By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

“Peace on earth. Good will towards man,” is probably the most favorite saying spoken or quoted during the Christmas holiday season. Even, it is said, the most liberal secularists who reject Biblical Christianity love to use this phrase and claim it as their own.

The “peace on earth” part, hopeful denial of reality that it is, is an eternal prayer that has yet to be answered. Certainly it is an aspirational “good,” and, though it may remain unanswered in all of our lifetimes, there is no more worthy goal for humankind despite that as individuals, it is a condition beyond our control.

So I have concerned myself with that which is within our control as individuals: “Good will towards man.”

Has there ever been a time when “good will towards man” is as far from the ‘collective consciousness’ as it is today? Well, probably historically, there has been, but I want to stay with the now. The residual “spill” from our recent past national trauma lingers in all the wrong places — in the hearts of those stuck in a mindset of righteousness, in people who sneer at the concept of being non-judgmental in a world filled with human beings who are more than one dimensional.

Many of us have difficulty with the concept that another person can have a belief system in total opposition to our own, with equal sincerity and purity of heart, and that such a person can indeed perform acts of kindness and can make positive contributions to their community.

This is what makes “good will towards man”such a challenge.

I am aware of how this past election cycle has torn families and friendships apart, and has caused serious rifts in some marital relationships. And, despite the innate wisdom of the mantra “Let’s agree to disagree,” the issues and circumstances for many of us were so deep-gutted as to have been symbolic of the very core of our beings. And disagreements along political lines can be perceived as rejections of who we are in the “I am what I believe” modality.

Somehow, we can more easily disagree about sports teams, movies, books, art, taste in clothes or home furnishings, or even, in the abstract philosophy than we can about politics, without impugning the basic character of another person.

So, in this relatively short–lived seasonal spread of overt loving and good cheer, I am “putting out” the hope that we can extend good will to the folks who voted whichever other way from your vote, that they did. And a reminder: This doesn’t make them bad people.

So, ho, ho, ho — it’s time for some levity. Here’s to a wonderful Christmas, Chanukah and whatever else you celebrate this month, and here’s to some serious “good will towards man.”

By “Cinema Dave”

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Thus far, the best seven minutes of sustained entertainment from the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) has been viewing The Boy By The Sea, a short subject from Latvia, directed by Vasily Chuprina. The premise is simple: an old, lighthouse keeper watches a boy skimming stones in the water. The sad boy tells his story and forms a new friendship with the old man. With minimal dialog (in Danish with English subtitles), The Boy By The Sea sustains its narrative, introduces interesting characters and provides visual symbolism that promotes heartfelt discussion. What Doctor Strange does with a $165 million production budget in two hours, The Boy By The Sea does in seven minutes. Kudos to Vasily Chuprina!

FLIFF wraps up this weekend, with the grand finale being held at Bailey Hall in Davie Sunday night. After an afternoon screening of Ed Wood, Best Supporting Oscar Winner Martin Landau will attend the screening of The Red Maple Leaf, a Canadian film directed by Frank D’Angelo, who also wrote the screenplay. Co-Sponsored by Steve Savor, Dr. Lucy Marrero, Janet Leavy Schwartz and Irwin Levenstein, Martin Landau will accept his Lifetime Achievement Award. On this night, the festival awards for best picture, best documentary, best short subject and other categories will be announced.

At 31 years, FLIFF has become the champion film festival of our community and has done so by respecting history, but with an eye on new trends and talent. This was never so evident than last Friday afternoon, Veteran’s Day, in which Palm Beach resident Arlene Dahl received her Lifetime Achievement Award and Ft. Lauderdale’s own Bailee Madison screened Anabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket, the 17-year-old actress’ first producer credit.

A veteran of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Arlene Dahl shared how her leading men were too serious (John Payne) and villainous character actors (Ted de Corsia) had a wonderful sense of humor. From her Norwegian mother, Dahl learned the value of hard work and to live a simple life. While being interviewed by Brooklyn college film professor Foster Hirsch, Dahl shared her first meeting with Clark Gable at a prestigious MGM gala. Intimidated at first by meeting this popular box office star, the two shared a wonderful evening discussing fly fishing. To see Dahl’s full interview, visit my YouTube Channel, www.YouTube.com/CinemaDave.

After flying in from Toronto, where she is shooting The Good Witch for the Hallmark Channel, Bailee Madison accepted her Young Filmmaker’s Award at the Savor Cinema. While generously sharing the spotlight with her Annabelle Hooper cast and crew, Bailee acknowledged each individual who wanted to meet her, pose with her or get an autograph. Since her last appearance at FLIFF four years ago, Bailee acknowledged receiving more attention and flash photography, given her body of work on the big screen, cable and broadcast television. She acknowledges how good it is to return home to South Florida.

The box office juggernaut for the Harry Potter prequel kicks off this weekend with J.K.Rowling’s, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is likely to have a trailer for Kong: Skull Island. The next week, the holiday Disney animated movie Moana opens featuring the voice of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which is likely to have a trailer for Beauty and the Beast, which stars an adult Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies.

Given the recent election cycle, we have survived some “beastly” days. However let us take the time to enjoy the “beauty” of the upcoming holidays. As I learned from The Boy By The Sea, beauty is where you find it.

If you are looking for a few treasures for the holidays, then check out the FLIFF Silent Auction at www.32auctions.com/FLIFF2016.

RE: Type of government – LHP

Dear Editor:

[Mr. Bentz is seeking to change the form of government in Lighthouse Point from a “strong mayor” system to a “city manager” based system, which he feels is more modern. He presented his points at a Nov. 8 commission meeting].

I have copied below a portion of our City Charter that sets out the powers and duties that a newly elected “strong mayor” must be ready to assume and to carry out.

1) Supervising, directing and coordinating the activities of the city’s executive branch including its operating departments.

2) Enforcing within the city the provisions of the charter, city ordinances and all laws of the State of Florida.

3) Exercising powers granted to him in this charter and the laws of the State of Florida, concerning the appointment and removal of certain administrative employees and members of boards, commissions and committees.

4) Submitting annually to the commission for its consideration an operating budget and a capital improvement program and budget.

5) Exercising such other powers and performing such other duties as may be prescribed by this charter, by ordinance or resolution, or by applicable laws of the State of Florida.

6) Unless otherwise provided herein, the mayor shall be the appointing authority of all officers in the executive branch, subject to the approval of the city commission.

What would the average business person, with no prior government management experience, know about our charter, our hundred plus pages of city ordinances and all laws of the State of Florida?

If I asked all our former mayors, most of whom were former commissioners, if they ever read our charter or code of ordinances before or after being elected, I am sure the answer would be no. Most of our mayors have been persons with full-time jobs or professions and with families to raise. How much time do you think they could devote to administering and being responsible for the activities of 50 or so employees and their department heads. At least our current mayor is a CPA and he may understand the internal working of our entire budget.

Think about our residents willing to seek election and serve as our new mayor. They should not be held responsible to cure the errors or mistakes that were made by prior mayors.

Leo L. Bentz

Lighthouse Point, FL

RE: Caboose’s rails moved

Dear Editor:

On Saturday, Nov. 5, we moved three 30 ft. sections of historic vintage railroad trackage from the old Florida East Coast Railway/Deerfield Builders Supply siding to the grounds of the Old School House Park.

Once again, the dynamic duo of Bill Muenzenmaier and Dan Bogner led the charge starting at O-dark thirty [at the site] with FEC Rail security and safety staff on-hand.

Abundant thanks to Joe Williams and Allegiance Crane for their seamlessly professional lift out, transport and spotting on the new rail bed at City Hall.

Again thanks to the Florida East Coast Railway for their generosity in donating the rail trackage.

As anticipated, many (actually most) of the 70-90 year old railroad ties did not survive the lift out and we’ll need to replace approximately 40. We have the ties on site at old Deerfield Builders Supply and will need to transfer them to Old School House site and mobilize labor to lift the track sections and position and spike in the replacement ties. Volunteers anyone?

The caboose’s interior has been completely gutted (thanks Bill and Dan!) and prepared for its ultimate restoration.

Roof repairs, already underway, will be completed during the next 10 days and then we’ll be ready for the big move.

Many thanks again to Charlie DaBrusco and his crew for the perfect site preparation. Outstanding!

Ed Dietrich, Jr.

Deerfield Beach Historical Society

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With much disappointment from both the publishing and motion picture worlds, Dan Brown’s Inferno made less than 20 percent of the film’s production budget. Inferno features the same formula we’ve already seen in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. The new film offers a new wrinkle in which our hero, Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), suffers from memory loss. With great location shots in Florence and Venice, Inferno is not a bad movie, just a tired one.

High energy will be needed for the next three weeks as the 31st Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) kicks off this Friday evening at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Dreamland is the feature film and it is truly a family affair. Directed by Robert Coppola Schwartzman, Dreamland features his mom Talia Shire and Beverly D’Angelo, who are expected to be in attendance for a Q & A and the opening night party. Most of the 43 feature films, 62 shorts and 20 plus student films with be screened at Savor Cinemas Ft. Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood. Savor Ft. Lauderdale will host an Italian Film and Party Sunday night at 6 p.m. and there will be the usual cruise on Sunday.

Seeking to be fair and balanced, Festival Director & CEO Gregory von Hausch will be screening Michael Moore’s Trumpland and Dinesh D’Souza’s Hillary’s America on Monday afternoon.

Later that evening, Chief Zabu will make its east coast premier. Produced over 25 years ago, this offbeat comedy features character actor Allen Garfield and Zack Norman (who also directed) as real estate developers who seek to build on a small Polynesian island.

On election night, the Savor Cinemas will feature a “Nail Biter Buffet” and live election coverage. Regardless of political affiliation, this should be a fun night for both winners and losers.

Veteran’s Day weekend will keep FLIFF’s tradition of interesting programming. Besides appearances from Arlene Dahl and Bailee Madison, there will be a free screening of Fury, a World War II drama about tank combat.

For ticket prices, times and all locations, contact 954-525-FILM or visit www.fliff.com.

Dear Editor,

In answer to Mr. Forman’s letter of last week, I wish to state I am in agreement with him when he says that in the past District 3’s commissioner forgot about at least half of the district. That has to change. Where a commissioner lives is not the problem, but how he thinks and acts is. Too many years have passed where a policy of us against them has been the accepted way you have been treated. We have to be united with each resident having equal representation. That way we can grow the District to be the best it can be. When all of District 3 along with Commissioner Ganz delayed the 10th Street project from starting by banding together and fighting to protect our whole district, we succeeded.

Bernie Parness

Deerfield Beach, FL

RE: Election

Editor’s Note:

The election is less than a week away. This year, it seems more than ever, lines have been drawn and people have adamantly declared their affiliations in harsh rhetoric, or they have, with frustration, said “none of the above.” Who you vote for is a personal decision and a right in our democracy not to be taken lightly. Who you choose will come down to what matters affect you and your family. Take the time to do the research for yourself on each issue and candidate to help you make the decision that best meets your needs and reflects your personal values. On page 7, there is a ballot for your reference showcasing issues and candidates that affect our area. The recommendations made do not necessarily reflect the opinion of all of The Observer staff.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

It’s almost over, folks. While the turkeys are skittering around looking for hiding places, we know that soon — very soon — phase one of our 21st Century “long national nightmare” will be over. Thank you, God, for that. But no matter how the election turns out, our many wounds will take time and attitude adjustments, before effective healing can take place or certainly before any of the promises of national salvation can even begin to come to fruition. It will be a time for serious auxiliary leadership to emerge with a plan to bring us together.

And for all the jabs we’ve sustained and the dire attributions of the diminished power of the United States on the world scene, we can still lay claim to our “greatness.” Thankful we can be, every day, that we are not living in any of the many war ravaged countries that can no longer sustain its people. Thankful we can be, every day, that our constitution guarantees that we can witness a regime change without bloodshed (we hope). Thankful we can be, as we stare at that half empty glass, yet we are able to see its half fullness. And thankful we can be for anyone and anything that can still make us laugh – no matter what.

And thankful indeed we can be for our sense of touch when offered by a friend or loved one to soothe a painful body or heart; for water still running and available at the turn of a faucet (we are praying for you, Flint); for the sight of a wild sunflower, a palm tree, an orange grove, a full moon and our Florida sun (when it is not hiding) and its sometimes frothing, sometimes calm, but still always there, ocean; and for mountains and summits beyond Florida and sources of transportation to get to all the “beyond.” Thankful we can be for a schoolyard of screaming kids and for loving grandparents still trying to learn to text; for old photographs borne of film (what’s that?) that remind us of the good old days; and for our freedom to respond with a polite ”no, thanks” as needed. Thankful we can be for the good people who show up to help during disasters and the good people who just show up; for the people devoted to all the “cures” of body, mind and soul; the sounds of music in private places and acoustical buildings, and in outdoor venues soaring into the airways, and lifting our spirits, that in some cases, inspire our dancing feet; for poetry, good and bad; for storytellers and painters with words, and brushes, and on stages; for people who run things and make things, and repair things, and imagine new things, and offer new ideas … and for people who protect us and our things, and for the lives of people no longer here, but whose legacy make our own lives meaningful. Grateful we are, too, for the mistakes we’ve made from which we have learned many a valuable lesson, and for the freedom to make more of them without having to live in fear; for the off-button on remote controls; and for broccoli, kale, smoothies and chocolate. And, we are oh so grateful for humility, forgiveness, choice and hope.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Add your own gratitudes and keep them in mind all year.

By Rachel Galvin

Halloween is just around the corner, which means it is time to get a costume. Wondering which one to choose? You may want to take a peek into Deerfield’s Costume World. Begun originally more than 40 years ago, this entity not only has costumes to sell, but also to rent. In fact, they are the largest distributor of costumes in the United States. If you have seen a theatrical performance, there is a good chance that the costumes within it came from Costume World. Owner Marilyn Wick also runs the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton so is using many of the costumes for her own actors and actresses.

As far as the retail store, they have a large selection of theatrical makeup, wigs, costumes for adults and kids and more.

When asked what is popular this year, Jadeane Deems, who is in charge of the theatrical division, said “Being that it is an election year, Trump and Hillary masks are popular. People follow what’s hot in movies and TV. Suicide Squad is a big deal. It is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek [so character costumes are popular]. Pikachu is huge again [thanks to Pokemon Go]. Star Wars is big. Pirates never go out of style. Pirates of the Caribbean brought it to the forefront.”

Ready to get your costume? Costume World is located at 950 S. Federal Hwy. in Deerfield Beach. They are open seven days a week from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. They may be extending their hours until 9 p.m. soon. For more information, call 954-418-0308 or visit www.costumeworld.com. In addition to the store here, they also have retail stores in Pittsburgh and Dallas.

By Gary Curreri

Lighthouse Point’s Sofia Caro can cross one thing off her sports bucket list.

The 17-year-old senior at Pine Crest scored her first varsity touchdown as the Panthers defeated visiting St. Andrew’s School, 28-8, in front of a raucous homecoming crowd at Best Field in Fort Lauderdale.

“I can’t really describe how I’m feeling,” said Caro, who scored on a fourth quarter, 2-yard run to seal the game. “All I can say is that I haven’t stopped smiling since … There’s nothing like it!”

Taking the handoff, Caro followed senior fullback Arjun Sandhu and junior offensive guard Robbie Fatovic 2 yards into the end zone.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Caro said. “My teammates, Arjun and Robbie (and others), cleared the way on the right side of the line. I spotted grass and hit the hole.”

Caro, who sports a 4.72 GPA in the classroom, also won the Clara Coleman Prize at her school last year which goes out to the rising senior who demonstrates versatility and merit as a scholar and student at Pine Crest School. Caro is a three-sport star at Pine Crest where she also excels in lacrosse and weightlifting.

As a sophomore, she was the only Broward competitor to make it to states in girls’ weightlifting placing 17th in her 139-pound weight class and last spring she was an all-county selection in lacrosse.

Caro, who played on JV for two seasons and took last year off to concentrate on lacrosse, is happy to be back. The 5-ft., 6 in., 140 lb. tailback said she had two goals. One was to score a touchdown, and the second was to win a championship with the football team. She can cross one of those off her list.

Pine Crest coach Troy Harrison said it was a special moment.

“She did a great job of following her lead blocker, finding the hole and crossing the goal line,” Harrison said. “The crowd went crazy, the team went crazy.”

Hearing the announcer call her name on Friday nights gets her pumped. The cheers from the crowd are reminiscent of the 1993 movie, Rudy, about a walk-on player at the University of Notre Dame.

“I’m on top of the world,” said Caro, who also plays linebacker in defense. “Hearing your name called is something special and it is something I haven’t really experienced in any other sport that I have played.”

Caro is the second female football player to play varsity football at Pine Crest. The other, Anna Lakovitch, was a placekicker and soccer star at the school from 1995-98 and attended Harvard University. South Plantation’s Erin DiMeglio became the first female quarterback in Florida high school history to play in a game in 2012.

Pine Crest, which won for the fourth consecutive week and improved to 4-1, faces King’s Academy in West Palm Beach this week.

Bucks roll again; top Taravella, 61-0

Deerfield Beach must enjoy the turf at Coral Springs High School as for the second consecutive week it rolled to a shutout victory over a District 11-8A foe.

Deerfield, which improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in District 11-8A, scored nine touchdowns and wrapped up the game in the first half as it cruised past Taravella, 61-0, last Thursday night. The team defeated Coral Springs at James Caldwell Field the previous week, 30-0.

Bucks senior quarterback Nick Holm returned from a concussion after sitting out the win over the Colts and threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including a 65-yard pass to junior receiver Cornelius McCoy on the game’s first play from scrimmage.

Holm also completed a 14-yard scoring pass to senior Jerry Jeudy and a 6-yarder to senior Leroy Henley. Backup QB Alec Brown, who threw for three TDs in the victory over Coral Springs filling in for Holm, picked up where he left off and passed for 146 yards and two TDs.

Junior tailback Jakari Norwood rushed for 87 yards on eight carries and three TDs, while senior Lafleur Limprevil tacked on 95 yards rushing.

The point total was two short of the team record for Deerfield, which leads in the season series between the two teams, 23-6.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

School is routine already. Vacation picture albums are stashed with the others which, after you’ve flashed them umpteen times on your smartphone, some will morph into hard copies, and you won’t look at them again until the next time you move.

You might take one last trip to see the turning of the leaves, but most likely you won’t. Instead, you will remember the last time you did. You might marvel at the fact that the ocean water is still warm and wonder if it has always been warm in October; and, if not, what’s up with that?

You might smile initially at the ubiquitous orange and black wherever you go, but will get sick and tired of it before Oct. 31. If you are planning to indulge in Halloween festivities for adults or kids, your creative brain has been cooking for a while. And somewhere within your soul, you have become aware that 2016 is on its last legs and that what you have to look forward to for the rest of this year is serious shopping, holiday parties, and, in some cases, the loneliness of being far away from family, and a few reflections on the overall quality of your life choices.

Maybe you’ll purchase some new spiffy seasonal clothes. Or, you will go into the back of your closet and, voila, come out with some “OMG, I forgot I had this. I haven’t worn it for 100 years.”

You are happy that daylight-savings time, which usually terminates in October, doesn’t end until the first week in November. Sunshine and light, after all, are one of the reasons for being in Florida.

You will be happily ensconced in your favorite chair for the return of Sunday and Monday night football, unless, of course, you’re like me, an aberrant, and couldn’t care less about football.

And you are prepared for the every four-year October political surprise that will emerge at the end of the month, but you won’t change your mind, no matter what about how you plan to vote. You are registered to vote, right? It’s not too late to request an absentee ballot in case you have an aversion to standing in line. In Broward County, call 954-712-1903. In Palm Beach County, call 561-656-6200 to have your ballot sent to you. Do it NOW.

And here’s the big event for which you will need to make preparations. It’s the post-election let-down. Well, sure there will be some immediate chatter about what happened and why, but the high theatrics are likely to subside. We’ll go back to murders, car crashes, rape, corruption, predictions about the holiday, retail economy and political grand-standing (and most likely paralysis) regardless of who wins. But the big question is – what will happen to the Donald Trump show, if he wins or if he loses? Will we face serious withdrawal symptoms if he becomes presidential? Or, if he slinks back into limited notoriety, what will we do for entertainment?

Yes, I know. This is serious stuff, folks, but if we lose our sense of humor, then all is lost.

Hail to October, the beginning of the end of another year and a good time for reflection on the year, so far.

By Rachel Galvin

Walk toward Deerfield’s ocean breezes, head down near the pier and into Cafe Med, a ristorante that is both elegant and welcoming.

“We are an extension of your dining room,” said General Manager Diego Oppo, whose goal is to make the atmosphere classy but not stuffy.

The staff, from the managers to the waiter, is very hands-on and goes out of their way to make you feel at home.

“Giving good service doesn’t cost any more,” added Diego, who makes sure the staff is well-trained. “The only thing we don’t change is the personality of the server.”

Personality abounds here as everyone is like one big family, most hailing from Italy to add an air of authenticity.

The restaurant, which was revamped in 2012, has a new chef, Lillo Teodosi, who was at Boca Raton’s Caruso Ristorante before this and worked in Chicago for 30 years before that. Teodosi is originally from Rome, Italy. He also lived in England for five years working on a cruise ship so he has learned international flavors.

“When you hear these guys saying ‘I learned how to cook from my mama, don’t believe it. My mama kicked me out of the kitchen. Boys weren’t allowed. But I worked in restaurants since I was 9 years old. My mom wanted me out of the house,” he said.

What he brings to Cafe Med is not only authentic flavors but simple, light recipes. He loves seafood and has a wide array of steaks available. The meal begins with crispy bread and a choice of three sauces – an olive tapenade, a red bell pepper sauce and a chimichurri sauce. Then, have one of their appetizers, everything from fried calamari to grilled octopus. As for entrees, one of their most popular items is their hog snapper. Lighter than a mahi mahi, it comes with mashed potatoes, asparagus and lemon caper berries. The hog snapper is so popular that a restriction has been placed on fishing for them, making them even rarer. Here you can find fresh seafood salad or figs and prosciutto with goat cheese – both light entries perfect for a hot day. For something more filling, try the Farrotto al Tartufo, farro made risotto style with black truffles, Porcini mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and Parmigiano. It is rich, wonderful and satisfying. Farro is an ancient grain, similar to barley, and is packed with protein.

“All of his dishes leave you not feeling super full. His fettuccine Alfredo is so light with more cheese and less cream,” said Oppo, who said many of the chef’s dishes take him back to his own childhood.

Pair whatever selection you choose with one of their many varietals of wine, like their light but dry Savu rosé, or get a mixed drink whipped up by the mixologist using fresh herbs. Make sure to end the evening with one of the chef’s homemade desserts, including a melt-in-your-mouth tiramisu, as well as crème brulee, key lime cake, ricotta cheesecake and more.

They also have breakfast available from 7 to 11 a.m. (12 p.m. on weekends). They have everything from omelettes and Eggs Benedict to waffles, pancakes, French toast, Monte Cristo, smoked salmon on a bagel and more. One of their most popular is the lobster omelette or lobster wrap. When breakfast is through, they close for four hours and re-open for dinner.

Listen to live music every night and sit inside or outside on the patio. They also host private events like rehearsal dinners, holiday parties, corporate dinners and more.

Café Med is located at 2096 NE 2 St. in Deerfield Beach. For more information, call 954-596-5840 or visit www.CafeMedDeerfield.com.