The 2019 Special Olympics athletes and hundreds of law enforcement officers from South Florida will lace up their running shoes to raise funds for Special Olympics at the 36th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. The 32-mile run will take place May 1st from 8 a.m. to 1:35 p.m. (See timeline below). This event is sure to affect traffic.

During the event, officers have the joy of bonding with the Special Olympic athletes and with every step they help raise awareness and support for the mission of Special Olympics Florida, which is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities.

The Special Olympians will carry the Olympic torch at the beginning and at the end of the run and will celebrate the completion of the run with a picnic at Dan Witt Park located at 4521 NE 22 Ave. in Lighthouse Point.

The Broward Law Enforcement Torch Run is part of a 1,400-mile statewide relay that culminates at the opening ceremonies of the Florida Special Olympics Summer Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista. Anyone interested in making a charitable donation is asked to contact Ms. Michelle Leonardo at Special Olympics Broward at 954- 262-2150.

For additional information concerning the run, please call Broward County Torch Run Coordinator, BSO Lt. Steve Feeley, at (954) 553-6147.

TIMELINE:

8:00 A.M. A1A & County Line

8:30 A.M. A1A & Hollywood Boulevard

9:10 A.M. A1A & Dania Beach Boulevard

9:50 A.M. Federal Hwy. & north side of Eller Drive overpass

10:20 a.m. 17th Street Causeway west of Bridge

10:50 a.m. A1A & Terramar 11:20 a.m. A1A & Oakland Park Boulevard

11:35 a.m. A1A & Commercial Boulevard

12:10 p.m. A1A & Atlantic Boulevard

12:45 p.m. Federal Highway & N.E. 24th Street

1:00 p.m. Federal Highway & N.E. 39th Street

1:20 p.m. Federal Highway & S.E. 10th Street

1:35 p.m. County Line (TOTAL MILES FOR RUN – 29.02 miles)

The Pioneer Park Boat dock will be closed in Deerfield for Boca Bash. In the meantime, people will be heading elsewhere to get on the water for this year’s event, to be held on Sunday, April 28. The Broward Sheriff’s Office promises to have extra enforcement on the water and land at Alsdorf Park, 2901 NE 14 St. in Pompano.

Pompano Beach deputies will work with “Boca Bash” event supervisors to monitor and control traffic for boaters and motorists using the park. BSO’s marine unit will also patrol the waterways.
Park visitors and “Boca Bash” attendees are encouraged to follow all laws and ordinances while at the park or on the waterways. Motorists will not be permitted to wait or park along Northeast 14th Street. Once the park is full, all boaters will be asked to find another boat ramp to use.
The public is reminded that the City of Pompano Beach prohibits the consumption of alcohol in its parks. Also, Florida law prohibits the operation of a vehicle, including boats, when the driver has a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher.

When We the People announced they had set up a debate for District 1 candidates at Royal Fiesta (1680 SE 3 Ct.) in The Cove on Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. candidate Michael Hudak declined to attend at first due to what he felt was a conflict of interest, but he has changed his mind, so both he and his opponent, Dan Herz, will be in attendance.

Hudak explained, “After careful consideration and some very good conversations with John Slattery of We the People of Deerfield Beach, Inc., I have made the decision to join the debate he is organizing. John, as requested, has invited both local newspapers to the event and has asked Dana Eller [Observer publisher] to review the questions for fairness and relevancy. I want to personally thank John for all of his hard work in putting this debate together.”

He continued, “The only thing missing now is YOU! This is what local government is all about; getting people involved in their community. Don’t let Facebook or Nextdoor tell you what happened, come out and judge for yourself, become an active member of our community. Please get the word out!”

Lenore Nolan Ryan

Lenore’s World Class Catering and Cooking School is in Galt Ocean Mile.

Muffaletta sandwich.

By Rachel Galvin

Walking into Lenore Nolan-Ryan’s location on Galt Ocean Mile is like a breath of fresh air. There is a sense of openness and intimacy at the same time. Filled with high and low tops and decorated in different shades of blues and whites, this locale is home to her Bubbles & Brunch, and Live2Travel, Love2Eat pop-up dinners, her cooking classes and other events.

This reporter “headed to the Bayou” last month for her Destination: New Orleans dinner. Seated with people I had never met, the experience was not only one of enjoying great food and getting a sense of the culture gastronomically, but also imbued with friendship and the creation of a culture of our own. Each item Lenore served up was inspired by her favorite restaurants in The Big Easy. The first brought to the table was the Central Grocery’s Muffaletta Sandwich. Now, I am not an olive fan, but something about the olives in this sandwich really made its flavor pop. The richness of the meat and cheese had a tangy kick that I could not stop eating. Next was Willie Mae’s Scotch House fried chicken, which was cooked well and left with a crispy skin. It was sided with red beans that tasted like they were flavored with sausage, a slightly sweet rice and some tomato and corn topping, as well as Upperline Restaurant’s fried green tomatoes and shrimp remoulade. At the end, she handed out some Cafe Du Monde beignets. Of course, she offers up specialty drinks as well, which make a nice addition to the meal. Every dinner she has has a different theme. Now, besides these dinners, she also has Bubbles & Brunch every Sunday. Want to learn how to cook up some of her specialties? She offers cooking classes as well.

If you are not up for meeting new people, bring some of your own to her next event. It is the perfect place for everything from a mother and daughter meet-up or date night, to a girls’ night out, a birthday party, bridal shower and more.

As I sat chatting with the people at my table, people kept coming over wanting to meet me and tell me about how much they love Lenore and the events she creates… one, right after another… saying they come again and again, each time bringing new people.

“We have a wonderful group of customers and friends,” explained Lenore, adding that she also does catering… People can have events within her space or she will come to them.“Catering is about me catering to you. It is my job to make you the hostess look like a million bucks, whether it is here or in your home. It is all about food, fun and friendship.”

Lenore is a force to be reckoned with. In addition to catering, cooking classes, dinners and brunches, she does cooking classes on a cruise ship and, off season, she heads to the Pacific Northwest to work on a charter yacht manned by all women.

Her history is just as interesting as her present. Her father owned the Cal-Neva Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada and went on to operate several casinos in Havana, Cuba. Lenore spent time there, as well as in her birthplace – Miami– before moving to Indiana with her mother following her parent’s divorce.

She did not start out thinking she would end up in the culinary world. She studied voice and piano at Butler University. But she asked the owner of a small restaurant if she could start doing brunch because she loved it so much and he obliged. She was only 19 years old. She brought in her own food and staff and ended up also starting her own catering business. She ended up moving to San Francisco and working at a friend’s restaurant doing the same thing before opening her own locale, Ryan’s, in 1980. This three-level location had not only a restaurant with lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, but also a charcuterie selection, gourmet take-out market, wine bar and cooking school.

Eventually, her heart took her back to South Florida shores and here to Ft. Lauderdale to be with family in 1998. She turned an Italian take-out location into Gina Lenore’s in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and two years later started Lenore Nolan Ryan Catering & Cooking School. Of course, now, she is in this new location (at 3311 N. Ocean Blvd. In the Galt Ocean Plaza in Galt Ocean Mile, and is busier than ever.

For more information, call 954-491-2340 or visit www.lenorenolanryan.com.

Fried chicken, red beans, rice, fried green tomatoes and shrimp remoulade.

Don’t forget to add a cocktail!

Women’s History Hall Of Fame recipients with commissioners (L to R) Marti McGeary, Vice Mayor Gloria Battle, Commissioner Todd Drosky, Bett Willett, Comm. Bernie Parness, Ginger Alvarez, Kelly Hampton.

By Rachel Galvin

Guests filled up the seats at the pink table-clothed tables at Johnny Tigner Center on March 31 for this year’s Women’s History Hall of Fame Brunch honoring four outstanding local women. Jan Muenzenmaier, who herself was honored in 2016, kicked the program off by introducing Vice Mayor Gloria Battle who, in turn, introduced Linda P. Knowles, of Emmanuel Christian Center Ministries, who did the invocation. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful brunch served up by L&B Catering followed by a humorous and powerful speech by keynote speaker Dr. Rosalind Osgood, who has served as a minister, community organizer, educator and author.

When she reflected over women’s history, Dr. Osgood came across some interesting “role models,” including Lucille Ball, who said the way to stay younger was to “live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age.” Cher, she said, had fabulous clothes, although some church women might think she exposed a bit too much. There was Esther from Sanford & Son who would fuss and fight with Fred Sanford. Then, there was Edith Bunker, from All in the Family, the ultimate submissive, who was called “dingbat” by her hubby Archie. From her example, Dr. Osgood said she knew she never wanted to end up in that situation. She wanted to be Jeanie from I Dream of Jeanie, a woman with power.

Today, women have #MeToo, she said, but it all started with Tina Turner when she left Ike and kept being and looking better and better. She went on listing other examples of influential women, everyone from Mother Theresa, who, instead of using money for “creature comforts, dared to care for people” to modern examples of powerful women like Beyonce Knowles. We have to be all things… lead in the boardroom and at home, she said, adding that our sole purpose should be to make life a better place.

She talked about the meaning behind the “Super” in “Super Women.” The S stands for “Servant,” saying, “As a super woman, you serve [others].” The U is for “Unpredictable.” She told a story of women who united and used their diverse strengths to get what they wanted. P is for “Providential.” She said that woman is part of God’s providential plan. E is for “Elegance,” which she said women bring to everything. R is for “Relentless,” she said, adding, “When women make up their mind, there is nothing you can do. [When they come together, they make a difference].” She said women are writing their own stories day to day. She joked, some are writing The Days of Our Lives; some are writing As the World Turns or Bold and the Beautiful.

“As we celebrate women’s history, how are you helping younger women?” she asked. “What are you doing to make [the world] a better place?” (While the left hand is pulling us up, she said women’s right hand should be pulling up a younger woman).

“What will [this event] look like in 2040 or 2050?” she wondered, asking if women no longer would have to worry about equal pay for equal work, working twice as hard to prove themselves and would be living free of gender bias, and focusing time on the women behind them instead of fighting fights.

Before she left the stage, she was pinned with the deer pin (for Deerfield) and given a plaque. The honorees also received a pin, in addition to their awards. Their names were also placed on a special plaque.

The Butts Boulevard Global Creative Dance Group also did a wonderful dance presentation.

The 2018 Women’s History Hall of Fame Inductees:

(All women are pictured with Vice Mayor Gloria Battle).

Marti McGeary

Born in Philadelphia, PA, Marti McGeary served as president of the Future Teachers of America and was a charter member of the National Honor Society, as well as a representative to the Model United Nations at the University of Pennsylvania. In Deerfield, she has been active in The Original Save Our Beach organization, the Woman’s Club, for which she is currently president, and the Historical Society.

Ginger Alvarez

Ginger Alvarez started a neighborhood watch program, with her husband Ed, in 1990. She created a CB radio C.O.P. Program, is a member of C.E.R.T., helped to create the Citizen’s Action Group, served on the local Planning & Zoning Board, as well as the Broward County Municipal Advisory Board.

Kelly Hampton

After working managing agencies involved in foster care, Kelly Hampton served as Executive Director at the Century Village Master Management Company for four years. Now, she has become the Executive Director of the Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Bett Willett

Currently co-president of The Original Save Our Beach, Bett Willett also has been a past president for the Deerfield Woman’s Club. She has served for four years as a member of the Broward County Planning Council and has recently been appointed to the Deerfield Beach Educational Advisory Board.

Butts Boulevard Global Creative did a dance performance.

The Woman’s Club always comes out to support.

A few Woman’s Club members with keynote speaker Dr. Rosalind Osgood.

Community activist Terry Scott with keynote speaker Dr. Rosalind Osgood.

Judi Stanich chooses her brunch selections wisely. Catered by L&B Catering, the brunch included chicken and waffles, eggs and more breakfast items.

The event, held at the Johnny Tigner Community Center, brought in quite the crowd.

Vice Mayor Gloria Battle with keynote speaker Dr. Rosalind Osgood. Dr. Osgood shares with the audience.

Ready for brunch… The honorees’ names will be put on this plaque.

Shaina Wizov, of Take a Bite Out of Boca, with Michelle Olson-Rogers, of Modern Boca Mom, enjoy Bubbles & Brunch.

It was a beautiful morning on Sunday, March 18, at the Bubbles & Brunch. The event was held within Robb & Stucky’s beautiful new showroom (which just opened in October) at 1353 N. Federal Hwy. in Boca Raton. Guests could grab a mimosa, glass of wine and sample cheeses, fruit and other selections before walking around to look at all of the furniture and design. Others grabbed a breakfast sandwich. Food was provided by Broken Egg Café. Music by Manhattan Jazz Band added a wonderful accompaniment. After a bit of mingling, Creative Designer Mark Stuart assembled everyone so he could give a brief talk on new trends and inspirations from Highpoint Market.

This is yet another event leading up to the big Boca Bacchanal event April 6 & 7. Friday will be the Vintner Dinners starting at 7 p.m. with a five-course meal (at private residences). Each dinner will feature a unique Saks Fifth Avenue silent auction item and more. Tickets: $325 per person. Saturday will be the Bacchanalia from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. Enjoy a wine and food event combining incredible food from over 30 local restaurants with world-class vintners showcasing their wineries’ best — all for attendees to sample. Guests will also enjoy a high-tech auction of wine and lifestyle lots. Casual cocktail attire.   Tickets: $100 per person. All proceeds benefit the Boca Raton Historical Society. For more information, visit www.bocabacchanal.com.

Broken Egg Cafe served up drinks like wine and mimosas, as well as breakfast sandwiches and other items.

Nothing like Jazz music to start your day.

Guests enjoying brunch.

Enjoying the ambiance and fellowship at Robb & Stucky’s event.

The Observer’s Rachel Galvin & Mugsy PR’s Emily Taffel enjoy event in Robb & Stucky’s showroom.

Creative Designer Mark Stuart gave a brief talk on new trends and inspirations from Highpoint Market.

Cinema Dave & Alice Cooper.

Over 40 years ago, Captain and Tennille’s Love will Keep us Together played on rotation on radio pop radio airwaves, while Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies and Welcome to My Nightmare played regular rotation on album rock radio (Anyone remember WSHE?)  While the Captain and Tennille enjoyed the comforts of a variety show on ABC Television, newlyweds Sheryl and Alice Cooper were torturing each other on stage on an international rock ‘n roll tour  A safe bet would have predicted that “Love would have kept” Captain and Tennille together, but the couple divorced after 39 years of marriage, while Alice and Sheryl still continue to strangle and stab each other on stage. Back stage Alice and Sheryl Cooper have been married 42 years, raised three adult children with two grand children (twins) and one more on the way.

The contrast between Rock Icon and family man is what makes Alice Cooper (born Vincent Furnier) such a fascinating individual. Alice is comfortable everywhere he goes. He can give a lecture at the Salvador Dali Museum in Saint Petersbug and then play 18 holes of golf during the regiment of a yearly 100 city world tour.  At the end of the year, the Coopers return home to Phoenix, Arizona to host their final concert of the year, Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding.

Unlike the slick two-hour concert tour, featuring snakes, guillotine, balloons and confetti, Christmas Pudding is an epic variety show that features diverse talent: Gary MuleDeer sprinkles comedy between two roof-raising renditions of Johnny Cash songs, Slash (Guns n Roses) and Ace Frehely (KISS) taking turns proving who is the greatest guitarist in the world, while local talent features a dance review of 1970s disco and Mariachi Juvenil de mi Tierra performs a series Christmas Carols with Mexican violins, horns, giant guitars and sombreros.

Proceeds from that concert go to the operations of  Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center. The Rock provide teens with a central place to learn, have fun and explore their creativity in a supportive and safe environment. Touring The Rock last December made me nostalgic for my Dillard School of Performing Arts days, while making me optimistic that the fundamentals of  the performing arts will be emphasized.  While some of the “Rock Teens” performed onstage, special attention was given to the young people backstage and behind the camera.

While keeping his core audience in good standing for four decades, there is a conscious effort to reach young people. For the School’s Out curtain call, it is usually a young person who throws balloons at the audience. His touring band is younger than  Alice, with the youngest being Nita Strauss, a 32-year-old heavy metal guitarist whose ancestry includes composer Johann Strauss.

For the most part, an Alice Cooper Show is strictly entertainment.  The themes can be lofty with symbolism and artistic merit, but the main goal is to entertain the ticket buyers.  However, last Saturday Night at the Orlando Hard Rock stadium, local headlines were acknowledged ( the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas) between the songs 18 and School’s Out. There was no politics, just photos of the 17 victims with support of the young people marching last Saturday.

His current Paranormal tour wrapped up on Holy Thursday and, on Easter night on Sunday, Alice Cooper will be typecast as  King Herod  in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC. As an actor, Alice Cooper embraces his devilish contribution to Andrew Lloyd Wright and Tim Rice’s controversial musical. As a Christian, Alice Cooper accepts his role as a villain while publicizing the gospel of Jesus.

Before commencing his “Christmas Pudding” concert, the Cooper family appeared on stage. While receiving two notes from his twin grandchildren, Alice and Sheryl Cooper just learned that they are going to be grandparents for the 3rd time.

All city facilities, with exception to the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier, will be closed on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 and Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017 in observance of Christmas. The Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center will be closed Sunday, Dec. 24 and Monday, Dec. 25. The Aquatic Center will reopen Tuesday, Dec. 26^th from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The City of Deerfield Beach will be adjusting the garbage and recycling collection schedule for the week of Dec. 25 through Dec. 30. There will be no service provided on Monday, Dec. 25 due to the Christmas holiday. Most services for the remainder of the week will take place one day later than normally scheduled.

All collections will return to normal starting Jan. 1. There will be no change in service for the New Year’s holiday

For additional information contact the City of Deerfield Beach at 954.480.4201.

The City of Deerfield Beach is currently monitoring the weather as it relates to the Wing Warrior Cook-Off this Saturday, June 10. At this time, the event is scheduled as planned. Should inclement weather come Saturday, the decision to cancel the event will be made by City administration Saturday morning by 11 a.m. We will have event updates available on our City Facebook page.

Should you have any questions regarding the event, please visit www.dfb.city/wingwarrior or call the Community Events and Outreach Division at 954-480-4429.

–By Rachel Galvin

It took about a year to prepare for this year’s Day of the Dead, in its seventh year, said founder Jim Hammond, who worked on writing the grant and filling out paperwork for sponsorships for at least nine months leading up to the big day. It took him about six months to work on the concept and design, and then the last final eight weeks are crunch time. With just 750 attendees in 2010, the event swelled to over 13,000 participants by 2015.

“We receive multiple grant,s but our first grant was the CIP grant from the Broward Cultural Division. Our first year, we received $2000 towards the event. Last year, over $19,000 went in CIP funds to our partner artists,” said Hammond. “We are also proud to be one of the few Broward based organizations who has received the prestigious Knight Arts Challenge Grant two years in a row as well as several other grants and sponsorships.”

His big part of the puzzle are the puppets. With a Masters degree in Puppetry Design from The University of Connecticut, he created his Sideshow Productions in 1996. He has designed puppets for clients like Florida Grand Opera, New World Symphony, Florida Philharmonic, Broward Center for the Performing Arts. He has worked as part of the puppet department of Disney’s The Lion King National Tour, and has been a spokespuppeteer for a series of Allegiant Airlines national commercials, and worked elsewhere.

For Day of the Dead, there will be about 45 puppets and 1000 skeletons. He created seven “super giant” puppets at 15 to 19 ft. tall, which requires seven operators each. They will have about 35 standard giant puppets ranging from nine to 12 ft. tall, as well a hundreds of other masks, banners and decorative objects .

“During the entire month of October the puppets go to over 25 events from Palm Beach to Homestead for pop up exhibitions, community events and free workshops. During the main event on Wednesday Nov. 2, the best place to see them is along the Riverwalk at 6:30 p.m. sharp. It’s a photographers dream!” said Hammond.

They have had 220 volunteers working with them to prepare the event, but they can always use more. To volunteer as a puppeteer during the parade, meet them at Huizenga Plaza, at 32 E. Las Olas Blvd. at 5 p.m. on Nov. 2. They will train you to be a puppeteer.

When asked how he got into puppetry, he said, “I’ve been a puppeteer since my earliest memory. I would tell stories as a kid using sticks and stones and found objects as the characters. My dioramas in 3rd grade had moving puppets on rods so they could be animated. I even had a small puppet company in elementary school where I would create puppet shows each summer in our backyard.”

He was inspired by the likes of Jim Henson, Shari Lewis and Captain Kangaroo.

“My first professional puppet gig was at 17 when I was hired by an amusement park in the Adirondacks called the Great Escape where I performed up to 21 shows a day over four years,” he said.

“As I matured as an artist, [the people I have connected with] most are often the unnamed craftsmen who created relics and icons of ancient peoples. This year, [my wife] Shelly and I traveled to Teotihuacan and Tula, [and elsewhere] in Mexico. Currently, that wealth of imagery drives my creativity,” said Hammond.

He added, “Another huge inspiration to me every day in the studio are my design collaborators. For a fourth year, my lead puppet designers are Sonia Matthews and Ronni Gerstel with David Goboff as head puppet engineer. They take my initial concepts and plans so much further than I ever dream initially. Any artist who can find that collaborative team to expand their initial dreams into reality will expand beyond their vision ten-fold.”

At this year’s Day of the Dead, they are adding two gallery shows, one showcasing photographic highlights from their first six years in Gallery 31 at Broward College/FAU and the second at New River Inn at the Fort Lauderdale Historical Center showcasing skeleton painter Heather Calderon. Both shows are open 4 to 8 p.m. during the event and are free. Also, on the Huizenga Plaza at 4:30 p.m., Fushu Daiko will be performing a concert connected to Japanese Ghost Festival and at 5:30 p.m., the Mexican American Council will bring their Youth Mariachi School and traditional Dancing Horses to do a performance that will lead into the Processional that begins at 6:30 p.m.

Day of the Dead is held Nov. 2 from 4 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. The celebration starts at 4 p.m. in Huizenga Plaza on Las Olas Boulevard where people can make masks and puppets, watch traditional live music and dance performances, and more. Officials from the Ft. Lauderdale City Commission and the Consulate General of Mexico will formally welcome participants at 6 p.m. At 6:30 pm, Hammond will lead the “Skeleton Processional, filled with puppets, skeletons, Mariachi musicians, revelers and more along the Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk towards SW 3 Avenue, and ending at the Folklorico Stage and Muertos Street Festival. Food trucks, traditional dance, interactive street performers, low riders, and original indie arts & crafts will be available in the surrounding area and in America’s Backyard nightclub. For more information, visit www.dayofthedeadflorida.com.

When not making puppets, Hammond and his wife of 23 years spend time with their four-legged kids Costello and Presley, renovating their 70+ year old antique Ft. Lauderdale home or doing some traveling.