BSO deputies working a vehicle burglary in progress in the Lakes at Deerfield apartment complex quickly apprehended three suspects in the area for attempting to enter vehicles.  During the investigation information was received regarding two occupied residential burglary attempts in the Bonnie Loch area.  One of the suspects in custody was also charged with those crimes.  If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood call 911 immediately.

My family and I love summer … going to the beach, playing golf, riding bikes and hanging out at the pool. Growing up in the North has made living in South Florida feel like summer all year round. Somebody said to me the other day that even South Florida has seasons. I won’t debate here if that’s true or not, but I will tell you that in New York, where I grew up, summer didn’t last too long. That’s what makes living in South Florida so much fun for our family. We love summer.

Among all the wonderful activities we enjoy during the summer, one in particular is not outdoors. We enjoy getting some snacks and sitting down to watch America’s Got Talent. We love that show. We have watched as a family every year it has been on. We really enjoy the beginning of the show when people from all over come to audition – people who have absolutely no talent, yet believe they do, people who are very talented, but have no idea how gifted they really are.

The part of the show that we love the most is the variety. You never, and I mean never, know what you’re going to get. I mean where else can you watch a magician, a singer, a family riding motorcycles in a giant ball, gymnastics, Latin dancing, three 6-year-olds rapping and a guy diving 40ft. into 12 inches of water, on the same show, on the same night? Only on America’s Got Talent. We find our favorite acts, and then we cheer them on as they move toward the finals.   We look forward to the acts that surprise you, like the little girl last year, Jackie Evancho. She walks onstage and looks like the cutest little girl you’ve ever seen, then she sings opera like a seasoned veteran of the stage. Or, this year, the guy walks on stage, an African American, with dreadlocks past his shoulders, who looks like he just walked in off the street, and then he sings, “My Kind of Town” and you swear you’re hearing Frank Sinatra. We love that show.

Life is like that. I get surprised every day. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” That tells me that God’s criteria is not the same as ours. God looks at what He can do through people, not what people can do on their own. God looks for people that will be willing to give their lives to Him so He can mold them into something useful and be able to fulfill God’s purpose for their life. That’s what makes church so interesting. Just like America’s Got Talent, you never know what you’re going to get. And people will always surprise you.

At our church, we are studying through the book of  Ephesians. Ephesians 2:21-22 says this, “In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him, you, too, are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” What Paul is saying is that God, not you or I, chooses who He wants to use. He says, “You, too, are being built together.” There is a place for you! He needs all kinds of stones for his dwelling.  Looking for a place to fit in, a place to feel loved and welcome? That word “built” actually means “fitted.” That’s what God wants to do with you. He wants to fit you, into His dwelling. That’s why I love our church, like Americas Got Talent, you find the variety that makes God’s family so wonderful.

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

The Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce wants to partner with local restaurants to drive business during the month of August. Chamber representative, Marc Lowe, will be visiting 31 restaurants in 31 days. He will set up facebook events for each restaurant and link your web site if applicable. To encourage diners a 10% Off Coupon is provided below. Diners will print the Coupon and present it upon arrival at the restaurant. View Restaurant of the Day Calendar Diners will know which restaurant the Chamber Representative is visiting each day and will be encouraged to either dine with him but it is not required to dine with him in order to use the 10% Off Coupon.

Participating restaurants will receive:

45 days of advertising on facebook & Chamber’s website

Chamber Representative will blog all positive reviews

Review on 2 websites plus facebook (Urban Spoon & Trip Advisor)

Fee for participating restaurants is $35.00 for Chamber members or $45 for non-members Make check payable to: Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Deadline to enter is Tuesday, July 12th. Restaurant name will be added to the Restaurant of the Day Calendar when the Chamber receives application with payment. First come first served!

Chamber Representative will receive 1 meal & 1 beverage from the “Restaurant of the Day” Chamber Representative may go for lunch or dinner but followers can use their coupon anytime during the day.

Contact John Esposito for more information at 954.889.3210 or 954.415.4678

A Prize of $100 will go to the person that eats at the most restaurants (excluding Chamber Representative) and there will be a drawing in case of tie. Our calendar is filling up fast! It is urgent that you pick your date now!

Download Applications here

 Restaurant of the Day Calendar

1-Aug Olympia Flame Diner 80 S. Federal Hwy www.olympiaflamediner.com

2-Aug Barracuda Bar & Seafood 1965 NE 2 St www.barracudabar&seafood

3-Aug Beach Buns 1602 SE 3rd Ct www.beachbunsdeerfield.com

4-Aug BT’s Oceanfront Restaurant @Embassy Suites 950 S. Ocean Dr www.embassyflorida.com

5-Aug JByrd’s Muddy Waters 2237 W. Hillsboro Blvd www.muddywatersrestaurant.com

6-Aug Lil Ole Caboose 204 Powerline Rd

7-Aug Sweet Toppings 337 SE 15 Ter (Cove) www.sweettopping.com

8-Aug Deer Creek Grille 2801 DC Country Club Blvd www.deercreekflorida.com

9-Aug Oceans 234 234 N. Ocean Blvd www.oceans234.com

10-Aug Bru’s Room Sports Grill 123 NE 20 Ave www.brusroom.com

11-Aug Sushi Song 123 NE 20 Ave. Suite 11 www.sushi-song.com

12-Aug Muscle Maker Grill 230 S. Federal Hwy www.musclemakergrill.com

13-Aug

14-Aug

15-Aug CJ’s Draft House 1825 W. Hillsboro Blvd www.facebook/cjsdrafthouse

16-Aug Kahuna Bar & Grill 249 N. Ocean Blvd.

17-Aug JB’s on the Beach 300 N. Ocean Blvd www.jbsonthebeach.com

18-Aug Patio Bar & Grill @ Wyndham 2096 NE 2 St. www.deerfieldpatiobar.com

19-Aug Ruth’s Chris Steak House 225 NE Mizner Blvd www.ruthschris.com

20-Aug

21-Aug

22-Aug Bobby Bahia’s @ The Hilton 100 Fairway Dr

23-Aug

24-Aug

25-Aug

26-Aug

27-Aug

28-Aug

29-Aug

30-Aug

31-Aug Ruby’s Pizza Pasta & Subs 614 SE 10 St www.rubyspizza.com

SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL THAT THE CLOUD PATTERN IS A LITTLE BETTER
ORGANIZED THAN YESTERDAY WHEN THERE WAS AN EXPOSED LOW LEVEL
CENTER. TODAY THE CENTER IS WELL EMBEDDED IN THE CONVECTION WITH
CYCLONICALLY CURVED CONVECTIVE BANDS...A POSSIBLE CENTRAL DENSE
OVERCAST...AND MORE SIGNIFICANTLY...THE OUTFLOW HAS BECOME
ESTABLISHED IN ALL QUADRANTS. HOWEVER...DATA FROM THE
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT EARLIER THIS MORNING SUGGEST THAT THE WINDS
REMAIN AT 45 KNOTS AND THE CENTRAL SURFACE PRESSURE IS STEADY. 

THE INTENSITY FORECAST IS MORE COMPLEX THAN USUAL. THE CYCLONE IS
FORECAST TO INTERACT WITH THE HIGH TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA AND
EASTERN CUBA AND THAT IMPLIES WEAKENING. IN ADDITION...GLOBAL
MODELS WEAKEN OR DISSIPATE THE CYCLONE...AND OBVIOUSLY THESE MODELS
CAN DETECT AN UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NOT APPARENT TO ME.
THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO FORECAST INTENSIFICATION WITH SUCH
INDICATIONS FROM THE RELIABLE GUIDANCE. ON THE OTHER HAND...SHIPS
AND THE GFDL/HWRF MODEL PAIR INTENSIFY THE CYCLONE. GIVEN THIS HIGH
DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY...THE OFFICIAL FORECAST CALLS FOR NO
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN INTENSITY...OR PERHAPS FOR A SLIGHT WEAKENING
AS THE CYCLONE MOVES BY HAITI AND CUBA DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
SOME RE-INTENSIFICATION IS POSSIBLE ONCE EMILY REACHES THE AREA OF
THE BAHAMAS. 

SATELLITE AND RECONNAISSANCE PLANE FIXES INDICATE THAT EMILY IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OR 285 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS.  GLOBAL
MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A WEAKNESS IN THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE AND A
TROUGH ALONG THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THIS PATTERN
FAVORS A TURN TO THE NORTHWEST WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS WITH
A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST BETWEEN 48 AND 72 HOURS.
IT IS UNCERTAIN HOW FAR WEST EMILY WILL REACH BEFORE RECURVATURE...
PRIMARILY GIVEN THAT GLOBAL MODELS WEAKEN OR DISSIPATE THE CYCLONE.
THE OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK KEEPS THE CENTER OF EMILY WELL OFF THE
EAST COAST OF FLORIDA...AND GIVEN THE SMALL TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WIND RADII ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE CYCLONE...A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH FOR THE FLORIDA SOUTHEAST COAST IS NOT REQUIRED AT THIS TIME.

From the time I was a little Rabbi … I mean, a little boy … I was taught that everything that G-d put on this Earth can have a very holy purpose. Of course, it often appears the reverse is just as true. Using the free will with which we have been endowed by our Creator, we also have the ability to take something and use it for evil.

I guess one of the easiest examples would be the creation of Atomic Energy, which also brought about the Bomb. The same creation, the same use of man’s ingenuity, and we come up with a good thing and a bad thing. Then again, perhaps the day will come when we will find a holy and creative purpose for the bomb rather than using it as a weapon of mass destruction.

Then there is nuclear energy, which also seems to have been used for two very different purposes and, yet, we find that if the good purpose is used and a plant has a leak, well, then it doesn’t appear to be so good … does it?

Still, I am a big believer in what I learned early on in life … that everything, even the things we consider to be the foulest of the foul, can have a good and holy purpose. We just have to be wise enough to figure out what that purpose might be.

I found a great example of that just a couple of weeks ago in a fascinating news story. So let me ask you something, when you were at the height of your fitness level, did you ever put on a pair of those white athletic socks and a pair of sneakers and head off for a long walk or a jog? And, if you did, did you ever have a time when it started to rain but you just kept walking anyway? When you finally got back home, you took off your sneakers and if anyone was near you, they took one whiff of those socks you were wearing and yelled out, “PHEW” or “P.U.”

Now, I have to tell you, as much as I believe that everything on this Earth can be of benefit, I never had the ingenuity to come up with a benefit to dirty, stinky white socks. But I guess I wasn’t using all the creative power that G-d blessed me with and, that’s okay, because someone else was using theirs and they found a very holy use for … that’s right … dirty, stinky socks.

I don’t know if you are aware of it or not, but malaria still takes the lives of close to 100,000 people each year from across the globe and most of the lives it takes are children’s. Malaria is carried by mosquitoes infected with the disease and when one of them bites you, look out.

Well, researchers in Tanzania found that mosquitoes are attracted to the wonderful aroma of dirty, stinky socks. That’s right, just as we can’t resist walking by a bakery without getting that whiff that draws us in, those socks, those dirty, stinky socks draw the mosquitoes in like … well, like flies.

So if you put up mosquito traps and have a batch of smelly socks on them, it lures them much the same way a piece of cheese may lure a mouse into a trap. So don’t be surprised if one day you see a headline that reads “Dirty, Smelly Socks Save the Lives of 100,000 Children.” May it come to pass and may each of us use our ingenuity to find holiness in the most unlikely of places. Let us say, Amen.

Shalom My Friends,

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. 

The 2011 redistricting effort will provide for extensive public participation, including public workshops, public hearings, and a process for members of the public to submit maps for Commission consideration.

Public Workshops

A series of workshops will be held at various locations around the County to inform the public about the process and requirements for completing the new County Commission district map. Five workshops have been scheduled:

September 12, 2011 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
African American Research Library & Cultural Center
Library Auditorium
2650 Sistrunk Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

September 19, 2011 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
North Regional Library
Library Auditorium, Room 154
1100 Coconut Creek Boulevard
Coconut Creek, FL 33066

September 26, 2011 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Tree Tops Park
Oak Auditorium
3900 S.W. 100 Avenue
Davie, FL 33328

September 29, 2011 from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Government Center West
Hearing Room
1 University Drive
Plantation, FL 33324

October 3, 2011 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
West Lake Park – Anne Kolb Nature Center
Mangrove Hall
751 Sheridan Street
Hollywood, FL 33019

Public Hearings

The County Commission will hold two public hearings, in October and early November of 2011.

Public Submissions of Maps

The State of Florida is developing Web-based software, called “MyDistrictBuilder,” which the public can access for free to draw Federal congressional and State legislative maps that they want to submit for consideration. This software is expected to be fully operational in July 2011, and can also be used to draw custom maps for Broward County Commission districts.

Once the software is available, staff from Broward County Planning and Redevelopment Division will be available to help train members of the public on the use of the software and the process for submitting maps.

Paper maps will also be available, with voter precincts and current Commission district boundaries noted, for members of the public interested in drawing maps by hand.

Planning and Redevelopment Division staff will review all maps submitted by members of the public to ensure consistency with the Broward County Charter and Fair Districting Standards, and submit maps meeting those standards to the County Commission for consideration.

All maps submitted for consideration by the County Commission will be posted to this Web site.

In order to understand courage, you have to first experience fear. Without fear, you will never know if you have courage. Fear is very powerful and can paralyze you if you allow it to take control of your life. If we say that we never fear, then how is it possible to know what courage is? Fear will come, but we must face our fears and conquer them. Never allow fear to defeat you and control your life.

2 KINGS 23:3

3 The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the LORD’s presence. He pledged to obey the LORD by keeping all his commands, laws and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

NLT

In 2 Kings 22 and 23, we read that King Josiah was a man who sought after God. However, his life changed when God’s Word was rediscovered. He called the people to a renewed covenant before God (see verse above). God moved through Josiah to crush the wickedness of his country like a hurricane crumbles houses as if they were made out of toothpicks.

Many of us need courage. We try to go through life with a John Wayne swagger, but we’re like milk toast (lacking backbone, not standing up for oneself), desperately in need of some courage. We need to stop whimpering and making excuses and start trusting God and His word. King Josiah died in battle, not running in fear. He was full of courage because of God’s word. How can we be full of courage? By knowing God’s word and following God’s word.

JOSHUA 1:5-7

5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.

7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.

NLT

We can be strong and courageous by knowing and following the word of God. We get strength and courage from having faith in God and His word. God promised to never leave us and He will always be with us. Stop making excuses and start reading your Bible every day. You know what? You may not battle a thousand, but begin your day by reading God’s word and praying over your life and your family. Decide right now not to allow fear to control you any longer. Many people just focus on their failures and never decide how they are going to start walking in the courage that God has offered to us.  Ask God to fill you with His strength and courage. Do not forget to read the Bible a little every day. God will answer your prayer.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

    By Declan Murphy

Returning from Iraq, Master Sgt. Robert San Filippo presents flag to new American Legion Post 162 Commander Eddie Cruz on July 16

On Saturday, July 16, former Marine Eddie Cruz was installed as the new Post Commander for the American Legion Post 162 in Deerfield Beach. Cruz served with the Marine Corps from 1969-1973, including “one year in the Republic of South Vietnam.” Cruz also said that he served in “the Air Force Reserve during the first Gulf War.”  Upon being installed as new Commander for Post 162, Cruz was presented with a flag by Master Sgt. Robert San Filippo, who just recently returned from serving in Iraq with a U.S. Air Force airlift squadron. The flag he presented Cruz flew on combat missions during Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and other countries. Filippo said, “I served proudly and am glad to come back home to my adopted father, (fellow Legionnaire) Jack Murphy.”

I was escorted to the woman’s bedroom where she and her private duty aide spent much of the day. The TV was on and it was on loud. It also happened to be tuned to the Christian Broadcasting Network. The patient being cared for was Jewish. She could not get up from bed nor from a chair without the help of her aide. I talked with the aide about how inappropriate it was for her to have an evangelical program on in the woman’s house, but she saw nothing wrong with her actions and, in fact, felt she was doing a holy thing.­ She also let me know that the woman she was caring for never voiced any complaint about her choice of TV, and that if such things bothered her, she could say something. I tried to explain that many people fear voicing such things, as they are afraid of how they will be treated afterwards – much like a patient in a health center is afraid to voice complaints about how this or that nurse or aide treats them. The aide told me that she was not forcing the woman to participate in any other religion but her own. Yet, the elderly woman was, indeed, being forced to listen to a minister preach ad nauseum about a faith that was not her own, and she was stuck doing so in her own home.­I talked with a rep from the company the aide came from and voiced my complaint, and, again, I was told if the patient was uncomfortable, all she had to do was voice her complaint. I again attempted to explain that the woman may well be afraid of repercussions, but was told that there is no rule against what the aide was doing. I then tried to explain that just because you are permitted to do something does not necessarily make it the right thing to do. And I had to wonder to myself how things would have been if the shoe was on the other foot.­ I then asked what they tell clients about the aides they send out and was told that they send out trained staff who do everything they can to comfort and care for their clients. And that is when I said, “If that is the case, then your staff should be trained to avoid doing things that would make it necessary for a complaint to be raised in the first place.”­

You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself … not my words, but words with a great message. So let me ask you … if you were the one stuck in the bed, dependent on someone else to tend to your needs, how would you feel?­

Don’t get me wrong, the aide is more than welcome to read her Bible silently or listen to a program with a set of headphones on, but a healthcare provider should not be subjecting the patient to something so foreign to the client’s own belief system.­

I know there are those of you reading this who feel that political correctness has gone way  overboard, but when your job is to comfort someone who is in a position of weakness via an illness or an injury… Well, may you always have enough control of your body and your mind to decide for yourself what to read and listen to in the comfort of your home and may those of us blessed to visit you be wise enough to avoid causing any added discomfort.­ As I remember, the rule of thumb is, if you can’t heal somebody, at least avoid causing any harm.­

Shalom My Friends,­ Rabbi Ezring­

(And please know that most of the health care workers I come across truly are angels. At least, they are in my eyes. G-d Bless them one and all.)­ ­

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.

By Diane Emeott

The four members of the Planning & Zoning Board voted unanimously to deny a site plan application to convert an existing retail building, formerly The “Reel” Cigar Store at 504 S. Federal Hwy., to a detoxification facility.

Attorney Scott Bachman, representing Deerfield Florida House, argued that it was a permitted use in a B-2 zoning district. He said his client had met the six standards outlined by Planning & Growth Management Director Jerry Ferguson.

After numerous residents spoke against having a detox facility in their neighborhood, Chairman pro tem of the Planning & Zoning Board Todd Drosky said he was not focusing on the permitted use but on the compatibility issue with RS5 residential property to the east. His fellow board members agreed.

See more from the discussion in an upcoming issue of the Observer newspaper