By Gary Curreri

The 7th Annual Women’s Invitational Golf Tournament benefiting Women in Distress was a great success as more than $22,000 was raised for the local organization. A total of 32 teams with 128 players took part in the tournament at the Pompano Beach Golf Club’s Palms Course. This year’s charity tournament, produced by the Colony West Women’s Golf Group, was moved from the Colony West course because their clubhouse with a restaurant is under construction.

“The money raised for Women in Distress by the tournament was $22,315.01,” said Tournament Chair Jan Parke. “It is the most amount that our tournament has every raised.”

Parke said the overall amount raised for Women in Distress is $87,813.22. The Tournament Naming Sponsor –  Norman & Bettina Roberts Foundation, Inc. – donated a $10,000 check for Women in Distress and that was arranged by Tournament Assistant Chair Alberta Bove.

The winners of the Low Gross competition with a 66 were the Damn Damsels composed of Taffy Brower, Nancy Hersey, Elise Gordon and Mechelle Brown. Four shots back in second place was the Carolina Babes, made up of Kris Boogren, Molly O’Neill, JoAnn Feindt and Suzanne Rho.

The Birdies and Blossoms were the winners of the Low Net competition after they carded a 50.4 score. That team was Pam Cromwell, Joyce Gelli, Nancy Bigwood and Nancy Rose Peduzzi.

Other Low Net winners were: 2. Wicked Stix, who was composed of Janet Anderson, Penny Eppy, Marilyn Hughes, Renate Hood, who shot 50.6; 3. The Swinging Springers, which was made up of Wendy Furth, Pam Schiff, Sue Ann Burns and Nancy Burns, who shot 51 (won tiebreaker); 4. DJCM’S, composed of Donna Casey, Mary Mahan, Connie Cluen and Janet Burt, who carded a 51; 5. (The team of) Par-Fectionists, composed of Jean Cerra, Dale Stallings, Donna Henderson and Gail McLellan, who shot 51.6.

The Closest to the Pin winner was Debbie Davis, while the Closest to the Wiggly Line winner was Barbara Brody.

Mary Riedel, the president and CEO of Women in Distress Broward County, Inc. also spoke at the luncheon and described the organization.

Other committee members included Geri Thomas (registration), Natalee Jones (prizes), Mary Bock (goodie bags), Jackie Rogazione (hole signs) and Penny Eppy (miscellanies).

“We had a lot of the players who talked to me and our committee saying they enjoyed the tournament and it was very organized and asked if they could sign up that day for the 2020 tournament,” Parke added. “Many liked the drawing prizes, including 25 foursomes from golf courses and the special prize of seven days at the Pokolodi Lodge in Colorado — they bought more for tickets. I was pleased that we had so many teams that played in previous years,” she continued. “We always let them register before we put the opportunity to the public. This year, 28 teams out of the 32 were previous teams with most of the same players.”

By Gary Curreri

Defending champion Marianne Weber braved not only the competition but also the elements in winning the Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association’s Club Championship recently.

Weber shot a three-day total of 257 to win the Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association’s Club Championship by four shots over rival Mimi Denoma. It marked the second straight title for Weber in winning over Denoma, who won the club title in 2017.

“We had three days of horrible weather,” said tournament chair Jan Ruck. “Tuesday was 25-30 mph winds, Thursday was rain on last 6 holes, with hail and thunder on the last hole, and, on Friday, it was 60 degrees cold to us. It was tough conditions.”

Janet Stuart shot a 281 to take the second Flight Low Net title, while Deb Ladig was runner-up with a 289.

Pompano Beach golf results

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held an Individual Class Play (low net in classes) tournament on Feb. 27 at the Pines Course. In Class A, Terry Denoma carded a 64 to take first place, while Roy Wilhoite shot a 67 and won the tiebreaker to finish second. Chuck Brown also shot 67 and won the match of cards to take third. Andy Burt shot 67 to finish fourth, while Bill O’Brien and Jim Greeley each shot 69, however, O‘Brien won the tiebreaker.   

Jim Dunn carded a 65 and won a match of cards over Patrick McClain (second) and Mike Marruquin (third). Jim DeCicco shot a 68 and won a match of cards with Bill McCormick for fourth place, and Pete Strychowskyj shot a 70 to finish in sixth.

In the Class C Division, Bob Mascatello shot a 63 and won the match of cards over Mike Grimaldi. Don Worrell was third with a 66, while Harlen Tyler shot 67 and won the tiebreaker over Dave Danielian. Jim Blake placed sixth with a 71.

In Class D, Jim King shot a 69 and won on a match of cards over Dick Steffen. Dave Dowling was alone in third with a 71. Three golfers each shot 72s and a match of cards determined Bill Bradford (fourth), Don Halliday (fifth), Tim O’Brien (sixth) followed.

Jim Blake won the closest to the pin contest on hole No. 7 when his ball came to rest 4-ft., 7-in. from the hole. A field of 62 golfers took part in the event.

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held an Individual Class Play (low net in classes) tournament on Feb. 20 at the Pines Course.

Bob VanZandt shot 63 to take top honors in the Class A Division. Finishing in second was Bill O’Brien with a 65. Bill Delaney was third with a 67, while Jim Greeley placed fourth after carding a 68. Roe Messner and Andy Burt each shot 69; however, Messner got the nod for fifth winning the match of cards.

In the Class B Division, Patrick McClain won with a 63, while Joe Patchen (64), Bill McCormick (65), Jim Dunn (67), Oscar Aleman (68) and Bo Lankenau (70) were close behind.

Class C was won by Paul Berning who carded a 66. Jim Blake was second with a 69, while Bob Mascatello was third with a 70. Lee Hammer shot a 71 and won the tiebreaker over Mike Grimaldi. Scott Feinman finished in sixth place with a 72.

Dave Dowling shot a 66 to take first in the Class D Division, while Tom Harrington shot a 69 and won the tiebreaker over Dave Hall, who finished in third place. Brian Nixon shot a 70 and won a tiebreaker over Jim King. Henry Lesburt carded a net score of 72 to finish in sixth place.

Besting the other 71 players in the event in the closest to the pin (hole No. 3) was Bert Welage, whose tee shot nestled 10-ft. from the up.

Photos by Diane Emeott

With a new chef and healthier options

By Rachel Galvin

If you travel into Boca Raton just north of Yamato on Military Trail, you will find a very interesting shopping locale called Park Place, which opened two years ago but may still be unknown to many. The open air feel and fresh modern architecture are quite inviting. Within this shopping oasis, you will find several eateries, including Prezzo, which opened a little over a year ago. If that name sounds familiar, it should. You may remember Prezzo from years ago. It became a popular hotspot after originally opening in west Boca in 1989 bringing with it one of the first wood burning pizza ovens to South Florida.

Executive Chef Patrick Delay just started with Prezzo back in August. This up-and-coming chef was nominated for the Eater 2019 Young Guns award (the winner will be announced this summer) and is the youngest in the restaurant group, which includes Max’s Grill in Mizner Park, as well as Deck 84 and Burt & Max’s in Delray.

He has recently added some new items to his menu to accommodate those seeking healthier options. His veggie forward focus includes vegetable lasagna made with butternut squash noodles and other hearty, but healthy, ingredients. They also have zucchini noodles. Many items are easily made gluten free upon request.

A must-try is the Quinoa & Squash Salad — a light but filling option. Roasted chicken lays atop quinoa and arugula, mixed with pieces of roasted butternut squash and zucchini, sprinkled with dried cranberries with added pumpkin seeds for texture, made with balsamic vinaigrette.

A nice traditional entrée with a healthier spin is their chicken marsala. Rich with flavor, the chicken falls apart easily with a fork and pairs nicely with cauliflower cous cous, which serves as a great alternate base for the dish, and savory mushrooms.

Seeking comfort food? An option like baked rigatoni, which has a pop of flavor with its added crumbled Italian sausage, is a nice choice. It also has broccoli, red pepper flakes and parmesan cream.

They also have chicken, pork, seafood, pasta, pizza and more, so there is plenty to eat. Many items have carried over from the original Prezzo, like their fusilli pasta, roasted garlic breadsticks and their wood oven-baked apple tart, which makes for a nice light dessert (The best part is the cinnamon gelato on top).

There are plenty of specials here, including a 12 for $12 menu (including a beverage) Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a half priced happy hour daily from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.— buy one entrée, get the second one half off.

There is a full bar with a happy hour from 12 to 6 p.m. (from any seat in the restaurant) with wine by the glass specials and ½ priced beer and spirits. Enjoy live music on Thursdays from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on the outdoor patio. This is a great spot for a date night or family outing.

Prezzo is located at 5560 N Military Tr., #300, in Boca Raton. For more information, visit www.prezzoboca.com.

By Gary Curreri

Blanche Ely basketball coach Melvin Randall promised his team could be special. It turns out he was right.

The Tigers won their eighth FHSAA championship and second Class 8A title in a row with a 57-52 victory over Bradenton Lakewood Ranch on Saturday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. It marked the second consecutive game that Blanche Ely erased a double-digit deficit to pull out the win.

The Tigers (25-6) closed out the season on an 18-game winning streak since a 64-47 loss to Tampa Hillsborough in the Charger Classic two months ago at Suncoast High School.

Aderes Staton-McCray led the Tigers with 19 points and the win meant that the Tigers have won more state championships than any other school in Broward County. They were previously tied with Dillard at 7. Lamont Evans added 12 points and Malachi Hazelton chipped in with 9 points and 6 rebounds before fouling out.

Joshua Scott also became the first player in school history to win three championships, and he celebrated the moment with a T-shirt documenting his 2016, 2018 and 2019 titles. The front of the T-shirt had three photos of Scott with three championship rings superimposed over his body. The back of the shirt read: “The first to ever do it!”

“It’s really a blessing,” Scott said after the game. He finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds despite playing with foul trouble. “This one is more special, probably because I’m the first person at Blanche Ely to get three.”

Blanche Ely nearly didn’t make it there when they erased a 15-point halftime lead against Windermere in the semifinals to win 56-54. Hazelton had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the win, while Tyrecke Francois had 12 points in the win.

“Like I always say, it’s a blessing. I’m a very, very blessed man,” said Ely coach Melvin Randall, who has won seven of the Tigers’ eight titles. Wade Edmond won the other one in 1993.

“I know how hard I work,” added Randall, who also won titles at Deerfield Beach in 1997 and 1999. “I know how hard I work these kids, and they stepped [up] to the challenge. And they’re the ones that really, really deserve this moment.”

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line becomes home run sponsor

The Deerfield Beach-based Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line has partnered with Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium to offer a fan a chance at a two-night cruise during Miami Marlins Spring training games in addition to the Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals play their regular season at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium April through September.

“We are thrilled to bring the excitement of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to thousands of baseball fans at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium during both Major League Spring Training and the Minor League regular season,” said Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line CEO Oneil Khosa. “This partnership solidifies our commitment to show locals and visitors everything Palm Beach County has to offer. You can go from a fun ball game to a quick getaway on a whim.”

Every time the home team hits a home run, the unmistakable Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line horn will sound, images of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s ships will display on the 35-foot Jumbotron and one lucky fan will have the chance to win a Bahamas Paradise cruise courtesy of the cruise line. 

“We are very excited to start a new partnership with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line,” said Mike Bauer, general manager of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. “They provide a first-class experience and we cannot wait to introduce our fans to their gorgeous ships and vacation packages.”

Kickoff party for upcoming Boca Bacchanal

By Rachel Galvin

On Feb. 12, a sophisticated set gathered at Boca Raton’s Saks 5th Avenue in the Town Center Mall for Bacchus Beckons, a much-anticipated kickoff party in which guests could discover more about upcoming Boca Bacchanal events and at which the vitners for the Vitner Dinners were announced.

If gastronomy is your game, then you will want to mark your calendar for a food lover favorite – Boca Bacchanal, held April 4 to 6.

The fun begins on Thursday, April 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. with a new addition – Bubbles & Burgers. This is a casual way to meet this year’s featured chefs while getting a taste of specialty burgers, and different champagnes and wines. It is held at Boca Beach Club at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Tickets are $75 each.

It is followed on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. with Vitner Dinners, which will be held at local private homes and historic venues. Guests get the chance to taste the creations of acclaimed chefs, paired with picks from local vitners. This is a most coveted 5-course VIP dining experience. Tickets are $350 each.

The fabulous Grand Tasting will be held on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. also at Boca Raton Resort & Club, at which guests can get a taste of signature dishes from top chefs as well as sips from premier wines and champagnes. There will also be silent and live auctions. Tickets are $125.

Don’t miss the VIP party for an hour prior for an additional $75 (must be purchased in conjunction with a Grand Tasting ticket). Guests will gather dockside at the Resort’s marina and enjoy a special menu and wine list, as well as have a chance to meet this year’s vitners.

For more information, including listing of all vitners and chefs for dinners, and to purchase tickets, visit www.bocabacchanal.com.

By Gary Curreri

Highlands Christian Academy coach Davidson Loriston Sr. looked back at his 2018-19 boys soccer campaign with pride.

After not making the postseason last year, the Knights not only made the postseason, they won the district title and advanced all the way to the Class 1A regional final before losing 2-1 to host Lakeland Christian. It was their first trip to the regional finals in 19 years.

Along the way, Highlands Christian (11-8-2) needed penalty kicks to defeat St. John Paul II Academy for the district championship and,two games later, needed double overtime to defeat the Eagles again.

Highlands Christian lost in the regional quarterfinals in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, and in 2017 to Trinity Christian, 1-0, when they had last made the postseason. The Knights also lost in the regional semifinals in 2004, 2005, 2014 and 2016.

“It was amazing,” said Loriston Sr., who moved up to head varsity coach after coaching the middle school program at the school. “I told the kids that we had to work and do our part and God would take care of us. They all bought into it. 

The team received strong play from goalkeeper Daryl Carney, who logged 1,180 minutes played and posted four shutouts along with forward Jonathan Pereria, a junior, finished as the team’s leading scorer with 24 goals, and 3 assists. Pereria scored the lone goal against Lakeland Christian in the regional final. Carney left the regional final with a concussion just 15 minutes in, which also hurt the Knights’ chances.

Loriston Sr. said he didn’t even talk about winning the district championship.

“Honestly, when I met with the team, I told them my goal was not to win district,” he said. “I told them my goal was to make it to the final four. From there, the kids believed it.

“My team overcame a lot of things during the season,” Loriston Sr. said. “There were times when we just sat down and talked. I told them to worry about the things they could control and nothing else. I told them not to worry about it. This is your stress relief. Just go out and have fun.”

He said the team had two rallying points. The first when Thiago Nery was lost for the season to an injury and the second when they dropped a 3-0 decision to St. John Paul II Academy at home.

“After that game,” Loriston Sr. said, “we went around in a circle and each kid talked about what they could do better. The next two times we played St. John Paul II, we beat them. They deserved everything that they worked for this year.”

The team also benefitted from a trio of midfielders in sophomore Payton Caja (6 goals, 4 assists), and seniors Thiago Nery (8 goals, 10 assists in 14 games), and Lor Louis (4 goals, 7 assists). Unfortunately for the Knights, they lost Nery to a broken collarbone in a loss to Pine Crest last in the season.

Senior defenders Kyle Coulson (4 goals, 5 assists) and Ronison Exavier (2 assists) also played well in the back. Loriston also cited the efforts of freshman midfielder Moses Edson (goal, 7 assists) and junior defender Raphael Nery (goal, assist).

By Rachel Galvin

Famed interior designer, jewelry designer and author Hutton Wilkinson left California to pay a visit to South Florida. First, on Jan. 31, he went to the newly opened Jay Feder Jewelers (at 6859 SW 18 St. in Boca Raton) (www.jayfeder.com/bocaraton), where a party was held as he launched his Tony Duquette Jewelry Collection in style. The following day, he went to the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum to present his newest book, “Tony Duquette Dawnridge.”

Guests were delighted to hear stories about how his once-partner designer Tony Duquette got his start and about his famous home. The home was built in 1949 by Tony and his wife Elizabeth. It was a simple structure — 30 x 30. But the home he created would become the go-to place for many of the Hollywood set, including Fred Astaire, Marion Davies, Loretta Young, Arthur Freed and Mary Pickford, among others. Tony had some luxurious parties in his home, complete with everything from Indian dancers to Chinese acrobats, bringing an exotic flair. When not living in the home, they rented it out to famous tenants like Marlon Brando and Eva Gabor. They soon bought the home next to Dawnridge, which they also rented out, but it burnt down in 1974. When the home was torn down, they used the land to create beautiful garden terraces. The expansion of Dawnridge would continue. The home — its interior and exterior — looked like a faraway land, like Japan, Austria or South Asia rather than Beverly Hills and it was used for many fashion shoots as well. The couple also bought other properties.

Hutton worked with Tony and, after Tony and his wife’s passing, he and his wife Ruth decided to purchase the home and to remodel it. Today, Hutton maintains the home and continues to run the jewelry company that he had with Tony.

People can now purchase his “Dawnridge” book, with its 256 pages and 300 color illustrations, and see the transformation of the home through the years and read more about its history.

For more information on the book, visit https://tonyduquette.com/tony-duquettes-dawnridge.

For more information on the Boca Raton Historical Society, visit www.bocahistory.org.

By Gary Curreri

The annual tradition of face painting, hot dogs and various contests, including a home run derby helped kickoff opening day for the Deerfield Beach Little League on Saturday. 

“We’ve been in this fine city for 62 years,” gushed Deerfield Beach Little League President Jason Siracusa. “This is our second season with a new board of directors and we are looking forward to an even better year this season.”

Siracusa said the difference between last year and this year is that they are coming off a championship season. He would know firsthand as last season, Siracusa coached the Junior Division team to the state finals where they finished runner-up.

“Our league has grown since last year and our registrations are up,” said Siracusa, who said there are now 20 teams in the program. “Our sponsorships are up and we have a lot of new families, especially in the younger divisions which is really the future of our league. 

There are approximately 250 players in the league, from ages 4 to 16, Siracusa said opening day was a success. There was a tug of war between coaches and players, a cornhole competition, home run derby, fast pitch and a “triathlon” which consisted of hitting, throwing and running for the younger age groups.

“It was a great day,” Siracusa said. “We had a couple of more events. “The mayor and a couple of city commissioners were here and this was really about bringing everybody together for one time without any baseball, without any games going on. It just gave everybody a chance to get to know each other.

“We had our competitions, a BBQ and then off we go, the season starts,” Siracusa added. “This year was a lot easier than last year. We’ve embraced technology. We built a good foundation last season and we are more streamlined this season, financially and structurally. Building on that, we did a lot of online registrations. We have apps for the managers to help keep track of their teams to communicate with their teams and it makes it a better experience for everybody.”

 Siracusa said the top goals for the program this season is more championships, competitive baseball through both the city’s games and interleague play with neighboring communities in both the junior and 50/70 divisions. The league will consist of T-Ball, Coach-Pitch, Majors, 50/70, Junior and the Seniors, which will begin play in May after the high school season. Siracusa said running the program takes a lot of work and he credited the effort of the volunteers for keeping them on track.

“We didn’t get in all of our uniforms until yesterday,” Siracusa said. “We changed our uniforms this year too. The uniforms are brighter and they seem to be a bit more fun. We have the kid’s names on the back and we have Deerfield Beach in large letters on the front so everywhere we go, we are representing our city. We wanted to make sure we put out a good vibe from our city. 

Angel Davober, 9, of Pompano Beach, a Cresthaven School third grader, said he has played the sport since he was 4.  

“It’s fun and cool because you get to play a lot of different positions,” said Davober, who plays third base, second base and outfield. “I like playing third base the most. Today was awesome because you got to do a lot of different things.”

Deerfield Beach’s Neile Thomas, 14, of Deerfield Beach, has played in the league since he was 6. 

“There is a lot of good stuff to like about the league,” said Thomas, a Pompano Beach High School freshman, “It is very family oriented. The coaches put their players’ safety before winning, but we win too.”

Thomas was a member of the state runner-up Junior Division team a season ago.

“It’s pretty cool to get your name on a banner because you can come back in a couple of years and people you know you can say, ‘I was on that team,’” Thomas said. “On a scale from 1 to 10, that was like an 11. Going to a state tournament was like one of the coolest things I have ever done. Hopefully, this year we will go to states again and win it this year.”

By Rachel Galvin

On Feb. 7, a new restaurant opened on Pompano Beach called And Fish Kitchen + Bar. It can be found within the Ft. Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa (at 1200 N. Ocean Blvd) just steps from their large outdoor pool (where they have another more casual dining restaurant). The interior design of this new locale was created by Bigtime Design Studios of Miami and it gives a nod to the nautical. Guests can try their modern cuisine with an emphasis on seafood or grab one of their specialty crafted cocktails from the open bar. They have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m.

For the grand opening party that night, they removed most of the 115 seats to make room for guests, who mingled and enjoyed some free cocktails, as well as passed hors d’ oeuvres. Other guests did a little dancing at the end of the evening, after posing for photos with an ice sculpture, which had seafood like octopus embedded within it. It was a real community event filled with media personalities, business people and food lovers. They also did a ribbon cutting and gave $3000 to the Shipwreck Park Foundation.

And Fish Kitchen + Bar accepts reservations. Call 954-944-9515 or visit www.opentable.com.