By Gary Curreri

More than 400 junior lifeguards competed in the 5th annual Junior Lifeguard State Championships recently on Ft. Lauderdale Beach.

Pompano Beach led the way with 60 competitors, while Deerfield Beach brought 27 junior lifeguards.

There were three primary age divisions in the state event including A Division (ages-14-17); B Division (ages 12-13); and C Division (ages 9-11) and an introductory Grommets Program (for 7-8 year-olds who are not yet qualified to join the Junior Lifeguard Team).

Pompano Beach’ Shannon Snell, 17, a senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School, is no stranger to the competition and turned in a stellar performance winning the Girls A Division of the beach flags event in addition to the surf swim and the run-swim-run.

Snell, who has been a junior lifeguard for nearly eight years, competed in last year’s World Championships in France last year where she placed 10th in beach flags; 6th in the 100-meter dash and 10th in the paddle.

“It was really epic to represent our country,” said Snell, who competed for the Pompano Beach junior lifeguard competition. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Admittedly, there is a lot of pressure being at a world level and in a high performance competition she said, “you need to know what you are doing.”

“I am going to remember everyone I competed with and the teamwork,” she added. “Just the part of racing with each other and working together… and making friends for life … We know each other and learn new tricks every year from each other.”

Deerfield Beach’s junior lifeguards was led by Daniel Padron, who won the B Division of the beach flags event, while Pompano Beach also got a strong performance from Summer Schulte, who won the B Division in the paddle, run-swim-run and surf swim. There were seven events – beach flags, paddle, run relay, run-swim-run, paddle relay, surf swim, and the ironguard.

Local winners in the beach flags were Shannon Snell (Pompano Beach, Girls A Division); Daniel Padron (Deerfield Beach, Boys B Division); Christian Quinones (Pompano Beach, Boys C Division).

Winners in the paddle were Andre Bacic (Deerfield Beach, Boys A Division); Nicholas Calice (Pompano Beach, Boys B Division); Summer Schulte (Pompano Beach, B Girls Division); Jake Schulte (Pompano Beach, Boys C Division); Tamara Backers (Deerfield Beach, Girls C Division); Reef Coote (Pompano Beach, Boys D Division) and Victoria Vanacore (Pompano Beach, Girls D Division).

Winners in the Run-Swim- Run competition were Race Wilhoit (Pompano Beach, Boys A Division); Shannon Snell (Pompano Beach, Girls A Division); Christian Henderson (Pompano Beach, Boys B Division); Summer Schulte (Pompano Beach, Girls B Division); Jake Schulte (Pompano Beach, Boys C Division).

Winners in the Surf Swim competition included Shannon Snell (Pompano Beach, Girls A Division); Christian Henderson (Pompano Beach, Boys B Division); Summer Schulte (Pompano Beach, Girls B Division) and Samantha Escobar (Pompano Beach, Girls D Division).

The state championships were a precursor to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) regional competition recently in Daytona Beach. The national USLA competition will also be held in Daytona Beach on August 5.

DEERFIELD BEACH

July 13 A women working at a Sprint store at 29 S. Federal Hwy. reported that a man stole a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone from a display case. He escaped in a car. While in the process of escaping, he backed into another car and then left the parking lot.

July 13 A business at 3650 SW 10 St. was broken into and a meter room was entered. The suspect stole copper wire from the meter room and then entered the second floor and stole two stationary bikes.

July 15 Someone entered a patio area of a home at 917 SE 16 St. and attempted to steal patio furniture.

DEERFIELD – District 4

July 11 Auto theft occurred in Riverglen at 577 NW 48 Ave., Deerfield Beach. Victim’s vehicle, 2006 white, 2-door Acura RSX was stolen from driveway of home.

July 15 Burglary conveyance took place in Waterford Homes at 2730 SW 15 St., Deerfield Beach. Unknown subjects took tools from the vehicle.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 30 A male subject was observed taking a package of underwear from a shelf and leaving the store at 3722 N. Federal Hwy. without paying for it. The merchandise was valued at $19.99. Subject was apprehended outside the store.

June 30 A kayak and paddles were stolen from a dock at the rear of an apartment complex at 2500 NE 36 St. Loss were $100.

July 2 A subject purchased a vehicle from a resident at 3050 NE 48 St. and left a small deposit. The victim said the subject never paid the remainder of what was owed and now the subject has disappeared. When police went to the subject’s residence, they found he had been evicted a month earlier and had a history of fraud.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

DEERFIELD BEACH

July 6 A woman reported that someone entered her car parked at 1310 S. Federal Hwy. and stole a purse with $22 and credit cards.

July 6 A woman was issued a notice to appear in court after stealing $104 in merchandise from Bealls at 1079 S. Federal Hwy.

July 7 A man was arrested and charged with stealing $176.14 worth of merchandise from Home Depot at 60 SW 12 Ave.

DEERFIELD – District 4

July 10 Burglary conveyance took place in Trail Plaza, 2151 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Victim’s vehicle was entered into while he was at an overnight sleep study. A laptop was taken. There was no forced entry.

July 10 Property damage was reported in Deer Creek at 2527 Deer Creek Lakes Dr., Deerfield Beach. Unknown person(s) knocked down a street sign in Deer Creek overnight.

July 11 Burglary conveyance occurred at Deerfield Mall, 3748 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL. The rear passenger window was smashed on the vehicle.

July 11 Criminal mischief took place at Deerfield Mall, 3980 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL. Victim’s car was vandalized.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 22 Someone stole a large amount of live fish bait from a well floating in a canal at 2318 NE 29 St. Loss was $2,500.

June 25 Two back flow valves were damaged in front of a car dealership at 5250 N. Federal Hwy. Damage was estimated at $1,000.

By Gary Curreri

So much for the home field advantage.

Deerfield Beach Select All-Stars coach Joe Silvia believed his team had a home field advantage when it took the diamond in the Big League Baseball State Tournament recently at Floyd Hull Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale.

Deerfield Beach (2-2) opened the tournament with a 12-2 victory over Port St. Lucie before dropping a 6-1 decision to Clearwater/ Dunedin, the defending Big League World Champions.

“They played hard, but when we lost to Clearwater/ Dunedin it took the wind out of them,” Silvia said. “That was the championships game on Saturday.”

Deerfield Beach seized the lead in the top of the first inning on an infield single by Brendly Martina that scored Blake Guisti for a 1-0 advantage before Clearwater/ Dunedin rallied for the victory and advanced to this weekend’s Southeast United States Regional Tournament that gets underway July 17, also at Floyd Hull Stadium.

Justin Glover got things rolling for Clearwater/Dunedin with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Clearwater/Dunedin padded its lead with one more run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth thanks to a bases-clearing double by Ian Lisle.

Deerfield Beach pitcher Nick Ferngren, who had his first no-hitter since he was 11 in a 10-0 sectional win over Ft. Lauderdale, didn’t allow a hit until Glover hit his round tripper in the fourth inning.

Ferngren, 19, of Coral Springs, is in his first year on the team.

“I love it,” said Ferngren, who recently graduated from Cardinal Gibbons and headed to Rhodes College in Memphis, TN to play for the school next year. “The camaraderie is great. It is like family here. Most of the guys on the team have been here for like three years and they make me feel like I have been here just as long.”

It is the first year playing Big League baseball. He previously played for the South Florida Huskies in a showcase league.

“I have only been pitching for a couple of years now,” Ferngren said. “I didn’t get a lot of innings in high school. I am not surprised with how well I have done. I expect a lot out of myself.”

Deerfield Beach went on to split its next two games as it downed Dade City, 11-7, before closing out the tournament with an 8-5 setback against Ft. Myers to finish second overall.

Silvia has coached for 27 years and coached Big League baseball for the past 11 years.

In 2010, the team was one out away from winning the state tournament as it fell to the same Clearwater/Dunedin squad. The team was up 5-4 with two outs and the outfielder missed the catch and three runs wound up scoring for a 7-5 victory.

“This team is one of the better teams we have had in seven or eight years,” Silvia said. “This team gelled together. They are all friends and they all support each other. There was no negativity on this team. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

Deerfield Beach had played seven contests at Floyd Hull during the season. The team was composed of players from eight different high schools. Martina, Ferngren, Dalton Williams and Drexler Maccaay paced the team among others.

“We graduate about half the team,” Silvia said. “They were a great group of kids.”

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 29 A man reported his car vandalized at 110 NE 19 Ave.

June 30 A woman reported that a man stole her purse by suddenly snatching it from her shoulder at 601 E. Sample Rd.

July 2 A man said a person he invited into his home at 1241 SE 3 St. stole his iPhone and laptop.

DEERFIELD – District 4

July 3 Theft – Retail/Shoplifting took place in Deerfield Mall, 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Subject walked out of Publix and bypassed all points of sale without paying for the merchandise.

July 3 Theft – Retail/Shoplifting occurred at the Super Target, 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Suspects stole over $1,000 worth of gaming controllers from Target.

July 3 Information was reported in Deer Creek at 576 Deer Creek Via Verona, Deerfield Beach about Deer Creek Country Club’s website being hacked into.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 19 The victim was shopping at a CVS at 3580 N. Federal Hwy. and said someone stole her purse containing her driver’s license, $100 in currency and credit card from the front passenger side seat.

June 21 The victim lost her wallet while she was shopping at 3772 N. Federal Hwy. She made a purchase at a nearby store and then realized she didn’t have it. It contained five credit cards, a driver’s license and a Social Security card.

June 21 The victim returned home after running errands and, moments later, a neighbor found the car across in their front yard at 4920 NE 27 Ave. It is not known how the car got there.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 22 A man entered a woman’s home at 439 NE 1 Ave. by force after she asked him to leave. The man hit the woman.

June 22 Two women got into an argument and one subject punched the other one. Incident was reported at 2379 SW 15 St.

June 22 A man reported that someone tried to break into his home at 105 NW 7 Court.

DEERFIELD – District 4

June 26 Trespassing occurred in Pine Tree Apartments at 710 Hibiscus Dr., Deerfield Beach. BSO responded to a burglary in progress. Deputies located a subject trespassing on the railroad tracks, possibly matching the description of the subject involved in the burglary. Subject was subsequently detained and transported to the Deerfield Beach District Office for further investigation. The subject was later arrested.

June 30 Theft – Retail Shoplifting took place in Trail Plaza at 1829 W. Hillsboro Blvd, Deerfield Beach.

June 30 Counterfeiting occurred at Quiet Waters Park, 401 S. Powerline Rd., Deerfield Beach.

Staff reported receiving a counterfeit $20 bill in exchange for admission to the Splash Park.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 10 A police officer observed doors open to a Comcast Power relay box at 2235 NE 27 St. It appeared someone attempted to steal the power meter from the box. Damage was $500.

June 12 A Yeti cooler was stolen from a 31-ft. vessel docked behind a residence at 2831 Marina Circle. Loss was $400.

June 12 Light fixtures and glass panels were broken behind a residence at 2831 Marina Circle. Damage was estimated at $330.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 15 It was reported that someone entered an empty apartment at 4304 NW 9 Ave. and caused $3,500 in damage.

June 15 A man stole headphones valued at $299 from Target at 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

June 16 A man stole a bicycle valued at $810 from The Bicycle Generation at 1346 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

DEERFIELD – District 4

June 22 Property damage was reported in Deer Creek, at 2420 Deer Creek Country Club Blvd. Unknown golfer appeared to have accidentally broken the rear window of a BMW.

June 22 Suspicious incident took place in Deer Creek, at 2489 Lob Lolly Ln., The person who checks on the residence while the owner is away found a rear sliding glass shattered. He last saw it secure on June 20. Nothing is missing from the home and nothing was rummaged through.

June 22 Criminal mischief occurred in Riverglen, at 4513 NW 7th Pl. Complainant reported that his rear right side window was shattered by unknown person(s) while the vehicle was parked in his driveway.

June 22 Theft – retail /shoplifting was reported in Deerfield Mall, at 3829 W. Hillsboro Blvd. Suspect was observed by the clerk hiding two items of eye shadow on her person. She purchased other cosmetics, paid for them with a credit card, and later returned the purchased items to the same clerk.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 2 The victim went to a fast food store at 2141 NE 41 Court and left her wallet on the counter. The wallet contained credit cards and a driver’s license. Loss was $377.

DEERFIELD BEACH

June 8 A home at 273 NE 40 Court was broken into and an Xbox and two video games were stolen.

June 9 A car parked at 370 Deer Creek Jefferson Dr. was entered and the glove compartment was rummaged through.

June 9 A metal and wood trailer parked at 433 Goolsby Blvd. was stolen.

DEERFIELD – District 4

June 8 Robbery with no firearm or weapon took place in Trail Plaza at 1799 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. The subject was arrested on charges of robbery with no firearm or weapon.

June 12 Theft occurred in Waterford Courtyards South, at 2646 SW 15 St., Deerfield Beach. Unknown subjects(s) removed a beige, 2002, 4-door, Toyota Corolla with FL tag DIG E72 from the parking space. The vehicle was locked.

June 12 Theft – retail/ shoplifting was reported at Target, 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd, Deerfield Beach.

The suspect was captured on video surveillance and then stopped by a loss prevention officer after removing merchandise from several aisles. The items were returned. Total loss was valued at approximately $1354.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

June 1 Someone spray painted a window of an old video store at 4750 N. Federal Hwy.

June 1 Someone stole drainage grates from a construction site at 2831 NE 39 Street. There were five cast-iron frames and a manhole cover. Loss was $1,000.

June 2 Victim said she made a purchase at a fast food restaurant and then went to a nearby store and realized she didn’t have her wallet. The victim said a woman may have taken it while she was in the balloon aisle at the store located at 3780 N. Federal Hwy. The wallet contained a driver’s license, $18 in cash, and credit cards. Total loss was $148.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

DEERFIELD BEACH

May 30 A Deer Creek home at 2178 Woodlands Way was entered, but the person left without taking anything.

June 1 A woman placed her purse on the beach at 2096 NE 2 St. She returned and found her wallet stolen.

June 4 A woman reported that her wallet was stolen from a shopping cart at Publix at 1337 S. Military Trail. The wallet contained $24, three credit cards and a Florida driver’s license.

June 5 Suspects entered a carport at 621 NW 38 St. and knocked down the resident of the home before fleeing.

DEERFIELD – District 4

June 5 Residential burglary occurred in Starlight Cove at 656 NW 38 Terr., Deerfield Beach.

Victim advised BSO that he left a week ago for a business trip to Key Largo and when he returned, he discovered the place had been burglarized. The subject appeared to use the exterior water hose to smash the master bathroom window to gain entry into the home. Nothing appears to be missing at this time.

June 6 Auto theft took place in Pine Tree Apartments at 1711 NW 2 St., Deerfield Beach.

Victim got home and parked her vehicle, a 2013 Hyundai Accent, at approximately 8 p.m. She went to leave again at 9 p.m. and noticed that the vehicle was gone.

June 7 Criminal mischief was reported in The Waterways at 1470 SW 45 Way, Deerfield Beach.

The homeowner advised BSO that an unknown person threw a rock and broke the front bedroom window.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

DEERFIELD BEACH

May 25 It was reported that a bicycle was stolen from 286 SW 1 Terr.

May 25 A man reported that a man he knew stole his car from 1300 Green Rd.

May 26 A home on the 300 block of NW 7 Court was broken into and a gun, costume jewelry, laptop computers, an iPad and other electronics were stolen.

DEERFIELD – District 4

May 27 Residential burglary took place in Deer Point, at 602 NE 36 St., Deerfield Beach. Unknown suspect(s) gained entry through the rear kitchen window. The alarm was activated and the suspect(s) left out of the front door.

May 28 Theft occurred in the area of Super Target (Hobby Lobby), at 3555 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Subject was arrested for stealing $100 from an employee of Hobby Lobby.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

May 15 Someone stole a handicapped parking dashboard placard from the victim’s vehicle that was left unlocked overnight in front of his residence at 4133 NE 21Terr.

May 19 Someone vandalized a new bridge railing at 2200 NE 38 St. Damage was $500.

May 23 Someone stole a purse from a victim at 3722 N. Federal Hwy. She didn’t realize it was missing until she received five text messages from American Express that her card had been used in the amount of $1,373. Another charge amounting to $700 was declined. She believes she was bumped into by a male subject and he may have taken it.