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

BSO deputies are investigating a child bitten by a dog at the 300 block of SE 1 Street. The eight-year-old boy was outside his residence when a loose pit bull attacked him. As the child ran into his house, the dog chased him inside. Family members shooed-off the dog and first-arriving BSO deputies gave chase on foot after the dog. They ran after the dog for about two blocks, and as they reached the pit bull, it was attempting to attack another dog. Deputies confined the pit bull until Broward County Animal Care and Regulation workers arrived and removed the dog. The child was treated by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Deerfield Beach units then airlifted via BSO Air Rescue to Broward General Medical Center, arriving at the hospital at 7:19 p.m. Sunday. The child was reported to be conscious and breathing and sustained a laceration to the face and multiple bites. Injuries are non life-threatening. The call was received at 6:40 p.m.

Since 1992, the month of October has been Clergy Appreciation Month. It is designed for us to encourage and thank the religious leaders in our lives. We should let our Pastors know that we love and support them. Also, let them know why we appreciate their hard work and labor of love. We tend to always hear about all the Ministers that mess up or make a mistake, but we don’t hear much at all about all the good things that are happening in churches across the country. Pastors are saving lives, helping families, feeding the poor, and helping hurting people with God’s help. The scriptures I have here are ones that we really need to take to heart. We need to listen to all of God’s Word.

HEBREWS 13:7

7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

NLT

The Ministry provided by Pastors and their families is very unique. God has chosen them to watch over His children and take care of the spiritual well-being of their congregation.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-13

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.

13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

NLT

When a Pastor becomes worn down and worn out, the very souls of his flock are at risk.  Pastors and their families live under unbelievable stress and strain. Their lives are played out in a glass house, with the whole congregation and the public scrutinizing their every move. They are expected to have model families, to be wonderful people, to always be on hand, to never have problems, and to have all the answers we need to keep our own lives on track. These are impractical expectations to place on anyone; yet most of us are let down when a pastor becomes overwhelmed, seems sad, lets us down, or totally burns out.  That is why God teaches us to recognize His servants.

1 TIMOTHY 5:17

17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

NLT

The good news is that we can make a difference! Clergy Appreciation Month is one way we can return the favor and encourage our spiritual leaders and let them know that we care about them. There are four easy ways to help your pastors and their families feel appreciated: (1) Buy them a card. (2) Bless them with a gift card to a restaurant, movie theatre or department store. (3) Share with them, in writing, how much they have blessed you and your family. (4) Encourage others to do the same.

Show appreciation and honor your Pastor and his family this year. It will encourage them more than you ever may realize.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

Early this morning BSO deputies responded to a vehicle burglary that just occurred in the 900 block of SE 15 Court.  A perimeter was quickly established with K9 and Aviation Unit responding.  One suspect was apprehended by the K9, a second suspect was arrested by deputies nearby.  The suspects committed 30 burglaries to unlocked vehicles.  Deputies have recovered several cell phones, GPS devices, and other electronics.  Please lock your doors and do not leave items of value in your vehicle.  Call 911 immediately if you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood.

Broward Sheriff’s office brought out the 2 thieves on their way to be booked. They showed  the goods that they  had stolen from the vehicles in The Cove neighborhood in Deerfield Beach. ObserverTV was there.

To see video of the 2 guys who ripped off all the cars in The Cove and a table full of the items -click on ObserverTV- “Latest Video’s”

–By Rachel Galvin–

On Sunday, Oct. 9 The Pink Heals Tour made a stop in Deerfield Beach. Not only was there a parade of pink firetrucks, but also activities on the beach, including a Mammovan where women could have a mammogram for only $99, vendor booths, kids activities and more. Commissioners Preston, Miller and Ganz spoke as well as emcee radio DJ Paul Castronovo (and his wife Gina, who beat breast cancer) and Sheriff Al Lamberti, among others. This is the 2nd year for Pink Heals, created by retired firefighter Dave Graybill, which helps show love for women and awareness for breast cancer. Broward Sheriff’s Office also held a PAL boxing event at the fire station, on Hillsboro and Federal, benefiting 16-year-old Cody Meiers, a young athlete who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. Look for video coming soon on ObserverTV and see the Oct. 13 issue for more details.

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.

A man ventured off on a quest to seek out the most fabled of all Seers. The journey was a difficult trek and took a good deal of time, but the man did not give up. And one day, he finally came across the “Great One,” the Seer of all Seers … the Sage of all Sages … the Wisest of the Wise.

“Great Seer, how does one become wise?”

The Seer answered, “From making good choices.”

“But Great Seer, how does one learn to make good choices?”

The Seer patiently answered, “Through experience.”

“But Great Seer, how does one gain experience?”

To which the Seer replied, “Through bad choices.”

A colleague of mine shared this story with me just before the beginning of the High Holy Day Season, and I loved the message found within this lovely parable. No matter how perfect you think you are … no matter how much wiser you think you are than someone else, I can assure you of one thing – over the course of this past year, you have made some bad choices. The question on Yom Kippur is – did you learn from those bad choices … or, will you just keep making the same mistakes over and over again in the New Year ahead?

I saw a woman at the Rehab Center the other day. I remembered her from her last stay in the facility. It wasn’t all that long ago and so, I asked her, “What are you doing back here so soon? What happened?”

She let me know that she had gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and she had fallen and, from that fall, she wound up with a broken hip. I asked her about the walker that she had gone home with. She told me, “Rabbi, it was only a few steps from my bed to the bathroom and I figured I can make a few steps without any problem.”

And that is when I asked her the question that I find myself asking people so often in my Chaplaincy. I asked her, “What did you learn from this?” Sadly, she did not have an immediate answer, so, after what I considered to be an appropriate amount of time, I decided to help her. I said, “Well, hopefully you learned two things. First, you learned to follow the advice of your therapist to use your walker even if you only have a few steps to take.”

She nodded in agreement and then asked what the second thing was. My answer … “Well, you learned that falling doesn’t hurt at all … LANDING … now that’s a different story. LANDING can hurt a lot. It can even break a hip.”

And with that, I asked her one more time, “So, what did you learn from this ‘grasshopper?’”

And I loved her answer.

She said, “You’ve got to learn how to LAND before you take a FALL; better yet, don’t take a fall at all.” What a wise woman! She had learned from her mistake and, G-d willing, next time she will prove to be much wiser and use her walker … even if it is only a few steps that she wishes to take.

Shalom, my friends, and may we all be wise enough not to repeat the mistakes of the past year.

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County. 

My wife and I spent about 10 years living in Argentina.  During that time we learned a great deal about the language and culture of Argentina.  Some things we did not like, and some we did.

One of the things we absolutely love about the Argentine culture is the Argentine Asado. Some would translate that as “barbecue” but it is so much more. An Asado is an event that brings people together. It’s so much more that just preparing a meal and sitting down to eat together. We used to have Asados almost every Sunday at our house.  Our neighbors, who now are more like family, would come over at about 10 in the morning.  First myself and my friend Juan would start the fire, and while we were starting the fire, Beth and Juan’s wife, Silvia, would prepare the salad and drinks.  While the coals were getting hot, we would prepare the meat, and nothing compares to Argentine beef.  To prepare properly an Argentine Asado, it takes about 3 hours.  During that time Juan, his son Nahuel, and my son Samuel, would talk, and, through these Asados, our relationship grew from one of neighborly friendship to family. I actually refer to the Gonzales family as our Argentine family. When the meat was almost done, we would prepare the table and sit down to a feast. The conversation would continue as we ate, and then long after we were done eating, as we sat around the table, satisfied by the wonderful meal we had all prepared and enjoyed. These little events happen all over Argentina on a daily basis.  Everyone looks for any excuse to have an Asado.  My soccer team would meet twice a month for an Asado. We would say it was important to get together to talk strategy, but in the four hours we spent together, we rarely talked strategy.

Last week, my son Isaiah prayed to receive Christ.  My wife described to him that Heaven is like a big Asado, where all your friends and family sit around the table, enjoying each other’s company.  In Matthew 7:21-23 it says this, ”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father, who is in heaven, will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

What I believe these verses mean is that not everyone is going to be at the big Asado.  God has given us an invitation. Matt. 11:28  says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The invitation is to cast your burdens on Him, and one day, sit down at a big table filled with friends and enjoy the best Asado ever.  Have you accepted the invitation?

Deron Peterson is is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

The Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue Department will join the Broward Sheriff’s Office family Friday evening after its 160 firefighters are sworn in by Sheriff Al Lamberti.

“We’re pleased and honored to have the men and women of Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue join us in continuing to deliver a high level of service to the community,” Sheriff Lamberti said. The Deerfield Beach City Commission unanimously supported the merger. “The city’s leaders should be commended for their vision and commitment to writing a new chapter in public safety service for their residents.”

The merger will take effect officially at 8 a.m. Saturday, October 1 when the uniforms and trucks reflect the change.

“As the City of Deerfield Beach expands its partnership with BSO, we are also laying extraordinary groundwork as a role model for regionalization. In the end, the winners will be the city’s more than 77,000 residents, who will benefit from the wealth of resources that this merger will bring to our community,” Mayor Peggy Noland said.

The $20.5 million annual contract includes a value-added savings of $2.9 million for the city. Part of the plan includes increased staffing at Fire Station 75, which is the sole station on the beach, and plans for opening a sixth fire station to better serve the southwest section of the city, including the Crystal Lakes area.

“The merger underscores the city’s commitment to streamlined efficiency and excellent service provision and builds upon a well-established partnership that we’ve enjoyed with BSO for more than 20 years,” Vice-Mayor Marty Popelsky said.

Deerfield Beach and Hillsboro Beach will be the newest addition to the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue family. They join Dania Beach, Cooper City, Lauderdale Lakes, Pembroke Park, West Park and Weston as municipalities served. Under the leadership of Fire Chief Neal de Jesus, BSFR also provides fire-rescue services to Broward County’s Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport and unincorporated areas of the county including the western Broward I-75/Alligator Alley corridor through Everglades Regional Fire Station 106. BSFR also provides regional services countywide through dedicated air rescue, Hazardous Materials Team and Technical Rescue Team response, as well as fire marshal and regional logistics services.

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.