuse, New York; and Wichita, Kansas.

EPA received 354 letters of interest requesting assistance through the Building Blocks program. This level of interest shows how many places around the country want to improve their development planning to spur economic development while safeguarding the environment and public health.

The workshop date for Deerfield Beach will be announced in the coming weeks.

More on the Building Blocks program

On April 16, Real Estate mogul and TV celeb Donald Trump visited Sanborn Square in Boca Raton to speak at the 3rd Annual Tax Day Rally for the Tea Party. Trump was joined by other guest speakers including Congressman Allen West, Bill Nelson, Adam Hasner and radio personality Joyce Kaufman, who emceed.

Trump is considering running for President in 2012, but he will not make an official announcement yet. “Sometime before June,” he continues to say. But, he had plenty to say at the rally about everything from inflation and gas prices to trade with China and our involvement with Libya. He also seemed to have plenty of support from the large crowd that had gathered.

See Video here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42625344#42625344

Photo and story by Rachel Galvin