By Gary Curreri 

Lighthouse Point’s Lucas Altieri is headed to his fifth straight national figure skating championships next month. Altieri, 18, who is a senior at North Broward Prep, has finished fourth twice at nationals and qualified for the 2020 United States Figure Skating Championships from Jan. 20-26, 2020, at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N. C. After two to three years, he started to realize that this was a sport he wanted to do. He has been a figure skater for eight years and is a member of the Pines Figure Skating Club out of the Pines Ice Arena in Pembroke Pines.

 Altieri qualified for nationals after he finished third in the Junior Men’s Division with a 69.69 score after his short program, and followed that up with a 126.50 for a 196.19 total at 2020 Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

 “I definitely wanted to have a good showing and show U.S. Figure Skating my best,” said Altieri, who will compete in his 5th straight nationals competition where he has finished 4th twice.

“I wanted to stay consistent so U.S. Figure Skating knows I am ready for what they give to me. I would still like to skate in the Olympics. I have been wanting to do that for a very long time. I like performing under pressure,” he added. “After you perform well under pressure, that is really the best feeling.”

 11 Bucks sign with colleges

Deerfield Beach High School was well represented on Early Signing Day last Wednesday as 11 football players signed their national letters-of-intent.

The marquee signee was Jaylan Knighton who is the second leading rusher in Broward County history. Knighton led the Bucks to three straight state semifinal appearances as he rushed for 5,174 yds., second all-time in Broward County history to former Blanche Ely star Tyrone Moss (7,105 yds). He had 1,534 rushing yards and 20 TDs this year.

 Knighton chose the Hurricanes just a couple weeks after decommitting from Florida State following the dismissal of Coach Willie Taggart. Before committing to FSU, Knighton had verbally committed to Oklahoma.

“I chose Miami because they never stopped recruiting me,” Knighton said. “I have some great bonds with the coaches, the players…there is so much about the school, it is unexplainable.”

He will be joined at the UM by teammate Xavier Restrepo, who is the first one from his family to go to college. 

 “This is really big,” Restrepo said. “I am the first one from my family to graduate and head off to college out of all my uncles, aunts, grandparents, everybody. It is a big accomplishment in my family. It’s been an amazing journey.”

Michael Pratt, who transferred to Deerfield Beach this year after spending the past three seasons at Boca Raton High School, said the decision to graduate early and head to Tulane was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. 

Others who signed included wide receiver Deajaun McDougle (Maryland), wide receiver/defensive back Bryce Gowdy (Georgia Tech).

McDougle, who became the Bucks’ all-time leader in receiving yardage with more than 2,000 yds., said it was a lot of hard work to reach this point.

“This was a long process,” said McDougle. “I know I’m capable of playing at the next level, and I’ll see what is next for me.”

Other Deerfield Beach signees on Wednesday were safety Christopher Townsel (South Florida), defensive tackle Kervins Choute (Central Florida), wide receiver Aydin Henningham (Pittsburgh), cornerback Anthony Prospere (Tennessee Martin), tackle Woody Jean (Arizona) and offensive tackle Bryce McNair (Ohio).

By “Cinema” Dave
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Given the timeliness of #FakeNews, the tragedy of Richard Jewell was going to be my last review for Flicks, but my dear readers are savvy enough to know the difference between fantasy and reality.  It is for John Williams sake that I chose to review Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker as the last column of Flicks.

While the Beatles are the soundtrack from my youth and Alice Cooper is helping me cope with middle age, the music of John Williams has truly been the soundtrack of my life.  “Johnny” Williams, the maestro, composed many television shows, most notably season three of Lost in Space, which still gets my adrenaline pumped after 50 years. When I hear the opening notes of The Cowboys, I want to find Bruce Dern and avenge John Wayne. As a senior at Florida State University 35 years ago, I was honored to lead the Marching Chiefs across three football fields to the strains of the Indiana Jones theme.  

For many years, John Williams was the conductor for the Boston Pops, and I had always wanted to attend his concerts. The year 1992 was to be John Williams’ final tour. He was playing at the Wolf Trap in Virginia. At that time, I was unemployed, house sitting in Maryland and being nourished by Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. As broke as I was, I decided to put myself further in debt and attended the concert. It was a crossroads moment in my life, and I have never regretted this decision. I finally learned to listen to my own voice 37 years ago.

Beyond the special effect visuals, following one’s own conscience and moral compass has been the underlying theme of the Star Wars franchise.  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wraps up three generations of characters and how they deal with consistent evil. Characters like Darth Vader and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) are seduced by power and evil, while characters like Leia (the late Carrie Fisher), Luke (Mark Hamill) and Rey (Daisey Ridley) endure, persevere and heal. John Williams also has a cameo as a bartender in the film.

According to Rotten Tomatoes.com, the public likes Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker more than mainstream critics.  Given four decades of great expectations and the fact that the top billed actress died three years ago, the production team created an entertaining movie.

Utilizing John Williams’ inspired musical score, Episode IX cements many lingering plot points from the previous eight movies of the Skywalker Saga. Along with Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Disney has plans for the future of Star Wars, though the Skywalker Saga, which began in 1977, has concluded. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker succeeds as popcorn-eating Saturday matinee fun.

In the days before Christ, primitive people would hunker down in their caves at night, light a torch and tell some stories. The more artistically inclined individuals would paint their stories on the cave walls. It was much later when someone placed some corn over a fire, watched it pop and shared the food with their family and friends. This was the first cinema experience, which became perfected by the evolution of technology. Movies are merely an extension of the entertainment once enjoyed by our ancestors.

At age 81, former President Ronald Reagan said, “In our country, one’s destinations matter more than one’s origins. Like most Americans, I live for the future.” 

These words become more meaningful to me as I write my final paragraph of Flicks.  I am humbled by my dear reader’s 20 years of readership and, to quote the great clown, Red Skelton, “God Bless and Good Night.”

By Gary Curreri

Alicia Solon is in her fourth year as a cheerleader for the Pompano Eagles team that cheers in the American Youth Football League.

Solon, 13, of Pompano Beach, was one of an estimated 800 cheerleaders who competed in the recent American Youth Football League Cheerleading Championships (AYFLC) at the Watsco Center at the University of Miami. The two Pompano Eagles teams – 9U and the Junior Prep teams, each scored participation awards.

“You have fun while you do it,” said Solon, a member of the Junior Prep squad. “Competitions like this help me improve. You have to have a lot of trust in each other and we build that through practice every day.

“I love cheerleading because I get to show what I can do,” Solon added. “It gives me a lot of energy.”

Solon, who said she’d like to cheer in high school and maybe in college too, also said she’d like to prove the doubters wrong who say cheerleading is not a sport.

“It is a sport because we work hard, just as hard as the football players,” said Solon, an 8th grader at William Dandy Middle School in Ft. Lauderdale. “We have to lift each other up and that is a weight.”

Pompano Eagles cheerleading coach Sharique McDonald brought two squads to the competition.

“The girls keep me on my toes every day,” McDonald said. “Every day, I learn something new from their little generation. I have to try and keep up just to stay in tune with them, but they keep me on my toes all of the time.”

She appreciates the daily improvement and dedication with the squads.

“That is like the best feeling ever,” McDonald said. “One of my girls has been cheering with me since she was 9 and couldn’t speak English when she first started. That was her first time cheering and, each year, she has excelled and pushes herself. They listen to my directions, and you can see they want it. The girls are what matters to me.”

McDonald also said there is a lot of focus that goes into the sport.

“You have to have a lot of discipline, and you can’t give up on yourself because you are going to take it to a whole new level with the stunting and tumbling, and your body is literally breaking down,” she noted. “You get bruised at practice and girls hit the ground hard and they get right back up and say, ‘I am going to do this.’ You can’t top that. The football players can’t top that and they have equipment.”

Pompano Beach’s Selena Sanchez, 6, who is a 1st grader at Pompano Beach Elementary School, received the prestigious Lisa Gager Spirit Award from the AYFLC. Gager was with the Sunrise program and passed away a little more than a decade ago, and the award was started in her memory for what she did in the cheerleading community.

“It is my first year as a cheerleader,” Sanchez said. “I like when we jump so high. And when we cheer at a football game, I like when people say we are good.”

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7

When I accepted the plaque for 20 years of service with The Observer, I admitted that “Flicks” has been a labor of love for me. I also became aware that I would not be writing this column for another 20 years. Like Dwyane Wade’s final year with the Miami Heat, I was hoping to have #OneLastDance. 

This columnist came to the revelation that the world had changed more than I have. (Case in point — does anyone know what the word “Flicks” means?) I am still the shy 10-year-old Davy from Huntington, Long Island, who moved to Deerfield Beach with his parents and Chrissy the dog in 1973. I live with chronic grief over the loss of my dad and my dog, yet I am sustained in my Christian belief that real love is eternal. We will meet again for a grand family reunion with my New York and Alabama families and dearly departed friends that I have written about in this column.

With decades of show business training, I am comfortable when the spotlight is thrust upon me. Actually, I am a private person and not emotionally demonstrative. I like having the separation from shy Dave Montalbano to Cinema Dave — that “swashbuckling journalist and information scientist.” The meek Montalbano is a working man with a deep love for his family, friends and pets, while Cinema Dave attends premiers, festivals and gets his picture taken with movie stars, music legends and American heroes.

Since 1999, our community has survived wars, rumors of wars, the 2000 Presidential Election, multiple hurricanes (with Hurricane Wilma being the most devastating), political corruption, shootings and my personal battles with a pesky puppet — Sinister Simon.

This column is older than actress Bailee Madison, Dwayne Wade’s NBA career and the Marvel Comic’s “The Infinity Wars Saga.”

Considering that major media have hired syndicated columnists from either New York, Chicago or Los Angeles for over a decade, I am proud to have claimed the title “the longest standing film columnist in Broward County.”  My intention was to write a film column that was not uppity or snarky, unless I thought my column was Saturday matinee popcorn eating fun. Then, I would report on a film and let the ticket buyer decide the value of seeing the movie. Afterall, some people love Madonna and some people love a King Kong movie. Both are entitled to their opinions.

This column has outlasted Blockbuster Video and Border’s Bookstore. It seems appropriate that a column titled “Flicks” closes in 2019. People do not go to movie theaters the way they did in 1999. Yet, I am thankful this year to share the communal experience watching Captain America battling the Mad Titan Thanos at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science Autonation IMAX screen — A battle reminiscent of David versus Goliath, a mythic story that is close to this writer’s heart.

At my age, my heart is a current concern.  Given the sedentary lifestyle of being a swashbuckling journalist and information scientist, my medical doctors have prescribed more walking and swimming, which I will be doing in my free time, since I will not be writing a weekly column. After next week, “Cinema” Dave has no plans for public publishing, but I have learned by writing “Flicks” that writing is my innate talent, so, given my Christian belief and faith, my writing has been “born again.” It seems appropriate to end my penultimate column with Merry Christmas!

By Rachel Galvin

Photos by Ryan Cohen

Every year, the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum (BRHS&M) chooses special individuals and/or institutions to honor by inscribing their name on a granite star on the Walk of Recognition (or listing them on the Wall of Honor if they are deceased). The stars are under part of the commemorative monument beneath the Mizner statue in Royal Palm Place. This accolade is given to people who have worked in some way to enrich the lives of the residents of Boca Raton.

The award was first created in 1997 by Marta Batsmanian, who was present at this year’s ceremony on Nov. 6 along with her husband Jim. The Committee Co-Chairs were Marta Batmasian and Joyce DeVita; and the committee members were Denise Alman and Ann Schauer.

After having a ceremony for placing the name, there was a reception at The Addison restaurant with over 130 in attendance. Following a presentation there for the honorees, guests enjoyed dinner-by-the-bite at food stations with live entertainment in the courtyard.

This year’s honorees were Arthur Adler, Kerry Koen, the late George Barbar, the late Dr. Merrilee Middleton, and Florida Atlantic University.

BRHS&M Executive Director Mary Csar stated, “The Walk of Recognition event was a great celebration of community in a beautiful setting at The Addison. All of the inductees, and their representatives, had powerful and moving stories about their contributions to Boca Raton. I think that every person, who attended the event feels very fortunate to be living in this community. We are proud to be able to recognize people from all walks of life, along with a wide range of institutions, who have made a positive impact on the quality of life here.”

Also mentioned at the event were the new renovations happening at the museum — their History Alive! project to renovate the museum and make it more state-of-the-art and interactive.

The mission and the purpose, of the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum is to collect, preserve, and present information and artifacts, relevant to the past and evolving history of Boca Raton, and to maintain a visible role in education and advocacy of historic preservation in our community.

For additional information, on the BRHS&M, call 561-395-6766 or visit www.bocahistory.org .

By Gary Curreri

Kevin Mendez is in a select company after he became just a third boys diver in Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) history to win four straight diving titles.

The Lighthouse Point resident and Pine Crest School sophomore joined Brian Gillooly of Gateway (Kissimmee), who won diving titles in 1990-93, and Mark Ruiz of Dr. Phillips (Orlando), who won titles in diving from 1994-97.

Coincidentally, he is the third diver from the school to win four in a row as he joined Pine Crest’s Carolyn Chaney, who won four straight titles in diving from 2011-14, as did another Panthers’ female diver in Joel Lenzi, who won in 1956-59. 

There were three other girls divers to win four straight, including Cherie Hammond (West Orange, Winter Garden) from 2007-10; Mary Hoerger (Miami Beach) from 1937-40, and Patty Kranz (Westminster Academy, Ft. Lauderdale) from 2007-10.

Mendez’s win in diving this year in Stuart at the FHSAA 2A State Championships gives the state championship diving title to the Pine Crest School for seven years in a row.

In addition to his FHSAA accomplishments, Mendez has been a stellar USA Diving junior diver, winning nearly a dozen USA Diving National Championship titles.

“Probably the best thing to happen to me was winning states because I came back two months before the high school season after taking a year off from the sport,” Mendez said. “I did not expect to win states.”

Ely boys expect to contend for state title

One thing is a given, the Blanche Ely boys basketball team stumbles in the early season Kreul Showcase basketball tournament and then rises to the occasion during the state tournament at the end of the year.

Lamont Evans led the Tigers with 17 points and 5 assists in the 60-46 setback at the hands of St. Andrews at Monarch High School as part of the Kreul Showcase, which featured many of the top teams in South Florida.

Even in defeat, coach Melvin Randall was pleased with his team’s performance. 

“Tonight, we finally played Tiger basketball,” Randall said after the game. “It’s small steps, but we will get there.

You will see a humungous difference in the coming weeks.”

Blanche Ely (3-1) was shorthanded in the contest as they were waiting for Iowa State commit Dudley Blackwell to become eligible after transferring from Huntington Prep (WV).

“We are always going to learn from a loss and keep growing,” Randall said. “St. Andrew’s is a good, well-coached ball club and a good team. It is a work in progress. We are young and inexperienced, but (this) week you will see a huge difference. All this, like it has been in the past, we learn from this. We watch the film, correct some of our bad habits and praise some of our good ones and move forward.”

Last year, the Tigers opened the season with a 62-52 loss to University School in the Kreul Showcase as both teams went on to win state championships. 

University School won the Class 5A state title, while the Tigers won a record eight state championships in March with a 57-52 win over Bradenton Lakewood Ranch in the Class 8A championship at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

— To provide a safe route for motorcyclists participating in “The Toy Run” motorcycle parade, parts of I-95, I-595 and SR 84 will be closed from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. I-95 northbound will be closed from Hallandale Beach Boulevard to I-595 and I-595 westbound will be closed from I-95 to the I-595 westbound ramp east of Commodore on SR 84. Additionally, SR 84 westbound will be closed from Flamingo Road to Markham Park. The parade route runs from The Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach to Markham Park in Sunrise. A rolling opening will be used, meaning that once the parade clears a roadway, it will be opened to regular traffic.

The Broward Sheriff’s office will be providing more than 100 lieutenants, deputies, sergeants and community service aids to staff traffic posts along the event route. An estimated 1500-2000 people are participating in the event this year.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Piranhas Swim Team head coach Jesse Vassallo was recently inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame.

He was joined by fellow 2019 inductees, including Dr. Guy Harvey (Fishing), Tamara James (Basketball), Roberto Luongo (Ice Hockey), Otis James “OJ” McDuffie (Football) and Eddie Rodger (Soccer).

“It was a surprise for me,” Vassallo said. “I have been 10 years in Broward and I didn’t expect to be recognized that quickly. I am very honored. I know some of the other inductees and they are people that I have always admired and very proud.”

Vassallo, 58, of Pompano Beach, is a three-time World Record holder and obtained his first world record at the age of 15 when he was just a  freshman in high school. In 1976, he held the world record in the 400-meter individual medley (the toughest event in swimming), and again in 1978.

In 1979, he took over the world record in the 200-meter individual medley and was also a two-time US Olympian (1980 and 1984). Equally impressive is his National 13-14 age-group record in the 1,500-meter freestyle when he was just 13 years old. This record remains unbroken and still stands as the longest U.S. National Age Group record in history – even Michael Phelps admitted to Vassallo that Phelps was not able to break the record time of 15:31.03 at that age. 

Vassallo wanted to participate in the 1976 Summer Olympics, which were held in Montreal, Canada, representing Puerto Rico, but he could not participate due to a ruling of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee that stated that “in order to represent Puerto Rico, a person must have resided on the island for at least a year. 

Vassallo was unable to attend the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, Russia, because of the boycott imposed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He competed in another competition held in the United States, which was held at the same time as the Moscow Olympics. Vassallo made better times in the 200- and 400-meter individual medley event at the competition than the two gold medalists in Moscow.

Vassallo has also been inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the University of Miami’s Hall of Fame, the Puerto Rican Hall of Fame, and the Japanese Swimmers Hall of Fame. He has been on the covers of Sports Illustrated, the Olympian and Swimming World Magazine.

“I went through a boycott and some political things that were very frustrating to my swimming career,” he said. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fames, it really fills up a good spot. It means you are recognized for history.”

Bucks advance to semifinals

Deerfield Beach running back Jaylan Knighton ran for 93 yds and two touchdowns on 15 carries to lead the Bucks to a 35-7 victory over host Vero Beach in a Class 8A regional final last Friday.

Knighton also became the third back to surpass 5,000 yds in Broward County history.

Knighton, who missed the past week of practice due a bruised left thigh, has 5,054 career yds and is 23 yds shy of becoming second in all-time rushing yards behind the late Tyrone Moss of Blanche Ely.

Deerfield Beach (10-3) advances to the state semifinals for the third time in four years. They will face Miami Columbus Friday on the road.

By Rachel Galvin

Since its inception in 1984, the Youth Automotive Center (YATC), created by Jim Moran, has served as an alternative education program for kids. Not only do the students learn basic automotive repair, but also academics, job readiness and life skills. The company is located right here in Deerfield Beach at 399 SW 3 Ave.

On Nov. 9, they held a special Art of Success event, which included an open house of their facility during the day, complete with BBQ by L&B Catering, and fun activities and raffles. At night, they had an evening reception at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

At the Open House, Charles Whitehouse showed guests the room where he teaches job readiness and life skills. Before he became a teacher back in 1995, he was a student himself, starting in 1988.

Instructor Loren Kushner talked about some of the ways they train students on automotive techniques, often using videos to instruct some of the basics. He graduated from the program back in 1987. His father and uncle were in the automotive business. He always enjoyed working with his hands. Coming into this program got him back on his feet and helped him build a future. He ended up getting GM certified and became a technician before eventually applying to teach here.

“Before I was in the program, I was in a drug rehab for six months. As a kid, I was always taking things apart – the toaster, clock radio… My mom would say, ‘You can’t put that back together,’ but I always could. In 1986, my uncle said what are you going to do? Do you want to work on cars? And he told me about the program.”

Instructor Roger Lamoreal told guests about how kids received hands on experience working on cars. Their Harvey J. Rumsfield Memorial Automotive Training Shop was filled with cars ready to be worked on. He said cars are usually donated and kids fix them up, and, sometimes, the cars are given back to the kids.

“We try to teach them [the students] about team building and help them get into college,” said Lamoreal.

Heidi Gonzalez is the lead academic instructor. She is used to dealing with kids that have been through tough times. Before this, she was a probation officer.

“I have been here for eight years working with this population. I love what I do. Mr. Moran got it right. There is no other program I have seen that has had such a success rate. I want to keep the intimacy of the school. I wish other companies would get involved and somehow replicate this. I advocate that this is not the last stop. I sit down with them and ask, ‘What do you want [for your life]?’ We do an assessment test to make sure [they have basic skills they need]. We get them ready for their GED exam.”

She showed off a board that features names and pictures of all the graduates, something she leaves up to inspire new students.

“They can come in here 10 years from now and their name will still be on the board,” she said.

She added that JM employees come in on their lunch break to volunteer to tutor students as well, which is beneficial for the students, but also the JM staff, who are always about giving back to the community.

Students do not have to go into automotive after taking this program. Lisa Jacsaint, who is currently in the program, wants to get into law enforcement.

“This school is a good school. The teachers are wonderful. In a traditional high school, everyone is afraid to ask questions. But I sit here [in the front] and always ask questions. We do it over and over again until we get it,” she said.

Ranger Mervilus went on to drive a US Foods truck.

“YATC helped me get my CDL license. I graduated in 2003. It changed my life. If it weren’t for YATC, I don’t know where I would be right now. Words can’t explain how much they helped me. I’m in the process of buying a home next year. I got married and had my first son. I’m about to buy my own truck, and I am about to start my own business. It’s not just mechanics. I chose another route,” said Mervilus.

Nikolas Rattray said they also have field trips and other events. He said that after completing the program, he wants to get ASE certified and go to college for business.

He added, “Two of my [friends] got their GED here. [I thought I would come here] and put in the work and see the outcome.”

Micah Pinnock wants to go into construction after the program.

“It is a good program. It has a lot of benefits,” he added.

Khalel Williams started the school in September and he couldn’t be happier with the program.

He said, “I was hanging out with the wrong group of friends. It caused me to get arrested and go to court. The judge told me about YATC. I knew I liked mechanics. I love fixing stuff. When you take something that is broken and then see it working, it gives you that peace. I have nothing but good things to say about the program. When I was in school, I didn’t like the way the school system was set up. I come here every day so that should tell you something. Everyone is here to uplift you. They help you get your high school diploma. They also give you a 500 piece toolset and help you get into Toyota or Lexus.”

[Jim Moran, who passed away in 2007, created JM Family Enterprises, which is still the Southeast distributor for Toyota and also owns JM Lexus, located in Margate.]

The next event for YATC is their yearly Cool Wheels Car Show, which is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Quiet Waters Park.

For more information on this program, visit www.yatc.org.

By Rachel Galvin

The Polar Express^™ Train Ride is now open in Ft. Lauderdale (in conjunction with Brightline)! This is the perfect Christmastime event for the whole family. Wear your pajamas and hop aboard. The conductor will lead the way and several people may come up and punch your golden ticket to reveal something special you will have to remember and learn about along the way. Board in Ft. Lauderdale and get ready for an hour-long adventure. It feels like you are hopping into the storybook itself as characters, like the Hero Boy, Conductor, Know-It-All, Hobo and more come to life before your eyes. There is a story that unfolds right in the aisle of the train, as well as dancing chefs providing hot chocolate and snickerdoodles to passengers, and a surprise visitor who hops down on the train from the north pole to provide something special that everyone gets to take home. Kids can be helpers, marching down the aisle wearing antlers to become Rudolph or top hats to become Frosty, and everyone can sing along to some Christmas carols. You also get to help flip the pages of the big storybook as they bring it down the aisle. It really is a unique event that will bring a smile to your face.

At the media sneak preview event on Nov. 10, members of Brightline, Rail Events Productions and the Museum of Discovery & Science welcomed guests, followed by a preview scene by the Conductor and Hero Boy before everyone got their tickets and hopped aboard.

The Brightline station is located at 101 NW 2 Ave. in Ft. Lauderdale. Find out more details at www.ftlthepolarexpressride.com.