TODAY
The election for the District 2 seat on the Broward County Commission is being held today, Thursday, December 4^th

Coconut Creek from the Florida Turnpike west to S.R. 441 and south to McNab as well as portions of Fort Lauderdale. According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, only registered Democrats are allowed to vote in this election.
The Observer highly recommends that you vote for Charlotte Rodstrom today.

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach’s Karen Ondo has only played in the Broward Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament a handful of times; however, she is happy she did this year as she and 65 other women braved the miserable weather at the recent tournament at Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation.

Ondo, 66, won First Flight of the tournament with a twoday total of 158. She was also the top low net player in her Flight with a 5-under par, 138. The First Flight played shorter distances than the Championship Flight. Plantation’s Ann Fulginiti, 61, captured the Champ i o n s h i p Flight when she carded a two-day total of 162.

“I never keep track of my score,” Ondo said. “I know if I am doing okay or not doing okay. To me, it is the course and me. I think it is a challenge. I love it.”

Ondo, who was previously VP of Communications for Broward Health and now consults in health industry, didn’t play last year. She wasn’t sure if she was going to play this year, as she was a last minute entrant as she drove two straight days from her North Carolina summer home to make the tournament.

“I had no expectations,” Ondo said. “I was surprised when I saw the scoreboard (after the first day). I was shocked. My strength is my putting, my driver and my irons so it really set up nice for me.”

Ondo has been playing golf for 19 years. She said there was too much business being done on the golf course and wanted to be good enough to play in the charity tournaments so she took lessons and told her boss at the time (Richard Schirey) that she was going to hit the links.

“I said I am playing in this tournament and he said, ‘you don’t play golf’ and I said, ‘yes I do.’ So he made me go out and play with him and I beat him on the front nine of Inverrary and he said, ‘I think you can play golf.’ He bought me a windbreaker that day,” she said. “I’m happy about winning this,” Ondo said. “I’m great. It’s great the way the tournament turned out. It was iffy for me to even sign up because I knew we were just getting back from North Carolina. When I saw the weather today, I thought maybe they’d call it and just tell us to go eat lunch. The weather actually was better today than it was the first day.”

Pompano Beach High School’s girls volleyball team came up short in its bid for a Class 5A state title when it fell in the regional finals to visiting Merritt Island, 25-18, 25-17, 16-25, 26-24.

Despite the loss, it was the farthest the Tornadoes had ever gone in a season following previous losses in the regional semifinals, including last season to Cardinal Gibbons (25-17, 25-18, 25-22, 25- 15). Pompano Beach defeated rival Cardinal Gibbons three times this season en route to a 23-7 mark.

“I told them to be proud of what we accomplished,” said Pompano Beach coach William Strachan. “It was a good year. They (Merritt Island) just outhustled us.”

Pompano Beach junior Cassidy Bonito led the Tornadoes with 24 digs, 23 assists and 13 kills, while Casey Calhoun added 27 digs and 23 assists.

The men and women of the Broward Sheriff Office are mourning the loss of a dedicated colleague, Deputy Daniel Rivera, who died Saturday night of injuries he sustained in a car crash. He leaves behind a 14-year-old son, Damian Luis Barrio, and many other grieving relatives, friends and coworkers.

Visitation for Rivera will be held Thursday, Sept. 26 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Pompano Beach, 138 NE 1 STreet, Pompano. The funeral is 11 a.m., Friday, September 27 at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, 2401 W. Cypress Creek Road, Fort Lauderdale. Interment is at Our Lady Queen of Heaven, 1400 State Road 7, North Lauderdale.

Deputy Rivera, 32, started with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in 2003. He served in the agency’s Department of Detention until May 2012 when he transferred to the Department of Law Enforcement. He was a road patrol deputy in BSO’s Pompano Beach district. He was driving on Interstate 95 just before sunrise on Sept. 11 when his car left the roadway and hit a tree.

“Our entire agency is feeling the loss of this young, brave deputy who was taken too soon from his family, friends and coworkers,” Sheriff Scott Israel said. “I am praying for Deputy Rivera’s family to find comfort and strength during this time.”

Deputy Rivera was a confident, hard-working deputy who loved fitness, dancing to Latin music, rooting for the New York Mets and being with his friends, family and his girlfriend. He was born in Brooklyn and attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and Florida Atlantic University. Deputy Rivera was an auxiliary police officer with the New York Police Department before moving to Florida at age 19. He attended Church by the Glades in Coral Springs.

Other survivors include his mother, Miriam Cuin, a captain with the New York City Department of Corrections; father, Antonio Cuin, a warden with the New York City Department of Corrections; sister, Jessica Ducos; brother, Carlos Ducos; grandparents, Moises and Maria Hernandez and girlfriend, Andrea Mendez.

Fourteen people were taken to four hospitals in Broward and Palm Beach counties after a bus and two cars collided in Deerfield Beach, according to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.

It happened around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday in District 2 a residential neighborhood just south of Hillsboro Boulevard near Dixie Highway, Sheriff’s spokesman Mike Jachles said.

Broward County Transit bus# 50  and two passenger cars crashed at the intersection of Southwest 4th Street and 2nd Avenue, he said.

A woman and a one-year-old from one of the cars were taken to West Boca Medical Center. 12 additional patients  were transported  to North Broward Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center and Boca Regional Hospital, all by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, Jachles said.

VIDEO OF THE SCENE ON OBSERVERTV

DEERFIELD BEACH – Broward County residents are invited to view new preliminary flood insurance rate maps for the County at three public open houses, November 14-16, 2011. Flood maps show the areas at risk for flooding, and help determine flood insurance rates and building requirements.

Open house dates and locations are:

Monday, November 14, 4-7:45 p.m.
South Regional Library
7300 Pines Blvd.
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

Tuesday, November 15, 4-8 p.m.
Volunteer Park Community Center
12050 W. Sunrise Blvd.
Plantation, FL 33322

Wednesday, November 16, 4-8 p.m.
Herb Skolnick Center
800 S.W. 36 Ave.
Pompano Beach, FL 33069

Property owners — both homeowners and business owners — renters, realtors, mortgage lenders and insurance agents are encouraged to attend the open houses and take advantage of this opportunity to meet one-on-one with specialists, including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other local representatives, to ask questions and learn more about flood risk within their communities.

Broward’s preliminary maps have not yet been officially adopted. Maps will become effective after a public comment period, during which property owners can submit appeals and protests if they can show that any parts of the maps are in error.

For more information on the flood map timeline and new building elevation standards for Broward County, visit broward.org and click NEW BROWARD FLOOD MAPS under Hot Picks. There is also an interactive map viewing tool that allows residents to enter their address and determine their flood zone designation and flood risk.

Reports from the National Weather Service have indicated an extremely wet and windy weekend, and while we here at Observer Newspaper aren’t meteorologists, take precautions as you travel this weekend. Report below from National Weather Service: http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ172&warncounty=FLC011&firewxzone=FLZ172&local_place1=Pompano+Beach+FL&product1=Short+Term+Forecast

In short, look at the image to the right and the blue and red indicates high levels of rain, wind and moisture headed to South Florida.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF SOUTH FLORIDA...INCLUDING THE
  FOLLOWING AREAS...COASTAL BROWARD...COASTAL MIAMI DADE...
  COASTAL PALM BEACH...FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE...INLAND BROWARD...
  INLAND MIAMI DADE...INLAND PALM BEACH...METRO BROWARD...METRO
  MIAMI DADE AND METRO PALM BEACH.

* THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING

* PLENTY OF DEEP LAYER MOISTURE SPREADING NORTH OVER THE LOCAL
  AREA WILL LEAD TO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF RAIN THROUGH THE
  WEEKEND. RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE 3 TO 6 INCH
  RANGE THROUGH THIS TIME WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
  POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER THE COASTAL AND METRO LOCATIONS.
  RAINFALL TOTALS OVER THE PAST 12 TO 24 HRS HAVE ALREADY REACHED
  THE 1 TO 2.5 INCH RANGE. THESE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AMOUNTS
  COULD CAUSE FLOODING OF ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS THROUGH
  THIS TIME.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

Broward County commissioners have passed the FY 2012 budget, keeping the tax rate the same as last year’s. Despite no increases, the budget will be lower by $7768.7 million and the combined millage rate for the county is 5.553 or $5.553 per $1,000 in taxable value. The flat millage rate means the county takes in about two percent less, or $20 million than last year for a total reduction of $257 million since 2007.

The major of taxpayers will experience either flat or reduced taxes on the Broward County portion of their tax bill. Some may see an increase, but typically only if their property value has increased or the homestead recapture rule allows for a three percent increase.

The FY2012 budget provides funding to reopen County parks full time, extend library hours and maintain public transportation and social services.

Other service enhancements include the mid-year opening of the Young at Art Museum and Children’s Library whose operations will be primarily funded by Young at Art. In addition, the Northeast Transit Center will be opening in the fall. This center will provide seamless transfers between four Broward County Transit fixed routes and two municipal community bus routes and will serve as a drop-off location for commuters. There is also a full year budget for the new Inspector General’s office, mandated by voters last year.

Broward County Commissioners want to save the Broward County postmark, prevent hundreds of lay-offs and insure that mail is processed locally.

Today, Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution opposing the closure of the Pembroke Pines and Fort Lauderdale U.S. Postal Processing Centers.

The Postal Service is studying the closures and consolidations of 252 post offices nationwide in an effort save $3-billion a year.  The Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines facilities are among those on the chopping block.

“This means that mail sent from Broward County to a local address could take up to three or more days to arrive.  Legal documents, such as tax documents facing postmark deadlines will be jeopardized and the delivery and processing of absentee ballots and voter information could face lengthy delays as mail volume increases during these periods,” said Commissioner Barbara Sharief, the sponsor of the commission resolution.

“Mail service will be slow, people will lose their jobs adding to unemployment and the Broward postmark will be history, literally,” said Broward County Mayor Sue Gunzburger, co-sponsor of the resolution which will be delivered to the Broward Congressional Delegation, the U.S. Postal Service and posted to the County’s website at www.broward.org

All northbound lanes of I-95 throughout Broward County will be closed tomorrow morning (Friday, Sept. 23) beginning at 7:15 a.m. for an unspecified length of time.
All southbound lanes of I-95 will be closed throughout Broward County tomorrow beginning at 11:15 a.m. for an unspecified length of time.
The closures will affect all interchanges from approximately the Miami International Airport in north Miami-Dade County to Yamato Road in south Palm Beach County.
Both closures are to allow FHP to escort a high level dignitary.
Plan your travel accordingly – Expect heavy traffic & delays on all roads in Broward during these closures.

The School Board of Broward County has selected Robert Runcie as superintendent of the sixth largest school district in the country.  Following final interviews this morning of the two finalists, Runcie and Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr., Superintendent, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Board members held a final discussion and cast their votes. A motion to make the vote for Runcie unanimous was then approved.

Runcie currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois, the third largest school district in the nation, with 410,000 students.   He holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard College and Master of Management degree from Northwestern University.  He is also a Broad Fellow, having completed an education executive training program presented by the prestigious Broad Superintendents Academy.

In addition to serving the Chicago Public Schools as Chief of Staff, Runcie has also served as Chief Instructional Officer, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Information Officer.   Prior to joining Chicago Public Schools, he served as a senior consultant for a computer science corporation.

From an applicant pool of 47, the Board selected six semi-finalists to be interviewed.  That field was then narrowed to Runcie and Taylor. Prior to their final interviews, the finalists took part in one-on-one interviews with Board members, participated in a “Meet the Press” news conference, a “Meet and Greet” with community members and a Community Forum.

The School Board has authorized contract negotiations with Robert Runcie.  His start date as Broward’s new superintendent has yet to be determined.