Above (L-R) Karly, Cheyne, Linsey Cottrell, owners of Island Water Sports.

Video coming soon to ObserverTV

About 6,000 people filled the parking lot of Island Water Sports in Deerfield Beach last Friday, Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the first annual Daytime Radness.

Attendees were able to skate the VANS half pipe, pick up some free stuff from their favorite vendors like Quiksilver, Volcom and SkullCandy, and be a part of giving back to their community.

Event helped raise money for local and national charities including: Grind for Life, the Karen Rice Benefit, and Give Jeans a Chance.

Through the sale inside the store and raffle tickets, Island Water Sports and its sponsors raised more than $5,500 to help Karen Rice, who left for MD Anderson in Houston on Saturday.

More Photos by Diane Emeott

More Photos By Rachel Galvin

Hitting the halfpipe

This year, Island Water Sports cancelled its Midnight Madness, but in its place, they created Daytime Radness from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m on Oct. 21. Teens came in droves to the Island Water Sports parking lot where vendors like Vans and QuikSilver set up tents. A Van’s goat skate ramp was set up for teens to show their skating skills. There were raffle prizes and even a bit of a dance off. Kids mingled, shopped in the store and beat the heat with water guns. Proceeds benefitted The Observer’s Karen Rice, who is battling lung cancer. They also received denim jeans (over 700 pair) for the homeless.

Island Water Sports of Deerfield Beach was forced to cancel our 30 year running event, Midnight Madness, due to issues within the city. We were touched by all the support and feedback from the community, our friends, and fans. In response, we’re able to announce a new event – Daytime Radness.

Daytime Radness will be the largest surf & skate event in South Florida benefiting local and national charities.

Some of the highlights of this event include:

• Surf & Skate Giveaways All Day

• Van’s Goat Skate Ramp Open to Skate All Day

• Entire Store on Sale

• Denim Donations for the Homeless

• Benefit for Karen Rice & Grind for Life – Helping People with Cancer

When: October 21, 2011; 9:00am – 9:00pm

Where: Island Water Sports, 1985 NE 2lld Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

For more information, visit: Daytime Radness www.islandwatersports.com/daytimeradness

Give Jeans a Chance www.volcom.com/givejeansachance

Benefit for Karen Rice www.facebook.com/event.php?eid= 144962048935067

Grind for Life www.grindforlife.org

Founded in 1978, at Island Water Sports surfing is not just our business, it’s our blood. We are owned and operated by second and third generation surfers and skateboarders. Kirk Cottrell opened the shop in 1978. His kids, Cheyne, Karly and Linsey took their first steps inside the store. They now oversee the operations of the business and continue to uphold the commitment to serving the South Florida community.

Pink fire engines and pink patrol cars will be the center of attention as they parade through Deerfield Beach this Sunday for the Broward Sheriff’s Office Pink Heals Tour 2011, raising awareness and funds for cancer charities.

The Pink Heals Tour was first brought to Broward County in 2010 by firefighters from then-Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue (now, proudly part of the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue family). In continuing this tradition, BSFR, the International Association of Firefighters Local 4321 and the city of Deerfield Beach have planned a day-long, family fun event that, in addition to the parade, includes free entertainment, health screenings, food for purchase by local vendors and a survivor celebration.

Riding in the parade will be Sheriff Al Lamberti, along with BIG 105.9’s Paul Castronovo and his wife Gina, a cancer survivor, and Deerfield Beach elected officials. The parade will depart Quiet Waters Park at 11:30 a.m. and proceed north on Powerline Road, east on Hillsboro Boulevard and travel along the beach to the main beach parking lot located in front of BSFR Station 75 at South Ocean Way and Southeast First Street. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. followed by a fire truck pull, Police Athletic League boxing match from 1 – 3 p.m. (tickets for the match are $15 to benefit the Children’s Cancer Caring Center) and a free concert from entertainer Amber Leigh at 2 p.m. Luminaries on the beach honoring cancer survivors and victims at 7 p.m. will close the event.

There will also be fire rescue and law enforcement equipment displays and demonstrations, a car show, kids play area with bounce house and other family-oriented events.  For more information on the Pink Heals Tour 2011, visit www.pinkhealsdb.com or www.pinkfiretrucks.org.

William E. Bucknam

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 was going to be an exciting day for me. It marked the 20th anniversary of my employment as the Vice President & General Counsel for MWI Corporation in Deerfield Beach and, because of my involvement in securing the passage of the African Growth & Opportunity Act  in 2000, I was honored to receive an invitation to a meeting at the White House for a briefing on the Bush Administration’s African trade policy. That meeting was to take place in the Old Executive Office Building on the west side of the White House grounds in the early afternoon. As I often did, I departed West Palm Beach on the 7 a.m. US Airways flight bound for Reagan National Airport and I was scheduled to return on the evening flight on the same day.

As I walked off the aircraft at Reagan National at 9:03 a.m., I was about to learn that the whole world had just changed. Merle called me to tell me that two planes had just hit the World Trade Center in New York. I quickly walked outside to wait for a cab to go into town. For some reason, that line was much longer than any I had ever encountered at Reagan National. The US Airways terminal is the northernmost terminal at Reagan National and, as I waited in line, facing north, I watched a huge cloud of thick black smoke pass by.

When I finally got into the cab and was headed across the 14th Street bridge into D.C., I turned around and I could see that the Pentagon was on fire. The thickest blackest smoke I had ever seen was rising up from the far side of the Pentagon. That fact had not yet been reported since all eyes were still on New York. I called many of my friends from the cab to report the fire at the Pentagon. Once across the bridge, there was utter and complete chaos. In my entire life, I had never seen Washington like this. Traffic finally came to a grinding halt, and I gave up and decided to just get out and walk to my friend Warren Glick’s office. Cell communication suddenly stopped so it was impossible to get updates on the events of the day. As I walked to Warren’s office, I could hear many people on the street talking about another plane that was supposedly headed to D.C.

There was no television in Warren’s office, so we just sat and talked without really knowing exactly what was happening. We finally decided to look for a place to have lunch, and we learned that most of the restaurants were closing. We finally headed over to the Palm Restaurant, which was nearby and which remained open, and it was there that we had lunch. When we finally exited the restaurant, Washington looked like a veritable ghost town. There was virtually no traffic on Connecticut Avenue. The meeting at the White House had obviously been cancelled and, since all air traffic had been grounded, there was no way that I would be flying back to West Palm Beach that evening. I finally found a cab to take me to the home of my brother Bob in North Arlington.

It was only when I saw the television at Bob’s home that the magnitude of what had happened earlier in the day finally began to sink in. I learned, for the first time, that both twin towers of the World Trade Center had actually collapsed and fallen to the ground, that the Pentagon had been hit by a jumbo jet, and that another jumbo jet had crashed somewhere in Pennsylvania under mysterious circumstances. I sat there dumbfounded and I have often wondered ever since if my fate might have been different if US Airways had flown a jumbo jet from south Florida, where the hijackers had been based, to Reagan National instead of the much smaller Boeing 737.

The next day, Bob drove me to the Pentagon to assess the damage, and we got as close as we could get. It was shocking to see a large section of the Pentagon totally destroyed, and the pungent smell of burning human flesh that still lingered in the air remains with me to this day.

Since all air traffic was still grounded nationwide, I decided to look for a rental car to begin the journey back to Florida. I was lucky to find a car at Hertz, and, for $100, I could head home. I picked the car up on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 13, and I drove as far as South Carolina before I checked into a motel to collapse. I got up very early on the morning of Friday, Sept. 14 to continue my journey to West Palm Beach. While I drove, I listened to the remarks of President Bush at the prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral, and I was really moved. I think the entire nation was moved by what I felt was his best speech ever.

I finally made it back to West Palm Beach around 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon and Merle picked me up at Hertz and told me that I looked shell-shocked. In retrospect, I guess I was still in the state of shock, and I know that these are four days that I shall never forget. The irony of having been invited to a meeting at the White House on Sept. 11, 2001 is truly amazing.

By Rachel Galvin

Beginning on Sept. 9 and ending on Oct. 31, 25-year-old local FAU graduate Fabio Barbieri will venture on a harrowing and heroic 2,000-mile journey for 51 days across Japan to raise money for those affected by the March 2011 tsunami. His sojourn starts in Japan’s northernmost point at Cape Soya and ends at the Southern tip, Cape Sata. This is the Lighthouse Point resident’s first trip to Japan.

Barbieri, who attended Cardinal Gibbons High, but was a senior at Zion Lutheran and graduated from there, said, “I have traveled a lot and have always wanted to go to Japan. Having recently graduated with an MBA and being done with school for good, I decided to treat myself to a trip. I have been saving up money for a new car, but one day, I thought to myself ‘I could go the safe route … buy my car, get a 9-5 job right away and start saving for a house … or … what else could I do?’ At that point, Japan came into my mind, having always been a dream of mine to go there. So, after some research I figured that, with my budget, the only way for me to see the country would be to camp out. Finally, I said to myself, why not also make it into a fundraiser while I am at it? So I did, and came up with the idea to cycle the length of the country to raise money for disaster relief. You can’t really raise funds unless you do something out of the ordinary, so that’s how the idea came about.”

Barbieri, who graduated with an MBA in Operations Management, does not classify himself as a cyclist or a camping enthusiast, but obviously, he is a philanthropist, using his heart to lead him to give back to those in need. He is hoping to raise at least $5,000 in disaster relief.

Funds will go to Second Harvest Japan, a food bank that will ship supplies to affected people. He will be donating time to work with Second Harvest while in Tokyo. He also will work with All-Hands to help with rebuilding efforts.

Asked what he is most looking forward to, he said, “I am looking forward to reaching Cape Sata (the finish line) and screaming at the top of my lungs in satisfaction!” He added, “ I am afraid mostly of where I will be sleeping at night as I have never camped out in random places, or anywhere for that matter!”

Several companies have pitched in to help Fabio’s journey by providing supplies and discounted services that he may need along the way. He plans on camping out in a tent or possibly in the home of a kind stranger.

He hopes this effort will not only help countless people in Japan, but also open his eyes into a new culture and inspire others who follow his blog. To see pictures and videos of Fabio’s adventures along the way and to help him reach or exceed his goal by donating, visit his site: www.pedalforjapan.com.

Fabio Barbieri hopes to raise over $5,000 for Japan.

On Aug. 20, Deerfield Beach High School’s Class of ’81 celebrated its 30th reunion with a special gala held at Deer Creek Country Club. The day before, they held an all-class reunion at Bru’s Room in Coconut Creek.

Reunion Photos

Carrying the Olympic torch is quite an honor and one your teen could have if nominated. Coca-Cola is currently seeking nominations for teens that reflect their live positively values to do just that for the Olympics to be held in London in 2012. Ten teens will be selected to carry the flame around Oxford, England July 9-12, 2012 as it makes its way to London for the Opening Ceremony on July 27, 2012. Teens must live healthy and be active and encourage others to do the same. They must strive to make a difference in their community and must be active in helping our planet. To nominate a teen, visit www.LivePositively.com and submit and essay (150 words max) that expresses why this nominee is a great example of living positively. Nominees must be legal residents of the U.S. and between the ages of 13 and 18 as of July 25. Deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 15!

The Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce wants to partner with local restaurants to drive business during the month of August. Chamber representative, Marc Lowe, will be visiting 31 restaurants in 31 days. He will set up facebook events for each restaurant and link your web site if applicable. To encourage diners a 10% Off Coupon is provided below. Diners will print the Coupon and present it upon arrival at the restaurant. View Restaurant of the Day Calendar Diners will know which restaurant the Chamber Representative is visiting each day and will be encouraged to either dine with him but it is not required to dine with him in order to use the 10% Off Coupon.

Participating restaurants will receive:

45 days of advertising on facebook & Chamber’s website

Chamber Representative will blog all positive reviews

Review on 2 websites plus facebook (Urban Spoon & Trip Advisor)

Fee for participating restaurants is $35.00 for Chamber members or $45 for non-members Make check payable to: Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Deadline to enter is Tuesday, July 12th. Restaurant name will be added to the Restaurant of the Day Calendar when the Chamber receives application with payment. First come first served!

Chamber Representative will receive 1 meal & 1 beverage from the “Restaurant of the Day” Chamber Representative may go for lunch or dinner but followers can use their coupon anytime during the day.

Contact John Esposito for more information at 954.889.3210 or 954.415.4678

A Prize of $100 will go to the person that eats at the most restaurants (excluding Chamber Representative) and there will be a drawing in case of tie. Our calendar is filling up fast! It is urgent that you pick your date now!

Download Applications here

 Restaurant of the Day Calendar

1-Aug Olympia Flame Diner 80 S. Federal Hwy www.olympiaflamediner.com

2-Aug Barracuda Bar & Seafood 1965 NE 2 St www.barracudabar&seafood

3-Aug Beach Buns 1602 SE 3rd Ct www.beachbunsdeerfield.com

4-Aug BT’s Oceanfront Restaurant @Embassy Suites 950 S. Ocean Dr www.embassyflorida.com

5-Aug JByrd’s Muddy Waters 2237 W. Hillsboro Blvd www.muddywatersrestaurant.com

6-Aug Lil Ole Caboose 204 Powerline Rd

7-Aug Sweet Toppings 337 SE 15 Ter (Cove) www.sweettopping.com

8-Aug Deer Creek Grille 2801 DC Country Club Blvd www.deercreekflorida.com

9-Aug Oceans 234 234 N. Ocean Blvd www.oceans234.com

10-Aug Bru’s Room Sports Grill 123 NE 20 Ave www.brusroom.com

11-Aug Sushi Song 123 NE 20 Ave. Suite 11 www.sushi-song.com

12-Aug Muscle Maker Grill 230 S. Federal Hwy www.musclemakergrill.com

13-Aug

14-Aug

15-Aug CJ’s Draft House 1825 W. Hillsboro Blvd www.facebook/cjsdrafthouse

16-Aug Kahuna Bar & Grill 249 N. Ocean Blvd.

17-Aug JB’s on the Beach 300 N. Ocean Blvd www.jbsonthebeach.com

18-Aug Patio Bar & Grill @ Wyndham 2096 NE 2 St. www.deerfieldpatiobar.com

19-Aug Ruth’s Chris Steak House 225 NE Mizner Blvd www.ruthschris.com

20-Aug

21-Aug

22-Aug Bobby Bahia’s @ The Hilton 100 Fairway Dr

23-Aug

24-Aug

25-Aug

26-Aug

27-Aug

28-Aug

29-Aug

30-Aug

31-Aug Ruby’s Pizza Pasta & Subs 614 SE 10 St www.rubyspizza.com