By Rachel Galvin

Imagine playing craps with an octopus, putting on a poker face for card sharks under the sea and being served drinks by a mermaid… This fantastical concept will soon be a reality right off Pompano Beach. You will be able to stop for a selfie beneath the sea as you dive down to visit the Lady Luck, a 324 ft. historic tanker scheduled to be sunk on July 23 just 1 ½ miles off the shoreline.

The ship will be the centerpiece of what will become known as Shipwreck Park, surrounded by 16 other existing wrecks. This will be a unique underwater cultural arts park with rotating underwater art exhibits.

The Lady Luck has starfish and sand dollars on the highest level, closest to the surface where coral may grow. Down below, there are poker tables, crap tables and slot machines to explore, along with creative characters.

On July 8, many gathered inside the Pompano Marriott to celebrate the sinking of this vessel. It also served as a fundraiser toward that effort and for other events to come.

The road to creating this event was not a simple one. After attempting to purchase several boats and having the deals fall apart, they finally found a gem in New York, a tanker called Newtown Creek that had been decommissioned and was up for auction. Utilized to transport sludge in New York City since 1967, this vessel is getting a new lease on life as a tourist attraction thanks, in part, to Assistant City Manager for Pompano Beach Greg Harrison, who negotiated the deal from the original asking price of $235,000 down to $100,000.

Harrison said he was brought into the project in 2014.

“They assigned me to work with the chair of the economic development committee, Tommy DiGiorgio, Jr., and the chair of the tourism committee, Rob Wyre, to figure out how to make it a reality. It was a big challenge,” said Harrison.

Next, they needed an artist and that is when Dennis MacDonald came into play. Known locally for such projects as the Rapa Nui sculptures that were sunk off Deerfield’s pier June 7, 2015, MacDonald has worked with companies like Universal Studios and Disney in the past. When given the idea from the committees to do a casino theme, he wasn’t sure what to do, but it came to him eventually.

“When they gave me the concept, I was stumped at first, but then I thought, ‘Let’s have fun with this, make it whimsical.’ I started 2 ½ months ago. We used small models to create the sculptures. I had some art friends help me. Paul Costanza helped create the musculature on the sharks and helped with all the [characters’ attitudes]. I looked at the project as seven different environments, photo opportunities,” said MacDonald as he showed off a picture of his favorite slot machine, commenting, “I built it using pieces of the boat. It has a steampunk feel.”

Of course, getting sponsors was essential. Wyre is also the Regional Vice President of Operations and General Manager of the Isle of Capri Casino, so they partnered with the city on this venture, donating $312,500, which the city matched. The money goes toward cleaning up the boat to make it ready for the sinking, including removing any pollutants that may be harmful.

Wyre said, “This was the budget we thought we needed to just get it done, but we were a bit short. [This is why we are raising funds.]”

DiGiorgio understands the importance of this wreck on the community and the draw it will have from people all over the world.

“I was just in Spazio, Italy. There was a guy waiting for me and he didn’t speak English, but we were next to a dive shop and the guy there came out to [translate] for us.

He asked where I was from. I said ‘Ft. Lauderdale’ and then ‘actually Pompano.’ He said, ‘Pompano? Is that where they are sinking the casino boat?’ The guy takes people out on dives. He said next year, he is scheduled to go to Mexico, but, the year after, he is coming to Broward County,” he said.

He knows the economic engine this will be and talked about the large amount of hotel rooms that will be filled, and more to be added, just to accommodate the influx of tourists.

“The Vandenberg cost $9.5 million I think [sunk off the Keys in 2009]. The economic payback was less than six months. Spiegel Grove [also sunk there in 2002] cost $5 1/2 million and got a payback in less than three months.,” he said, adding, “It will take less than 20 minutes to get to [the site of the sunken Lady Luck], not a full day. In a couple of hours, people can have a great experience.”

At the July 8 event, there was a silent auction filled with nautical items, as well as a live auction with Pompano Mayor Lamar Fisher as auctioneer. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages were served. Joe West sang some oldies and speed artist Dale Henry a.k.a. “Paintman” quickly painted four pieces, which were auctioned.

DiGiorgio added that County Commissioner Chip LaMarca, who was at the event, was instrumental in getting free dockage at Port Everglades where the ship will be brought into, from its current position on the Miami River, before it sinks at 2 p.m. on July 23 off the Pompano Pier.

For more information, visit www.shipwreckparkpompano.org.

By Rachel Galvin

The Class of 2016 was the last class to graduate from Zion Lutheran. The school that began in 1964 is in the process of being transformed into a charter school called Somerset Academy Key. During the transition, many students and teachers went elsewhere, but others remained and an influx of new students is coming in. They currently have enrolled 420 students, but expect to have 600 in total by the time school starts.

There no longer will be a Christian curriculum and, since it is turning from a private to public school, students will be subject to testing and requirements they have never experienced before, but new principal Dennis Mulrooney said the changes are a good thing.

“[The students] haven’t had those rigors before. I believe it is a step above. We are pushing higher education and setting them up for secondary success, putting them in a position to get into college. We are there to help them along the way.”

Mulrooney began his work in education in schools in Miami-Dade County. He has worked in administration and as a curriculum coach. He worked as an Assistant Principal at Somerset Academy in Miramar at an elementary level for two years. Looking to gain high school experience, he transferred to another charter school, Mater Academy, where he became Assistant Principal for two more years. When the call came asking him if he wanted to come to Deerfield and open Somerset Academy Key, he jumped at the chance.

“Getting the call was a blessing. It is everything I have ever wanted,” he said.

The school is being freshened up to have a more Somerset feel. They will be retaining the colors and the lion mascot from Zion, but the lion may change a little.

They are updating the computers, installing new software. They have about 200 computer stations and plan to increase it up to 400-450 stations once they reach their intended enrollment.

In addition to already instituted extracurricular activities, including sports, students will be able to create their own clubs.

“Students will create and drive the activity [programming]. If there is enough interest, they can get a sponsor and fundraise,” said Mulrooney, adding, “I want students to feel this is a second home for them.

The school, which will now only serve grades 6 to 12, currently has open enrollment. But the process to get in is not as easy as a regular school.

“There is only a certain amount of seats at each level. Once we hit that, students go on a wait list. It is not a simple process. The later students register, the less likelihood they will get in,” he said.

Meanwhile Zion’s pre-school, now called Zion Early Learning Center, and the church is still operational.

The preschool serves ages six weeks to Pre-K. Kids here tackle STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) from day one. They follow the WEE curriculum, which is Christian-based. The staff is all CDA certified (with the Childcare Development Association). Over the summer, students learn a different fairy tale every week and incorporate it into their studies.

They also have a Vacation Bible School and a Summer Camp. The camp, which runs through August, includes traveling to fun adventures like the park, movies and elsewhere.

Both Somerset and the preschool are seeking students. For more information on Somerset Academy Key, call 954-481-0602 or visit www.somersetkey.com. For more information on the preschool and their programs, call 954-421-3146.

By Rachel Galvin

In today’s world of high tech, big equipment and high paced processing; it is nice to know that some people still do things the old-fashioned way. Vito Volpe is one of those people. He works with his employees to make mozzarella from scratch all handmade with 100 percent cow’s milk, no preservatives.

The art of cheesemaking began far before recorded history and seemed to become a more sophisticated endeavor during the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. For Vito, his days of making cheese began as a child in a farm near Bari, Italy. He learned how to make it from his mother.

“From little kids, we learned from our mother how to make cheese. We made our own pasta, bread … We had a sheep we would milk and ride. We were not rich,” said Vito.

He moved to New York on Feb. 26, 1972 and opened up an Italian deli. He moved to South Florida in 2006.

“Nobody was doing this here,” he said. “Others try and think they know what they are doing and close.”

Today, he creates cheese daily with his workers, which number six and up to about 11 in the busy months (September through May), including his wife Lucrezia. He gets up at the crack of dawn and the process begins. His hands are sore from being in boiling water daylong. Mozzarella (which is derived from the Italian verb mozzare, which means “to cut”) starts with pasteurized hormone-free milk, which he gets delivered from a place in Tampa in 5 gal. bags. Curd is created by adding enzymes and citric acid. The large mass of curd is added to hot whey (liquids from the drained curds) and stirred until the curds melt and begin to form a smooth, shiny mass.

Some of the cheeses he offers are Mozzarella Fior di Latte, Fior di Latte (smoked), Ovolini, handmade Trecce Braid, handmade Nodini Knots, Scamorza, fresh Ricotta, Ciliegine Cherry, Sfoglia di Mozzarella, Bocconcini, Burrata and Mozzarella di Bufala.

His high quality cheeses have been sought out by fine dining establishments, at places like The Breakers and Fountainbleu, The Polo Club, as well as Boca Raton’s Saquella Cafe, Trattoria Romana and Villagio. It is even at certain Whole Foods and elsewhere.

Now, he has been asked to distribute at Publix in 200 stores in South Florida. For that, which will be a much bigger order, he has purchased a new machine to aid in the processing. It will speed up the process. It normally takes a few hours to separate the curds and whey and then as little as 15 minutes to take it and shape it into the proper shape and set it in a cold water bath to be placed into a container to be shipped.

Vito also sells other products like pasta, butter and olive oil.

People can come in and buy products directly from him, but usually they will see him out at events and green markets. Sometimes he sends other people to sell, but he always likes to attend the one in Parkland himself.

“It is a nice day off,” he said. “One day to relax.”

What makes his mozzarella different is not only that it is made by hand, but that it is preservative free.

“We do handmade with 100 percent milk, not powdered milk, no chemicals. The mozzarella may last only three weeks. Other [companies] say three months, because they put in preservatives. You get pizza with [cheap cheese] and it is like plastic you can crack in half. You feel sick. I don’t like to trick people. If you look for a bargain, don’t call me. If you look for quality, call me,” he said.

He added that olive oil bought from others is usually not pure, but mixed with another kind of oil.

“My father used to be able to spoon out olive oil like butter when it was cold. When you look at [another company’s] olive oil, you may see a small ball formed at the bottom. That is the percentage that is actually olive oil,” he explained.

Vito also just opened up Mozzarita Bar (at 9704 Clintmore Rd., #A-105 in Boca Raton), six months ago. He hopes to turn it into a franchise.

“There is wine, beer, food with mozzarella, like eggplant parmesan, burrata with salmon and prosciutto, cheesecake with ricotta, ciabatta bread with mozzarella and tomato [and more],” said Vito.

Mozzarita is located at 5392 NE 13 Way, Pompano Beach FL 33064. For more information, visit www.mozzarita.com.

By Rachel Galvin

Pavilion One, just south of Pompano pier, has a perfect view of sea grapes, Palm trees, sunny skies and crystal blue waters, and it serves as the perfect inspiration for art. This is the latest location for artist Pat Anderson’s Plein Air painting class. Here, her students set up their leaf bars (easels that wrap around a column or a tree) and await instruction.

On this day, June 13 (session two of a four-week class), she has them prepare their palette with the right colors. Next, she does an outline of a shape of their choosing – either a palm tree, conch shell or turtle — with liquid rubber, which will dry and create interesting white lines in the finished product. Next, she has students “warm up” with the No. 20 brush, showing them how to move their arm while keeping their hand perfectly still as they practice their thin and thick brush strokes. Today, they will be making puffy clouds with blues and grays, softening the edges with a Q-tip. She showed them how they could paint blades of grass in quick upward strokes.

In order to save paint, which can be expensive, they do “speed painting,” working on two paintings at once. One painting is an abstract using the pigments of their paper palette

and the other one is the landscape they are creating.

Lynn Radtke came with her 13-year-old daughter Olivia.

“I usually order Pat’s ornaments [which she creates every year for Christmas] and I got to an e-mail about the class and signed up. I was looking for something my daughter and I could do together. She likes art but prefers acrylics. I thought this would get her out of her comfort zone. If she wants to stick with art, it’s a perfect thing to do,” said Lynn, who has worked in fashion design for awhile.

Ramona Myrick also has a fashion background and went to school for fashion merchandise.

“I thought it would be fun to do. I haven’t done it for awhile,” said Myrick, who has worked with mixed media in the past.

She added, “In the first class, last week, we had homework to paint the alphabet and we did a picture of a leaf”.

This month is on Pompano Beach, next month’s classes (July 11, 18, 25 and Aug. 1) will be in Harbor’s Edge Park (1240 NE 28 Ave.). She tries to change up the location. She also has classes using acrylics as well.

“I want to get more use of our parks. These posts [columns on pavilion] are not used. We are making use of them. I introduced this art program for parks, to paint in plein air, outdoors. The students are learning the different elements of the painting. I give them a rough sketch of where the sea grapes are, where the trees are, etc. In the end, they will paint a picture of the park they are in and will get a T-shirt with the picture and a certificate for participation.”

Interested in joining her classes? Each two-hour class includes some supplies and access to a leaf bar easel. Cost is $200 for four weeks. Thirty percent of proceeds benefit the Parks & Recreation Dept. You must register in advance at Emma Lou Olson Civic Center, 1801 NE 6 St. in Pompano. For more information, call 954-786-4111, visit www.PatAndersonArtist.com.

By Rachel Galvin

When you think of Cyndi Lauper, you may picture the edgy bohemian with big, bright red hair, flamboyant styling and adorable New Yawk accent. But Lauper has transformed through the years, since being thrust into the mainstream scene in 1983 with She’s So Unusual, changing her style in fashion and music. Once known for her pop music hits like “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” she has moved on to embrace other styles, including Blues, in her last album Memphis Blues.

Now, in her newest album, Detour, she firmly embraces Country. The album is a collaboration with the likes of Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Jewel. This 11th studio album was recorded in Nashville and includes all covers of classics like Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “I Fall To Pieces; “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” by Patsy Montana and Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas,” and many others.

The Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer likes to employ a wide variety of genres within all her original songs.

“I think it was an eclectic sound to begin with. It’s all a mixture,” said Lauper of her early music during an interview with The Observer. “It’s Jamaican, it’s street and Motown-ish, all mixed together but in a pop format. [If it makes you happy], then that is the kind of music it is.”

Creating happiness is key to her musical choices. In this latest album, she is returning back to her roots, to music she listened to as a child.

‘[I cut my teeth] listening to all the Rockabilly Rock & Rollers … Wanda Jackson and Patsy Cline,” she said. “[For this album], I picked songs with stories I could relate to.”

Lauper added, “I thought country would be hard, but once I found myself in it, I was ok. I think that all of it is the roots of the music that I play. It’s a singer’s record. I really love music and feel blessed. My favorite right now is this but I did love the Blues, and they are very close. This is same time period as [songs within] Memphis Blues.”

Cyndi, who has been a songwriter, singer, actress and well-known LGBT activist, also recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with Harvey Fierstein, who worked with her on the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots.”

“Right next to Gary Cooper!” she enthused. “It doesn’t get better than that.”

Her advice for people trying to get into the business?

“Keep going and do what you were put on this earth to do. If it’s singing and writing, don’t stop and there’s plenty of gate keepers, look beyond their shoulders and see where you are going. Make a map, make a plan and stick to it. Sometimes, you might take some detours, detours that are good. Don’t do the bad ones,” she said.

Cyndi has had struggles in her life, within her childhood and while navigating through stardom. When asked how she handles challenges that have arisen, she said, “Sometimes, I just write down on a piece of paper what I would like to happen. Every time I put a ‘but’ in there, I turn that paper over and start again until there are no ‘buts’ or ‘ifs.’ I think the written word is very powerful and I’ve actually done it and been able to turn things around for myself. It’s a mindset. I always believe in life there’s a lot of people that want to do things but they always say ‘but’ and they always think ‘but.’ They can’t send mixed messages. They [have] to just keep their aim true. I think that the people who succeed in life are the people who don’t quit. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there, you don’t quit.”

She added, “There are trappings that come with music. If you are lucky enough to become successful, fame comes along with it. There is no handbook for that. Nobody writes, ‘Rule No. 1… when you’re famous …’ They don’t do that. Your path is your own so try and accept yourself for who you are and you’ll accept others too and try and find happiness in everything you do because life is short.”

Lauper didn’t always start out on this particular path. In fact, she didn’t set out to be a lead singer at all.

“I actually learned to sing in the clubs and learned to be a front person because I wanted to be a background singer. I had my heart set on being like Merry Clayton. [When I was singing in a band], the platform shoes I was wearing kept falling. The only manager who would manage us said he would only manage us if the girl in the back who keeps falling, but sings pretty good, would come up front and be the lead singer. So that’s what happened,” she explained.

Her son, “Dex” (Declyn), is now getting involved in doing Hip Hop. She has seen how the industry has changed. She isn’t sure if she started out today if she would make it the way she did in the ‘80s.

“I don’t think I could be on all those [reality] shows. You get tortured.” said Lauper (who has had her own reality show called ‘She’s Still Unusual’). “It’s a different ballgame because of social media.”

She wonders if singers in the past had to go through the same steps as singers today if many of them would have become famous.

“Would [Bob] Dylan do it? Would he make it through?” she wondered.

She added, “When I started in 1983, I was more of a performance artist. [I would get questions like] ‘Why can’t you wear jeans and a T-shirt like Katrina and the Waves? After awhile, it wore me down until I did Diva Glam thing with Lady Gaga. It [woke me up], saying wait a minute, I could dress the way I dress without feeling like a freak because there was somebody there who [dresses that way too]. I hope that I told her ‘Don’t listen. Be who you are.’ She is a performance artist. Bowie was the first performance artist. To come back now and do this album and have a little performance art I can do, I am so grateful.”

As for Lauper’s future following the tour?

“I am going to tackle another musical … she said.

Cyndi has a Boca Raton spot on her tour. See her perform, with The Peach Kings, at Mizner Park Amphitheatre on June 11. For more information on her career, visit www.cyndilauper.com.

By Rachel Galvin

On the corner of Hillsboro Boulevard and Dixie Highway, a lonely red caboose sits where it has lived since 2002. Seemingly abandoned, left behind from days gone by, this lonely caboose seems to have quite a story. Passersby have wondered what mysteries lie in its past and how long it would sit on this stretch of track. Graffiti has many times marred its sides and it was painted again and again. It seems to beg for a better home. Now, its wish has been granted.

This historic caboose originally began its life as a box car, according to Bill Muenzenmaier. Its wheels are dated 1951. But it wasn’t until the 1960s when it became a caboose.

Back in the olden days, cabooses were used for many purposes, including as a place for a man to act as a lookout for the engineer in front, signaling in case of any sign of trouble or if it needed to back up, for example.

“Guys could sit up high in the cupola and look for signs of smoke. Trains had friction bearings then and each time the train would go into service yard, the [workers] were supposed to check the wheels and squirt oil to keep it lubricated. If they should miss some, as they are going down the road, it can run hot and turn to smoke and then to fire. [Back then], boxcars were made out of all wood. Today, [they are not] and they use regular ball-bearing wheels. The only thing that can happen now is that you could break a coupler and the air hoses could get disconnected [so cabooses are no longer required].”

When this little caboose was no longer in service, it was purchased by a private collector, Richard Weiner, and when he needed a place to put it, he gave it to William Thies & Sons, the beer distributing company, along with four other boxcars he owned. Eventually, the company sold the property and needed to move the caboose. When they tried to give it back to Weiner, he gifted it to the Deerfield Beach Historical Society.

The railway moved it 11 miles up the track to the side track where it now resides. It was neighbors with the recently demolished Deerfield Builders Supply, which once received carloads of material on those tracks from areas as far away as Oregon or even Western Canada.

Owner of the now closed Deerfield Builders Supply, Ed Dietrich Jr., is spearheading the effort to give the caboose a new home, along with Muenzenmaier and the rest of the Deerfield Beach Historical Society.

Dietrich said, “We are going to roll the caboose about 400 ft. south for the people with the crane [Emerald Towing] to lift out and transport it to the former Deerfield Builders Supply lot [currently owned by Stor-All] to do necessary repairs. Dana Eller and Moving Waters Industries are graciously assisting with necessary welding repairs. Professional rail painter Jeff Conner [Show Paints by Conner] will prep and paint the caboose outside prior to moving its new home.”

The caboose will be painted “safety orange” the way it originally was, according to Muenzenmaier.

Its new home will be just east of the Old School House, a place suggested, said Dietrich, by City Manager Burgess Hanson.

“The site will be authentic rail trackage (wood ties, steel I-flange rails, hand spikes and rock ballast),” said Dietrich. “Capital Project Engineer Charles DaBrusco will be coordinating site preparation. “When site and caboose are ready [in a few weeks], Emerald Towing will employ their high capacity cranes to load the caboose body and wheel trucks onto the low-boy trailers for the short trip from Ed Dietrich Sr. Ave. to City Hall. The wheel trucks will go down first and then the caboose body and chassis will be lowered onto them, and the caboose will be put into its permanent position. Eventually, an access ramp will be constructed, along with landscape improvements. Interior restoration will proceed onsite. [It] will include interactive educational components and various historical archives.”

Dietrich added, “This has been 15 years in the making. We appreciate the tremendous contributions and cooperation of the City of Deerfield Beach, the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Deerfield, the Florida East Coast Railway, Stor-All LLC, MWI and Emerald Towing.”

By Rachel Galvin

May 7 was the kickoff for the Deerfield Beach Bison football team’s registration. Over 100 kids came out to run drills, featuring hurdles, knock-away dummies, ladders and halfback pads, during the Miami Dolphins Jr. Training Camp. The first 50 kids to sign up received free registration. Former players were on-hand, as well as current player Lousaka Polite. Cheerleaders Paige and Kristan taught Bison cheerleaders a cheer and gave them an opportunity to do a dance. Former Florida Atlantic University Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger even made an appearance to speak to the kids.

Following the festivities, kids could pick up information from Beauty Anatomy Institute (a cosmetology and wellness school) and get a pair of free sunglasses. FAU gave out some goodies and each child got a Deerfield Beach Bison bag.

By Rachel Galvin

Many made merry at the opening weekend of the Renaissance Festival in Quiet Waters Park. The annual event takes place over seven weekends this year, running until March 27.

Guests could watch a show while they grabbed some food and drink and strolled through the booths filled with everything from authentic garb to swords and pottery. A few craftsmen showed off their glass blowing skills while washing wenches got the audience all wet and pirates blasted cannons. Kids bounced on bounce houses nearby, climbed the rock wall, went down the zipline or rode on rides. Of course, the highlight of the event is always the joust with royalty present.

To find out more about this joyous family friendly event, visit www.ren-fest.com.

By Rachel Galvin

On Feb. 7, little surfers hit Deerfield’s beach for the Gnarly Charley’s Grom Surf Series competition. Eighty-one kids aged 15 and under competed. The event was put on by Charley Hajek, who lives in New Smyrna Beach but holds competitions up and down the east coast.

Hajek, who is the nine-time East Coast Champion and is getting ready to go to regionals himself, said, “This keeps kids off the streets and in the water. I teach them strategies and good sportsmanship.”

His surf series includes nine divisions. This is his second time in Deerfield. One of his next competitions is in Jupiter on Feb. 27 and Ft. Pierce after that in March.

Island Water Sports and Billabong sponsored the event.

For more information, visit www.gnarlycharleysurfseries.com.

By Rachel Galvin

When Ira Wechterman first proposed setting up a kayak ramp at Hillsboro Cove Condominiums in Deerfield Beach, a 55-year-old and over condo, he thought the response would be small. Boy, was he wrong. His project has taken on a life much bigger than he expected.

“I was pestering our dock master to see if we could get a system set up for kayaks. He said, ‘There are 10 empty boat slips. Pick one and see what you can do.’ I sent out a questionnaire, expecting three or four people interested. Instead, we got over 18,” said Wechterman.

That double digit interest increased more than three-fold, said Wechterman, who added, “People who were non-boaters now have the opportunity to get involved with boating at a minimal cost.”

Their condo maintenance staff built the racks – a total of 36 slots. Many residents, however, leave their kayaks in their condo units. Those interested in putting their kayaks in a slot pay an initial set-up fee to offset the cost of building the racks and a $10 monthly fee added to their Condo Area Maintenance (CAM). There is a dolly nearby to aide in transporting the kayak to the water.

In addition, he researched and found a local company to provide a dock and ramp with overhead bar for easier kayak entry and exit.

“My wife and I go out together paddling around Deerfield Island and up to Hillsboro Canal,” he added, saying they often see animals and marine life, including fish, manatees, birds and iguanas.

His wife, Helene, chimed in, “He had never kayaked before we moved here; but I had.”

When asked about the new dock ramp and racks, she said, “I love it. It is wonderful. We try to go out once a week.”

He hopes the city of Deerfield Beach will put in a kayak dock at Pioneer Park so that kayakers can more easily exit the water there and use restroom facilities, as well as explore nearby restaurants before getting back in the water.

The couple moved from Long Island and were snowbirds for 12 years before moving here full-time two years ago.

“My wife bought our condo without me ever seeing it,” said Wechterman. “It is one of the few places you can look out and see something green.”

Deerfield Island Park

That something green is Deerfield Island Park, a 53.3 acre nature-oriented park surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Hillsboro and Royal Palm canals, and accessible only by boat. For those without kayaks or boats of their own, there is a free boat that leaves from Sullivan Park to the island every hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. The last shuttle leaves at 4:30 p.m. The shuttle is dependent on weather conditions. If the weather looks bad, confirm first by calling Quiet Waters Park at 954-357-5100.

This island is an asset not only to those who live across from it at Hillsboro Cove, but all the residents of Deerfield Beach and beyond.

He said the upcoming Sullivan Park improvements will create a whole day experience. Kids can play in the fountain and then the family can go to Deerfield Island Park to explore the nature trails.

Friends of Deerfield Island Park

Wechterman, who is on the Marine Advisory Board, is the president of Friends of Deerfield Island Park (DIP), a group formed about six months ago to ensure that the island is protected by giving their voices and time to the cause. They not only volunteer, but also raise funds to help create improvements to the island and show others its value. The group is doing outreach to get more individuals and communities involved to increase membership and awareness of the park.

This month, Deerfield Island Park will build and install two kayak and paddleboard racks similar to the ones at Hillsboro Cove with the help of the Friends group and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Visitors will be able to rent kayaks and paddleboards through the Parks Dept.

Butterfly Garden

The Friends of DIP are also helping to create a butterfly garden on Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. They are seeking 20 volunteers to help plant shrubs and flowers that will attract butterflies. Tools will be provided by Broward County Parks and Recreation.

Those interested in being involved in their group can find out more information at www.friendsofdip.org.