Deerfield Beach

Nov. 8: A woman reported that her vehicle parked at 335 NE 48 St. was broken into and a purse with credit cards, a laptop and a tablet were stolen. The total loss was estimated at $1,100. A second vehicle at the same location was broken into and a purse with $120 was stolen.

Nov. 8: A man reported that a man asked to use his cell phone and then chased him with a gun. The incident was reported at 456 NW 2 Terr.

Nov. 8: A woman said that her home at 7 SE 15 St. was entered and three bags with credit cards, a Brazilian passport, two checks and $280 in cash were stolen.

Nov. 8: Two women were arrested and charged with shoplifting $717 worth of items from TJ Maxx at 3812 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Nov. 8: A woman reported her bank account was hacked and $488 was stolen from the account. The incident was reported at 813 W. Sample Rd.

Nov. 9: A man stole $100 in cash and about $1,400 worth of Florida Lotto tickets from Stop N Save Food at 404 S. Powerline Rd.

Lighthouse Point

Nov. 10: The victim, who lives in the 2300 block of NE 28 St., received a notice from her bank of an overdraft. Two checks were made out in the amounts of $2,210 and $2,280.70. The victim said the checks were cloned because they were still in her checkbook. The checks were made out to a Miami woman who said she was the victim of a 2017 auto burglary and her purse and driver’s license were stolen.

Nov. 10: The victim said he checked out of the store at 3600 N. Federal Hwy. and dropped a 14K gold money clip and $120 in cash. He returned asking if it had been returned. Surveillance video showed a female subject pick it up, go outside the store and return empty handed. She used the victim’s debit card to pay for her purchase.

Nov. 10: A female subject was trespassed from 3650 N. Federal Hwy. after acting aggressively towards customers of a business. She had been previously warned to stay out of the area when the businesses were closed.

(This is a partial list. For Deerfield Beach Crime Watch in full, visit www.DFB.City and click on “Sign Me Up” to receive the city wide report.)

Deerfield Beach

Oct. 30: A man said that someone stole his iPad Mini 2 valued at $150 from his vehicle parked at 4333 NE 3 Ave. The man is a Comcast technician and was installing an alarm at a home during the theft.

Nov. 2: A woman reported that someone entered a car and stole her Apple iPad. A man next door also reported that his vehicle was burglarized but nothing was stolen. The incident was reported at 3851 NW 7 Pl.

Nov. 2: It was reported that someone stole a generator from inside a food truck parked at 682 S. Military Tr.

Nov. 2: A woman reported that her boyfriend stole her iPhone following an argument at 599 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Nov. 5: A woman reported her Honda Civic stolen from 4311 Crystal Lake Dr.

Lighthouse Point

Oct. 21: A loose dog was found walking alone at Copans and Dixie Hwy. and the resident brought the dog back to her residence at 1911 NE 28 Ct. Attempts to locate the owner were unsuccessful.

Oct. 22: Police responded to a report of a suspicious person at 2100 NE 36 St. The victim said she was trying to leave the office building but there was a shirtless man sleeping and blocking her from leaving. The subject had an outstanding warrant and was transported to jail.

Oct. 23: The victim said a known subject stole a vehicle alternator from the passenger compartment of a 1998 Ford pickup truck at 3778 N. Federal Hwy. The loss was $250.

(This is a partial list. For Deerfield Beach Crime Watch in full, visit www.DFB.City and click on “Sign Me Up” to receive the city wide report.)

Living simple, playing hard on Deerfield’s beach

By Diane Emeott

Photos by Chris Korzen

“The Most Interesting Man in the World,” from the Dos Equis beer commercials, brought his debonair charm to Deerfield’s beach for the 9th annual Ranse Classic Beach Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Actor Jonathan Goldsmith now represents Astral Tequila. The owner of the tequila company that sponsored the “Most Interesting Man” is Joe Taverrite, a Royal Palm Beach (near West Palm Beach) volleyball player.

“We were pretty lucky to have him there!” enthused Deerfield resident John Esposito, a longtime supporter of the Ranse Classic.

BSO Deerfield District Fire Chief Matt Pellitteri, who also attended the event, said Esposito did a great job.

“We both grew up on Deerfield’s beach and have daughters who have played beach volleyball here,” he said,

Over 200 players and several hundred spectators came out to the event held north of the pier, along Deerfield’s shore.

Esposito said he was “blown away that the event has become so successful” — after getting past the three to five year mark (which isn’t easy for many events).

“The Ranse Volleyball Classic has evolved into a nationally-recognized event to benefit Stroke Awareness, through the hard work of the local volleyball community. Our 10th year during the first week of November of 2019 will be the best yet!” he said, adding, that he wants to thank Broward Health North and the City of Deerfield Beach. “Moving the location of the main court has elevated the tournament to the next level in the world of beach volleyball.”

“The committee that puts on the event consists of all local volleyball players: Andre Melo, Douglas Nascimento, Diogo Sousa, and me, as well as too many volunteers to name, but we could not be successful without them,” Esposito said.

DS Sports Plex (on Powerline Road, south of SW 10 Street) was a title sponsor, as was Southern Jet — the owners of which are both Deerfield residents and volleyball players.

Blue Ocean Poke restaurant in the Publix plaza was also a big supporter.

Other sponsors included Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort, HEW Hard Exercise Works, Playa Bowls, Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund — Broward Health North, Astral Tequila, TRA and JB’s on the Beach.

Broward Health North, which has a Comprehensive Stroke Center, hosted a merchandise tent with T-shirts featuring the slogan “Live Simple. Play Hard” – a motto which Ranse lived by.

The event, part of the “Dig The Beach” Volleyball series, benefits the Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund at Broward Health North.

Ranseford “Ranse” Jones was a former Deerfield Beach firefighter who had a brain aneurism while playing the semi-final of the AVP Young Guns tournament in Panama City in May 2004. He died six months later on Nov. 8, 2004 at the young age of 34.

By Karen Lustgarten

“The City of Deerfield Beach is in resurgence” according to October’s State of the City report. It is home to some 388 companies within the Advanced Industries Sector, manufacturing one of them — a robust sector with more than 200 companies here. Meet two of them, very different members of the South Florida Manufacturing Association that located in Deerfield Beach for the same reasons.

SHL Pharma

Have you heard of auto-injectors? They look like oversized pens that people with chronic illnesses use to self-inject a dose of prescription medicine on a regular basis. For example, the EpiPen is for self-injecting the drug that counters life-threatening allergic reactions. Auto-injectors give patients a safe alternative to injections with a syringe or going to the doctor for regular shots.

Did you know that the largest manufacturer of auto-injectors in the world is a privately-owned company located in Deerfield Beach?

SHL Pharma, a division of the SHL Group, relocated from New Jersey to Deerfield Beach in 2010 with two employees. Today, 120 are employed at the sleek Deerfield Beach headquarters on Jim Moran Boulevard and 3,500 more work in Taiwan. Final assembly, labeling and packaging services of the drug-delivery devices are also done here for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world are customers of SHL Pharma’s FDA-approved, prescription-based auto-injectors. Some 700,000 devices are manufactured each year just in Deerfield Beach. Here 39 custom-designed auto-injector formats are manufactured for different drugs developed and produced by pharmaceutical companies to control such diseases as multiple sclerosis, migraine headaches, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, acute allergies and others.

“We can barely keep up manufacturing with demand,” said Michael Hudak, director of Human Resources. About 55 percent of work at the Deerfield Beach headquarters is devoted to manufacturing the 39 auto-injectors on the market and 45 percent to design and development of 44 new types. “The next gen unit we are designing will be a smart injector,” he said. It will record each injection so the doctor will have an accurate readout.

Why Deerfield Beach? Several reasons: “Our customers from Asia, Europe and across the U.S. love coming here. They love staying at hotels with good accommodations and beach access, a big draw. And they are attracted to the warm weather, especially in winter,” said Hudak. “The city’s location between I-95, the Turnpike, Sawgrass Expressway and Tri-Rail provides transportation advantages for our customers and employees. It’s easy to get to three major airports within an hour’s drive that have many direct oversees flights.”

He also cited the city’s proximity to four universities with mechanical engineering programs. SHL Pharma recruited six engineers from local universities in the past four years.

“We see Deerfield as a desirable place for our customers, employees, families and young millennials,” said Hudak.

Print Basics

Thirteen years ago, Craig Tanner was searching for the perfect spot to start a local printing company. Uppermost, he wanted a safe location because his type of business requires opening up early and closing late. So, he rejected the risky warehouse districts. He wanted a pleasant ambience for employees, one with a water view for enjoying lunch breaks. He sought a facility with enough space to grow and add large printing machinery that accommodates wide format posters and banners. He wanted proximity to major transportation hubs — I-95, the Turnpike, Sawgrass Expressway — to be accessible to clients and vendors. Mr. Tanner found that perfect spot on SW 30 Avenue in Deerfield Beach.

Since 2005, Print Basics has grown from two employees to 45 and from 1,400 to 15,000 sq. ft. It is ranked third largest commercial printer in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal.

“Unlike most print shops, clients can feel safe walking into the showroom in a beautiful office environment,” said Tanner, while the printing machines hum in the back filling orders.

When the economy took a dive and his competitors closed and left Deerfield Beach, Tanner rode it out.

“If you are honest in business and perform well for your clients, they will stay with you,” he said.

Tanner says the company fills about 2,000 print jobs a month, everything from business cards and promotional items to 1500-page books. Among his clients are Whole Foods, Hard Rock Café, Broward Sherriff’s Office and Jet Blue.

Occasionally, a call comes in to fill emergency printing needs — 5,000 brochures in less than 24 hours — and it’s done, or calls following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School from clients requesting show-of-support banners. Print Basics designed, printed and hung them gratis and donated $20,000 worth of static cling decals that were sold to raise money for the family of Coach Feis, one of the victims.

After the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Jet Blue marketing called requesting a quick turnaround of promotional support items: $100,000 worth of T-shirts, bracelets and 50,000 message buttons, an order that normally takes 10 days to fill. They were printed and delivered within 24 hours.

“We make the impossible possible when our community and clients are in need,” said Tanner.

Karen Lustgarten is president of Multi-Media Works, a multiple award-winning media company specializing in video, PR, print and social media with offices in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. She founded a newspaper in Washington, DC, was a syndicated columnist and a bestselling author. www.multi-mediaworks.com

Deerfield Beach

Oct. 24: A woman reported that she met a man inside a Stop-N-Go at 3774 NE 3 Ave. to purchase a cell phone for $150. The woman gave the individual $150 for the cell phone but the man fled without providing the phone. The man who took the money was later caught by police and identified by the woman.

Oct. 25: A man reported that he has a video recording of someone entering his backyard at 101 SE 11 Ct. and stealing a weed eater, rigid generator and a dive bag containing dive equipment.

Oct. 25: Someone broke into a vehicle parked at 71 SE 21 Ave. and stole a gym bag with an e-reader and a Kindle, as well as a bag with food.

Oct. 25: Unknown suspects stole $400 in merchandise from Target at 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Oct. 28: A man reported that his car parked at 1121 SE 15 Ave. was broken into and $40, a SunPass device and garage door opener was stolen.

Oct. 29: A man reported his bicycle were stolen from 101 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Lighthouse Point

Oct. 16: Police stopped a vehicle at 2001 NE 36 St. after it had gone through the city’s license plate recognition. The driver said he had not reported his license plate stolen and police were able to confirm.

Oct. 16: A subject took a bag from a store at 3780 N. Federal Hwy. and used it for personal items. The store manager wanted the subject trespassed from the store due to previous issues.

Oct. 20: The victim stated that $25,000 in purses were stolen from her and her daughter’s rooms at 2510 NE 43 St. There were no signs of forced entry. The victim said the only people with access to the residence were the housekeeper and the victim’s four children.

(This is a partial list. For Deerfield Beach Crime Watch in full, visit www.DFB.City and click on “Sign Me Up” to receive the city wide report.)

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn was so confident that his team would defeat host Piper for a fourth consecutive district championship, he opted to hold out quarterback Derohn King after he was injured on the Bucks’ first offensive play of the game.

King, a junior, who transferred from Piper before the season, injured his throwing shoulder on the first offensive play for the Bucks in the game, and came out of the game after a 56-yard TD pass to Donte Banton one play later and did not return.

“With Derohn going out early, it made us change our game plan a little bit, but we just wanted to hit them in the mouth and impose our will on them,” said Scott, whose team defeated Piper, 35-0 for the District 11-8A championship. The Bucks finished the regular season with a 9-1 overall record and 5-0 mark in the district.

Glenn said King could have returned but opted to hold him out. King has 1,605 yds. passing and 21 TDs this season.

“Especially with a bye week coming up, we just wanted to make sure,” Scott continued. “We figured we could beat them without Derohn tonight. We want to err on the side of caution and make sure we gave him enough time to get it 100 percent. He could have gone back in. He threw at halftime, but it just wasn’t worth it.”

Enter Bucks senior quarterback Tyron Herring, who came on in relief of injured starter King, who threw for one score and ran in another in the victory. Herring finished 7 for 11 for 110 yds. and a 28-yd. scoring toss to Donte Banton in the blowout win.

His 1-yd. quarterback keeper with just 2 seconds left in the first half gave the Bucks a 14-0 halftime lead. The score capped a 10-play, 35-yd. drive that was set up by an interception by Javon Denis.

“We felt coming into the game after watching the film that this team (Piper) wasn’t on our level,” Scott added. “We just couldn’t give them anything. When we played St. Thomas (Aquinas, a 38-6 loss) we gave them a whole bunch. We came out the next weekend against Douglas and let that affect us. Last week, we got the ball back rolling against Monarch.”

Deerfield also got a strong performance on the ground by junior running back Jaylan Knighton, who finished the game with 20 carries for a game-high 136 yds. and added scoring runs of 10 and 13 yds. He has 1,593 yds. rushing and 22 TDs this season.

Knighton said he felt the pressure to contribute once king went out, but pointed to the scoreboard.

“Derohn going out hurt us,” said Knighton, who ran for 249 yds. on 11 carries and 4 TDs in a 42-0 win over Monarch the week before. “It really didn’t because the score was 35-zip. He went down the first drive and the main thing I wanted was this week for him to heal so he could come out strong for the playoffs.”

Piper (6-3, 4-1) fell for the eighth straight time to the Bucks dating back to 2011 and have been outscored by Deerfield Beach, 309-24, during that span. Piper hasn’t scored against Deerfield Beach since 2014 and has been shut out the past four years and the past 18 quarters.

Deerfield, which has outscored the opposition this season, (320-98 this season) won for the third straight game following its setback against St. Thomas Aquinas. The Bucks also snapped Piper’s modest three-game winning streak.

In 1979, the Bengals stunned the Bucks, 14-12, to win the school’s first district football championship, but there was no upset in the making last Friday for Piper, which last won a district title in 2001.

Now, the Bucks have the week off before opening the playoffs at home. It is a welcomed week of resting the players, according to Scott.

“We need it,” Scott said. “I was telling the guys before, we started working out Dec. 26 (last year) and we have been going strong ever since. We have a lot of nicks and bruises, but we have time to heal up. We are going to be very careful how we handle the bye week. We aren’t going to give them a lot of time off so we don’t lose our edge. We are going to sharpen some things with no pads and no contact. We are just going to keep our guys well rested.

Knighton also welcomes the rest this week.

“We need to come to school every day,” Knighton said. “We have to make sure we get recovered, get film and hydrate, and make sure everything is straight so, when playoffs come, we come (out) strong.

“The St. Thomas loss affected us bad, but we didn’t let it hurt us too bad so we could focus on the following week,” Knighton added. “We can really stay on that loss. We got over it and we have stayed strong throughout the week.”

Deerfield Beach

Oct. 12: A woman reported that someone stole her iPhone at a gas station at 299 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Oct. 13: A woman reported that someone stole $230 from her purse at 4700 NW 3 Ave.

Oct. 14: The business Phone Fix at 3764 W. Hillsboro Blvd. was broken into and many laptops were stolen.

Oct. 15: A woman reported that someone stole a semi-truck and a 53 ft. trailer with plastic landscaping pots at 3201 SW 15 St.

Oct. 15: A woman had her purse stolen by a man who snatched it and then fled in a car. The incident was reported at 3740 W. Hillsboro Blvd. in the parking lot of a Publix.

Lighthouse Point

Oct. 10: The elderly victim said she invited a company to her residence at 4110 NE 24 Ave. to look at jewelry for pricing and to sell some of her jewelry at auction. She said after they looked through it, later in the day, she was unable to find a bracelet. She called the two representatives from the company and they denied taking it. The victim’s live-in aide also said she monitored the two reps from the company and did not believe they took it. The victim said she would continue to search for the property.

Oct. 12: Police responded to a report of a suspicious person at 2600 NE 22 Ave. Police reported the subject was lost and in need of directions.

Oct. 15: The victim said someone stole her wallet while she was shopping at 3780 N. Federal Hwy. The victim noticed that her wallet was missing when she went to the register to pay. The wallet contained a driver’s license, $120 in cash and a debit card.

(This is a partial list. For Deerfield Beach Crime Watch in full, visit www.DFB.City and click on “Sign Me Up” to receive the city wide report.)

By Gary Curreri

Two local residents recently were among the recipients of the Miami Dolphins’ weekly PlayFootball awards.

Deerfield Beach High School junior running back Jaylan Knighton was recognized as the High School Player of the Week after the University of Oklahoma commit rushed a school-record 26 times for 348 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bucks to a 44-8 victory over Taravella.

Consuelo Lewis, of the Pompano Chiefs from the Florida YouthFootball League, was recognized as the Team Mom of the Week.Lewis has been a dedicated parent and volunteer for the Pompano Chiefs for many years. She is always at practices and games, and makes sure the boys have everything they need. Lewis’ presence in the park has been evident since she became a team mom and even overcame her bout with cancer.

The program is designed to celebrate youth football in South Florida. For each home game, the Dolphins will identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week.

The other winners were Santaluces coach Brian Coe (High School Coach of the Week) and Termain Sherman from the Ft. Lauderdale Hurricanes Super Peewees of the Florida Youth Football League (Youth Player of the Week). They received their awards at the Miami Dolphins’ overtime win over the Chicago Bears.

Award recipients will receive tickets to a Dolphins home game and were presented with a plaque on the field at Hard Rock Stadium. They also receive acknowledgment of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ social media platforms. The Dolphins also recognize a team of the week, who will be on field during the national anthem.

The program concludes at the Dolphins-Jaguars game where the Dolphins will honor yearly award winners in all categories with the exception of the team of the year.

Christensen wins BCAA golf title

Pompano Beach High School’s Thomas Christensen posted the lowest round of the day at 3-over 75 at the Palm Aire Country Club to help his school win the Damian Huttenhoff Golf Championship.

The tournament, which featured golfers from all of the county’s schools who are members of the Broward County Athletic Association, was played in blustery conditions that led to high scores from its participants.

“I felt comfortable this year after playing well a year-a-go here,” Christensen said. “As a team, we played pretty well, so it’s a good direction for us going into the next few weeks.

Christensen carded a two-day total of 11-over, 155 at last year’s Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A state championship tournament at Mission Inn Resort & Club at Howey-in-the-Hills.

“I actually struck the ball poorly today hitting only seven greens,” he added, “but my putting and chipping were solid.”

He helped the Tornadoes win the tournament with a 316 total. Douglas was second with a 325 total. Teammate Deon Riley was one stroke back with a 76, while Dennis Murphy also broke 80 with a 79.

Deerfield Beach

Oct. 9: A man attempted to pass a $100 U.S. bill that had “For Motion Picture Use Only” on it at Publix at 150 S. Federal Hwy. The man handed it to a clerk hoping the clerk would not notice an attempt to pass counterfeit money. The man fled on a skateboard.

Oct. 9: An individual entered a Home Depot at 60 SW 12 Ave. and stole a Ryobi generator valued at $699.

Oct. 9: A woman quit her sales job at GNC at 1335 S. Military Tr. and left with $2,557 in money from transactions. There were 17 customer transactions involved.

Oct. 10: A woman working as lifeguard reported that her bicycle was stolen. The incident was reported at Tower 6 at 600 SE 21 Ave.

Oct. 12: A woman reported that someone stole jewelry from her valued at $2,500 at 3001 Deer Creek Country Club Blvd.

Lighthouse Point

Oct. 7: The victim said he noticed his Glock 26 was missing from the driver’s side door of his vehicle that was parked at 2141 NE 35 St. There were no signs of forced entry. The loss was $500.

Oct. 7: The victim said her security surveillance camera captured two male subjects in a golf cart pull into her yard and take two political signs valued at $50.

Oct. 9: The victim said he lost a wallet as he went from the front of his residence at 2757 NE 29 Ave. and his car. He said his driver’s license was also in the wallet. There was no fraudulent activity on any of the cards.

(This is a partial list. For Deerfield Beach Crime Watch in full, visit www.DFB.City and click on “Sign Me Up” to receive the city wide report.)

By Gary Curreri

The biggest obstacle Deerfield Beach’s Alannah Irwin faced in the Broward County USBC Association Top-8 tournament at AMF Margate Lanes recently was keeping up with the lane changes. Then, the 27-year-old had to unseat defending champion and tournament bowler Rhoda Rodriguez, of Plantation. Irwin managed both and edged Rodriguez, 181-178, to win the Women’s Division of the tournament that featured the best bowlers Broward County had to offer.

“I was just having fun and trying to watch how everyone else was playing,” Irwin said. “I was watching where I should and shouldn’t throw the ball in the lane. I had to keep up with the lane changes and see what everyone else was doing.”

“It was very difficult,” said Irwin, who qualified for a second time as an adult. She reached the Top-8 seven times as a junior bowler, where she won three times – the last time coming in 2010. “It takes a real technical eye to really see what the lanes are doing and how the oil patterns are transitioning. You also see what adjustments you have to make whether it is changing bowling balls or changing your angle or the speed of the ball.”

Irwin came into the tournament with little expectations because she hadn’t been bowling on a regular basis.

“This was kind of my first year back bowling in two different leagues and in two different houses,” Irwin said. “It was nice to get the (qualifying) letter. I came in with no expectations.

“I was just bowling in one house, one league a year,” she added, “and was asked to bowl in a second league and said, ‘yes.’ It’s a good comeback. It was nice to win it in my second time as an adult. The last time was in 2013. I didn’t even make the top four that year. I finished like fifth.”

The top eight bowlers from around Broward County competed in the one-day event in six divisions — Junior Boys and Girls, Men’s and Women’s Open, and Senior Men and Women. Bowlers in the tournament began by bowling qualifying matches and ultimately wound up competing in a ladder format where the bowlers worked their way up to challenge the top qualifier who got a bye.

Another local bowler, Jeanne Silvestro, 59, of Pompano Beach, dropped the final of the Women’s Senior Division title match to Pembroke Pines’ Paula Rappaport, 185-156. It was Rappaport’s third win in the Top-8 and first as a senior. Her back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010 came in the Women’s Open Division.

“This was awesome,” said Silvestro, who was bowling in the Top-8 for the first time. She was the top qualifier for the final, but had to sit through two ladder matches before bowling for the championship. “That was hard. It was tiring and I got stiff. Then they bowled three games on the lanes and there was no oil left at all. It was just tough to sit.”

Still she was pleased with making her debut and reaching the final. She has bowled for the past 40 years and is self-taught. She never participated in junior bowling.

To qualify for the event, bowlers need to bowl in two leagues in two different houses (bowling alleys) and they have to compete in at least 2/3 of the league. Those top scoring averages earn them a berth in the annual tournament.

“It was unbelievable,” Silvestro said. “I had no idea (how she’d do). I always bowled in one house, so this was the first year I bowled in two houses and when I got the (qualifying) letter in the mail, I was shocked.”

“I was happy if I came in eighth,” she continued. “To qualify first was crazy. This was great. I had a great time.”