Did you know there is an election on Tuesday, March 14 in Deerfield Beach? Not only are candidates up for election in District 1 and 2, including the incumbents, but there is an important referendum as well.

Right now, there is an empty 3.75-acre of land on 1045 SW 11th Way that has been sitting vacant and just maintained for many years. Now, there is a company that wants to purchase the land and develop on it. Many people have urged voters to vote YES for this as they contest that this development will be great for the local economy and lessen crime as well, rather than having a blighted area continue to be there. Others, have been concerned about issues like traffic… which is something the company is aware of and will be rectifying, according to a city representative on the matter.

Here is the question:

Shall the City of Deerfield Beach sell the approximately 3.75-acre property located at 1045 SW 11th Way to MBA Development Partners of Florida, LLC for $6.5 million for the purpose of creating a multi-use development with workforce housing, retail and restaurant space, a hotel, green-space, and other public amenities?

Yes — for the sale of the property
No — against the sale of the property 

You can do your own research. Here is more info. on the history of the parcel: Election Referendum Info – March 14, 2023 | Deerfield Beach, FL – Official Website (deerfield-beach.com)

Get out and vote!

By Rachel Galvin

The 17th annual Festival of the Arts BOCA kicked off on Friday, March 3 with a performance of the Festival Orchestra Boca playing the soundtrack of the Disney movie “Fantastia,” which played on the large screen behind them.

Festival Executive Director Joanna Marie Kaye introduced the orchestra, conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulos, festival music director. Before the orchestra began, there was also a showing of a short film called “Bella,” directed by FAU student Alfonso Gibson, who was able to get up with the film’s composer and say a few words. This was his first film.

Earlier, there were fun activities for the whole family, including a WLRN Instrument Petting Zoo, interactive art wall and face painting. There was also popcorn and cotton candy available.

This is just the beginning of the fest, which runs through March 12. From lectures to musical performances, to ballet, there is something for everyone. Some of the big names who will be in the mix include Grammy Award-winning Sergio Mendes, author, actor and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, prolific Jazz singer Nicole Henry and many more.

To see the whole schedule, visit www.festivalboca.org.

By Rachel Galvin

On Saturday, Feb. 18, Pioneer Days began with the annual parade. This year, instead of starting at Pioneer Park, it started from St. Ambrose and then headed to the beach. This year’s Grand Marshal was the Junkanoo band. The mayor and commissioners waved at people from cars, several people rode on floats and local and other bands performed. 

At the beach, the award winners were announced. The Best Overall award was named after The Observer’s own Jim Lusk, who passed away. Jim used to pay for characters to show up at the parade and help build floats every year, including The Observer’s float on which he hosted the Deerfield Beach Little League.

Awards:

Jim Lusk Best Overall Award: City of Deerfield Beach Management

Best Youth Group: Deerfield Park Elementary School

Best Business: Island Water Sports

Judge’s Choice: South Florida Iguana Removal

Best School Group: Stranahan High

Best Marching Band: Deerfield Beach High School

Best Church Group: Cathedral Church of God

Best Historical Group: Deerfield Beach Historical Society

The Boca West Children’s Foundation (BWCF) is out to break its record of collecting 180,000 diapers for The Diaper Bank, Covering South Florida, during its 8^th Annual Diaper Drive. Diapers can be donated by visiting bocawestfoundation.org or dropped off at Boca West Country Club on February 21 from 8-noon in the tennis loop. Diapers in size 4, 5 and 6 are particularly needed. 

Studies show that more than one in three American families experience diaper need. The Foundation has served as a major supporter of the Diaper Bank since 2016 as it falls within the organization’s mission to help programs that aid local children.  

“Clean diapers are as essential as food to eat and a place to live for a baby. Whether or not a child has enough clean diapers impacts not only the health of a child, but their parents’ ability to work,” said Pamela Weinroth, executive director/COO of Boca West Children’s Foundation.  “Last year the Foundation collected 180,000 diapers and we hope to shatter that record this year.”

Infants and toddlers who remain in soiled diapers for too long are at risk of urinary tract infections and skin infections.  Most child-care centers, even free and subsidized facilities, require parents to provide a daily supply of disposable diapers to care for a baby. Without child-care, parents cannot go to work or school.

Throughout the year, BWCF also accepts monetary donations for the Diaper Bank. A donation of $100 will purchase 400 diapers. 

A few facts about the need for diapers, according to the National Diaper Bank Network.
• Infants require up to 12 diapers per day, toddlers about 8.
• No state or federal child safety-net program allocates dollars specifically for the purchase of diapers.
• Without transportation, buying diapers at a convenience store rather than a large “big box” store can significantly increase the monthly cost of diapers.
• Most childcare centers, even free and subsidized facilities require parents to provide a day’s supply of disposable diapers.
• The Supplemental Nutrition Supplement Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, does not cover diapers.  
 

About Boca West Children’s Foundation

The Boca West Foundation was launched in 2010 and came about as a desire by the thousands of volunteers from the Boca West Country Club to give back to children in Palm Beach County. The Foundation’s mission is to identify and fund projects to assist children and their families in need in the area.  Since its inception, the Foundation has granted more than $18 million for specific programs for more than 30 charities.

For more information, visit www.bocawestfoundation.org, call 561-488-6980 or email foundation@bocawestcc.org.

By Rachel Galvin

Fashion lovers mark their calendars yearly for the Delray Beach Fashion Week. This year, fashion is back in the form of the #LoveDelray Fashion Experience. Held March 2-3, the event is presented by Old School Square and powered by the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority. As usual, it benefits the Achievement Centers for Children and Families.

The fun begins on March 2 at the Cornell Art Museum and Pavilion at Old School Square with a “Bikinis to Ball Gowns” Runway Show. At 6:30, there will be light bites and cocktails followed by the fashion show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 for general admission.

It is followed on March 3 with the “Love Your Way Thru Delray” Sip and Shop beginning at the museum again. This will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests will enjoy a light breakfast with champagne and mimosas at the museum, then shop at the downtown Delray Beach boutiques. Each will receive raffle tickets for each purchase to win prizes during the conclusion of the event. Tickets are $25.

There also will be the First Friday Art Walk #LoveDelray Artist Fashion Pop-Ups there from 6 to 9 p.m. This free event will feature the art of William DeBilzan, Amanda Johnson  and James Knill. Meet the artists, view their artwork featured,  including fashion on mannequins and live models, and enjoy the sounds of classical guitarist Dorian Avila from 6 to 8 p.m.

“Old School Square, the Delray Beach DDA and downtown merchants are proud to present #LoveDelray Fashion Experience benefiting the Achievement Centers for Children and Families,” said Laura Simon, executive director, Delray Beach DDA. “This year the event is a spinoff of Delray Beach Fashion Week, and incorporates art, culture and fashion. Join us for this unique, fun, and all-encompassing opportunity to share with our local residents and visitors the fashion, beauty and culture that is found right here in downtown Delray Beach.”

For more information and tickets, visit https://achievementcentersfl.ticketsocket.com/event/lovedelray-fashion-experience.

The 17^th Annual Festival of the Arts Boca, presented by the Schmidt Family Centre for the Arts,  returns to the Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real in Boca Raton, with a celebration of the arts through performances, lectures, and conversations from March 3-12.

“From the Young People’s Chorus of New York City and Young Singers of the Palm Beaches to the winner of our Young Artist Competition, flutist Kara Ravaschieri, this year’s program highlights our mission of promoting the spirit and talent of our youth,” said Joanna Marie Kaye, executive director of the Festival of the Arts Boca. She adds that everyone can attend worry-free: “The audience will continue to enjoy our open-air tented venue with ample, well-spaced seat placement.”

The Festival opens on Friday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. with Disney’s classic film Fantasia, remastered and projected on a giant screen and accompanied by Festival Orchestra Boca playing the soundtrack, conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulos, Festival Music Director.

Returning to the Festival is the legendary three-time Grammy award-winning musician Sergio Mendes and Brasil 2023, in an exclusive South Florida performance, and the very popular A Night at the Ballet: From Tchaikovsky to the Rolling Stones, with an all-star cast performing the most beloved classical ballets and new works set to contemporary music. Nicole Henry: Time to Love Again, will showcase one of our most acclaimed jazz singers in a new concert featuring her newly released CD, accompanied by a seven-piece band.

The spotlight on young performers includes Voices Rise: The Young People’s Chorus of New York City in a joint performance with the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches and Broadway star Christina Maxwell; Scheherazade and Solos, an enchanted evening centered around Rimsky-Korsakov’s romantic favorite Scheherazade and two inspiring young soloists, flutist Kara Ravaschieri (winner of the Festival’s Young Artist Competition) and violinist Hina Khuong-Huu, with Festival Orchestra Boca conducted by Music Director Constantine Kitsopoulos; and the Rotary Club Future Stars Competition featuring South Florida’s top high school singers and dancers.
 

The Authors & Ideas program features Lynne Olson, our era’s foremost chronicler of World War II politics and diplomacy, presenting WWII: Women in the Resistance, discussing one of the most crucial and effective spy networks during that time; 90 minutes with the inimitable Fran Lebowitz, author, actress and social commentator; and Charles Fishman, one of our most respected and engaging journalists discussing The Big Splash, how water is the foremost global challenge and an exploration of possible solutions.

Established in 2007, Festival of the Arts BOCA was designed to promote the cultural arts and to enrich the quality of life of the residents of Boca Raton, North Broward and Palm Beach County through an extraordinary series of performing arts events and lectures every March. The Festival has received numerous awards, most recently being named the No. 1 cultural event in the “Top 10 Florida Events for 2022” by Social Magazine.

Tickets for the 17^th Annual Festival of the Arts Boca range from $15 to $150 per person and are available at festivalboca.org or by calling 561-757-4762 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Virtual tickets to the Authors & Ideas events are available for $10. Admission to the Rotary Club Future Stars Competition is free.

By Rachel Galvin

If you have lived in Deerfield Beach for awhile, you cannot wait for February because it means Pioneer Days is coming. It means a parade down Hillsboro Boulevard and plenty of arts and crafts vendors and entertainment on the beach.

This year, the event will take place February 18 and 19 and they are bringing back the bonfire on Sunday night from 6 to 9 p.m. The Festival of the Arts, held on the beach, will host over 100 vendors, live music, food trucks & more.

The poster for the Festival of the Arts (on left) was created by Barbara Allen. There was a contest and she was the lucky winner. Allen is a photographer and digital artist living in Pompano.

Are you ready for the parade? The floats and bands, and other participants.  will line up at St. Ambrose Catholic School. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and will go East on Hillsboro Boulevard, North on AIA, past the pier then South along the beach. Please be aware of road closures. The theme is Parading Through the Decades. They have yet to announce their Grand Marshal for the parade.

Following the parade, there will be an awards ceremony at the beach. 

The fun on the beach starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m. on Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday. 

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

Saturday, Feb. 18

The Clean Slate Band, noon to 2 p.m.

Play It Again- The Luke Bryan Tribute Band, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Real Deal, 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Nostalijah, 6 to 7 p.m.

TBA, 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 19

Big City Dogs Band, noon to 2 p.m.

The Foreigner Experience – The Ultimate Tribute to Foreigner, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Chili Poppers – The ultimate Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute experience, 4 to 5:45 p.m.

For more information, visit https://www.deerfield-beach.com/1179/Pioneer-Days. ABOVE BANDS & TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

A personal note:

Yes, Pioneer Days holds a special place in this reporter’s heart. When we had Observer TV, I was out there interviewing people on the parade route. Jim Lusk from our office, who passed away last year, was always making sure to secure entertainers to help out the parade yearly. He brought in the Star Wars characters, Back to the Future actor impersonators, as well as a police car with a fake dog in the back that he loved. He also hosted the little league team, putting them on our Observer float, which he built every year, and serving them breakfast in the morning before the parade. The paper was a frequent sponsor of the team and also went out and took pictures of the games. Jim also helped build other floats or get trucks for people to use.

The Observer, when it was still in print, used to create a special section every year for Pioneer Days (and before that, it was Founders Days and, of course, before that, it was Cracker Days). The section wrapped around the regular newspaper and had information on bands, a message from the mayor, info. on the grand marshal, road closures and more. Many of us collaborated on that, although near the end, I was doing the bulk of it. It was quite an undertaking. The section was as long as the paper itself. 

Our graphic designers, when we had two of them — Leslie and Patrick — had a contest to design different ideas for the cover and then we all would vote on the winner. We had some great designs through the years.

I hope to be able to someday put all of those issues up online. In the meantime, here is one I had easy access to. It is the 2013 version: https://issuu.com/observernewspaperonline/docs/02-16-12__founders__days_

By Rachel Galvin

If you are a car enthusiast, you should know about the Cool Wheels Car Show. It happens every year and takes over the park at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield. This year’s event took place on Jan. 15.

The event benefits the Young Automotive Training Center (YATC). This  tuition-free nine-month program was created in 1984 by automotive giant Jim Moran. It teaches disadvantaged youth in basic automotive repair, academic remediation, job readiness and life management skills.

More than 1,000 classic and sports cars were on display in the park for this year’s show. Guests could take a look while listening to live music by Smokin Renegade, a Tribute to Boston and Styx. DJs Scott The Music Man, Lance Kohn and Eugene the human percolator were also there to provide some good tunes. In addition, there were food trucks and tents with merchandise and more.

Over 115 trophies and cash prizes were awarded. Gift bags and t-shirts were given to the first 300 cars to arrive at the event.

Coolest of Show – 1st Place went to John Pellicone for his 1969 Pontiac GTO. Second Place went to Michael Merlo for his 1957 Chevy Nomad. Third Place went to Walter Goldscheck for his 1968 Dodge Coronet.

For more information on YATC, visit https://yatc.org.

Making a difference: Gail Schmidt, Raihaana Ali, Claire Riccardi, Glenn Payne and Kurt Schmidt, were among those behind the opening of Nina’s Place.

By Rachel Galvin

A long line of people waited patiently on Saturday, Jan. 7 for the opening of Nina’s Place: A Free Community Market & Pantry.  The epitome of community helping community, this new endeavor allows people who are in need of sustenance, who may be down on their luck, to shop at no charge for items to add to their own cupboards. They also have a pantry for those who are unhoused.

Located at Zion Lutheran Church, 959 Southeast 6th Ave. in Deerfield Beach, the pantry and market are named for Nina McClelland, a longtime advocate for public health, a pioneer in drinking water and a leader in STEM and academia. Her aunt and uncle, the late Fern & Nick Mervos, were long-time members of the church, and in their memory, Nina made a significant bequest to Zion in her estate.

The opening of Nina’s included an early morning ribbon cutting with the president of the church council, Dr. Robin Larson, cutting the ribbon, and many of the people who helped to create the market and pantry were on hand, including members of the church and their partners from Deerfield Beach Community Cares, Flipany and others. 

They had expected about 50 families to show up but they realized they had almost 200. “I am concerned we do not have enough,” said Joel Smith, president & CEO of Deerfield Beach Community Cares. He was right. A mere two hours later, they were completely out of produce and many other products so he found himself making a grocery run to Walmart.

Besides produce, they had plenty of other types of canned products, pasta, baked goods, hygiene items, baby items like diapers and more. 

Because of limited supply, Smith said, they decided on operating on a point system. Everybody gets 20 points to use however they like. A can of tomato sauce might be one point and the pasta another, a potato might be one point but it is two for one, etc. 

Asked how this got started, Smith said, “The church has been incredibly gracious to Deerfield Beach Community Cares. Over time, they gave us an office. But in conversations, we realized you can’t change a person’s soul if they are hungry. If struggling to survive, those needs come first. Zion said, you know what, we have a room [to create a pantry].” From there, they worked with the church, the city and other organizations like Child Services Council of Broward County and Flipany to make the pantry and market a reality.

Dr. Robin Larson, president of the Zion Lutheran Church Council, and Joel Smith, founder & CEO of Deerfield Beach Community Cares, cut the ribbon to Nina’s Place.

They continue to look for partnerships and plan on getting food every week for those who register online and come in. They are looking for relationships right now with places like Publix and Costco.

Claire Riccardi, is the community ambassador for Nina’s Place. She has been working hard to secure those types of partnerships. “I go out to restaurants, markets, food locations, all establishments for all supplies that are needed whether its canned foods, supplies, local distributors.”

What they do bring in is high-quality but economical food. “They don’t have cheap stuff here. They have good quality products people can take home,” said City Manager Dave Santucci, who stopped by in the morning.

“This is a dream come true,” said Gail Schmidt, VP of the Zion Lutheran Church Council.

Shopping…

They plan on having some special events geared toward the homeless on the last Saturday of January, February and March. Not only will those who attend receive a backpack of hygiene and other supplies, but they hope to have clothing available, showers and other organizations on hand to help with much-needed services. This is still in the planning stages.

The hours for the pantry and marketplace are Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (subject to change). They also have a partnership with Door Dash to deliver to those who are unable to physically make it to the market.

More about Deerfield Beach Community Cares

Deerfield Beach Community Cares has some other events coming up, including an 8-week bike club for kids, including riding, going on field trips, like to BMX area, learning bike repair and safety, riding in an obstacle course and more. Kids get a free bike at the end. They also will have a free makeover for Valentines Day for the first 15 women who register online. See what else they are up to on their website, which is https://dfbcommunitycares.org.

To find out more about the pantry and market, including how you can register and how you can donate, visit https://ninasplacedfb.org. The pantry/ marketplace is located at 969 SE 6 Ave, Deerfield Beach.