www.lhpmag.

com Lighthouse Point Magazine

3
 Around the Point is a column that includes news items relevant to the residents of LHP.
We reserve the right to reject material that may not be in the best interest of the community.
NEED FOR TEAMS &
CANCER SURVIVORS!
Deerfield Beach/Lighthouse Point Relay For Life
Chairpersons Gordon Vatch and Carol Landau invite
you to participate in the 25th Annual American
Cancer Society May fundraiser event which will be
held at Quiet Waters Park on Saturday, May 9th,
beginning at 5 p.m.
The event celebrates cancer survivors and caregivers,
and remembers those who have lost their lives to can-
can-
cer. Survivors are honored by walking the first lap,
and caregivers and other participants walk the subse -
quent laps. Another touching part of the event hap-hap-
pens when it gets dark. The track is lined with lumi-
lumi-
naria bags that have the names of cancer survivors and
those who have lost their battle with cancer. It will
touch your heart to walk the track with others who
have been touched in some way by cancer. Attending
a Relay For Life event will change your life forever!
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Hi Jon,
You out-did yourself on the beautiful and inter-
esting articles you had in the February issue!
Thanks for including the boat parade and book
information on Elsa. It really looked great to
include with the other article on the awards.
The book is still in presales, but selling well
already. People have run into Elsa locally say-
ing "You're the one in the book coming out
soon!", so I know a lot of people read
Lighthouse Point Magazine!
Kindest Regards,
Sharon Textor-Black
“The Biggest Little Magazine in South Florida”
Kenneth J. Kerr
KERR, Kenneth J., 50, of Lighthouse Point, beloved son,
brother, uncle and friend passed away Friday, February 20,
2009 at Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami Beach. A longtime res-
ident of Lighthouse Point, Ken was born and raised in
Hialeah, graduated from Miami Springs Senior High School
1976 and University of Miami 1980 with an Education degree.
Ken worked with ReMax Partners of Lighthouse Point, was
a member of Lighthouse Point Yacht Club, enjoyed helping
the Children's Home Society, sponsored several recovering
families post Hurricane Katrina and was a member of several
area churches. He loved his nieces and nephews. Ken is sur-
vived by his brothers, Michael Kerr of Miami Beach, George
and James Kerr and families and cousin William Danton and
family, all of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, his nieces and
nephews and many loving members of family and dear
friends. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made
to St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church
COFFEE HOUSE
TO OPEN SOON
Daily Grind Coffee House & Café to open soon in
the Venetian Isle Shopping Center, offering a full range
of fresh gourmet coffees with a difference, a focus on
taste and flavor not found in mass-market coffee hous -
es. Daily Grind is unique, with its fresh-baked pastries,
sandwiches and salads prepared to order every day
under the watchful and caring eyes of its owners.
Specialty teas and natural fruit smoothies are also
available. Daily Grind offers the genuine coffee house
experience that Lighthouse Point was missing; the
opportunity to unwind, for that breakfast break, that
healthy lunchtime snack, the stop before the shop, or
that evening chill in an atmosphere both relaxed and
welcoming. Owners Andrew and Graeme Donald from
Scotland, local residents in Lighthouse Point, have
extensive food service experience in Europe and the
United States and are bringing their special blend of
Scottish hospitality to you in South Florida. Daily
Grind is their own family business and they will take
care of you, just as if you were family. Watch out for
the kilted Scotsmen in Venetian Isle and the
Lighthouse Point community. They are Daily Grind.
They are the Coffee House & Café. They brew the best
in Broward County.
 features
10 Panama Canal
Fast Changing Landscape
15 Dog Day in Park
4-legged fun!
30 HISC Celebrates
Changing of Guard
40 Restaurant Hop
APRIL QUOTE
“If every fool wore a
crown, we should all be
kings.” ~Welsh Proverb
The complete April
issue , and bac k issues of
Lighthouse Point Ma gazine
can be seen on our NEW
website at www.LHPma g.com
Don’t f or g et to tell your
Cousin Denton in Trenton
Advertising Rates & Information
The Lighthouse Point Magazine is published monthly
by City News Group and delivered by mail, free of charge
each month to residents of Lighthouse Point, businesses
and the surrounding communities.
Check our website for advertising rates and specials
for new clients, or call 954-4
486-3
3820
DEADLINE FOR CAMERA-READY ART AND
PREPAYMENT OF ADS ARE DUE ON THE 1ST DAY
OF THE PRECEDING MONTH OF PUBLICATION.
ALL ON-GOING ADS MUST BE CANCELLED BY THE 1ST
DAY OF THE PRECEDING MONTH OF PUBLICATION.
6 Lighthouse Point Magazine
From the Editor
Has “Medical Care” become an oxymoron?
My doctor is holding his During my last visit, I was
clipboard. I’m having my 6- told that it was time for an x-
month checkup. ray of my chest. I was called a
“Weren’t you scheduled to few days later and asked to
see the hematologist?” he asks. come back because it seems
“I wasn’t aware,” I say. “And there was a spot on my left lung.
besides, my last blood test To make a long story short, the
showed an increase in my nor- spot on my left lung turned out
mally low platelet count, so I to be my left nipple, not cancer.
don’t really see the need to revis- Ask yourself if your doctor
it the hematologist,” I add. is prescribing uneccessary x-
My doctor flips through a few rays and blood tests or EKGs.
pages on his clipboard. Ask yourself if there’s been a gradual
“What about the gastroenterologist?” change in style and substance going on that
he asks.
“I received flying colors for the
seems to contradict the hypocratical oath
that doctors are supposed to honor and
colonoscopy,” I say. obey. We should stand for nothing less!
“When did you see the urologist last? he Hey, you only get one body, so don’t be
asks.
“I don’t need a urologist,” I answer.
afraid to question your doctor. And if your
doctor doesn’t give you an answer that
My doctor continues flipping through seems logical...dump him. I’m no guinea pig!
pages on his clipboard. You’re no guinea pig!
“Looks like it’s been a while since your And If you notice your doctor spending
last EKG,” my doctor says. more of your check up time being a booking
“I don’t think I really need an EKG,” I agent by referring you to other doctors,
tell the doctor. then it’s time for a change before you
My doctor has not yet checked my become over-examined, over-medicated
vitals yet, and I wonder what his purpose is and over-sliced and diced.
as a member of the medical profession I’m sure this may not be the case with
because I feel as though his main concern is all doctors, but take absolutely nothing for
referring me to other doctors for seemingly granted.
NO REASON. Jon Frangipane, Editor
Lighthouse Point Magazine
3467 N.W. 17 Terrace, Oakland Park, FL 33309
OFFICE 954-486-3820
CELL 954-608-3820
FAX 954-735-3652
Email: LHPnews@bellsouth.net
Website: www.LHPmag.com
JonFrangipane - Founder/Publisher/Editor
BohPhillips - Art Director
LindaKaufman - Staff Writer
WendellAbern – Staff Writer
AlanWilliamson - Staff Writer
Contributing Writers
Jim Balistreri, Doreen Gauthier, Sheriff Al Lamberti, Dr. Marc Sander,
Dr. Steve Wigdor, Donna Torrey, Dr. Gary Goberville, Erica and Jan
Davey, Barbara Seidenstein, Rev. Jack Noble, Mary Griffin, Denise
Richardson, Al Siefert, Mary Greenwood, John Offerdahl, Catherine
Favitta and Dr. Peter Painter.
www.lhpmag.com
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 7
 contents
contents I Love My Pet
Al’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Around the Point . . . . . . . . . . . 5
As I Was Saying . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Beauty Spot of the Mont h . . . . . . . . 26
Berkel and Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Cantankerously Yours . . . . . . . . . . 56
Commissioners’ Report . . . . . . . . . . 72
Cookin’ with the Community. . . . . . 7 3
Cover story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Editoria l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Garden Lady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Green Harriet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Butterfly Lady. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Happy Birthday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Hot Off the Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Identity Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
I Love My Pet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Library News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Merchant of the Month . . . . . . . . . . 74
Mortgage News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
On Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Out & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Sheriff Lamberti Reports . . . . . . . . . 64
Strange, But Tru e . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

NOTICE Jet

OUR NEW WEBSITE Here I am just another big girl waiting. I am also a
Show Dog, companion and a good friend. I live in a highrise
IS NOW UP AND RUN - at the beach with my mom and dad. My best friend is my
NING AND WILL BE mom’s horse named Mo. He’s great!
I love long walks on the beach, movies and showing
FEATURING EXCITING myself off at the dog shows, where I do very well. Im
looking for that right man whom I can have the most beau-
VIDEO ADS AND FREE tiful babies with. Someday my mom will find him. Until
REGULAR ADS .PLEASE then I will just wait and be Me.

CHECK IT OUT AND

Please send us a favorite photo of your pet. Also, include 75
CALL US FOR MORE words, or less why you love your pet, your name, address, phone
DETAILS. GO TO and the name of your pet. Send photos by regular mail, or by
email as a PDF or jpeg file to LHPnews@bellsouth.net. No photos
WWW.LHPMAG.COM will be returned.

To accomodate the many requests we get for our publication, copies of the Lighthouse Point Magazine are now available
during the first week of each month at the following locations: City Hall, LHP Library, Police Station, Red Fox Diner, LHP Yacht
& Racquet Club, J. Marks, Yahoo’s, Sushi & Thai Delight, Duffy’s Diner, and Offerdahl’s Cafe. Call for other locations.

8 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

 PANAMA - A Gem Between Tw o Seas
EDITOR"S NOTE: Why Panama? That's the question people would
ask me. My answer was simple: "It's not too far and it's not too near -
and I don't like cold weather." A good friend and fellow writer, Joey
Naudic, thought it would be a great adventure, so he joined me on the
trip last December, 2008.
DAY ONE - After a flight delay,
Joey and I arrived at the Tocumen
International Airport around 4 p.m.
Dancers and musicians in colorful white
lace costumes greeted us at the
entrance. A 30-minute, 30-dollar taxi
ride took us into the city proper where View from our balcony
we got our first taste of city traffic. I
have driven in New York City during focal point, the Panama Canal. Edgar told us it was best to view the
rush hour, but this downtown conges- larger ships at the Mira Flores locks in the afternoon, perhaps after 1
tion was beyond anything I've ever p.m. when the large cruise ship usually sail through.
experienced. And the old model taxis have no air conditioning, so with Working our way in city traffic through a maze of exhaust-spew-
open windows you had no choice but to ingest the toxic fumes. I used ing old model cars and trucks was time-consuming and slightly frus-
a form of "shallow breathing" I learned in New York traffic. trating, but we knew the end result would be well worth the aggrava-
We settled briefly into our beautiful 7th floor apartment, overlook- tion. Our driver was first taking us to
ing the Gulf of Panama on the Pacific side. A wonderful South Florida the older, historical section of the city
couple rented it to us. They told us that this was the only place in the where Manuel Noriega and his hench-
world where the sun rises out of the Pacific in the morning. "Hmm," I men created their dirty work.
commented. We parked the van and walked
Joey and I refreshed ourselves and quickly headed to the down- among the architectural treasures to
town by taxi to get a feel for the city and landed at the Multiplaza be found on the Plaza Bolivar and
Pacific Mall, a huge shopping complex which features high end Plaza Herrara, including the
clothes and other products from around the world. My companion President's Palace of the Herons and
Joey noticed the complete lack of store "sales," a probable indicator the recently restored National
that the economy was fairly stable. An array of gigantic, brightly-lit Theater. A group of young dancers
Christmas trees were seen in on all floors. Shopping not being one of posed for us as they headed for the the-
our favorite pastimes, we settled into the Parador Restaurant on their ater. An enterprising old Embera
outdoor patio and enjoyed some succulent mahi with sounds of a Indian in colorful garb charged me a
Panamanian trio playing familiar Christmas songs. A strange mix we dollar to take her photo.
C
thought. This cosmopolitan city has a vital-
A trip over to the Continental Riande Hotel and Casino gave us Embera ity similar to San Francisco, Madrid,
some insight into the international flavor of the clientele. Not too dif- indian Rio de Janeiro, and Hong Kong. They
ferent from Las Vegas, but the rooms did seem smokeless for some rea- say that the "nights are too short" in
son which was hard to believe. The hotel casinos were all within walk- Panama City, where drinking has become a full-time occupation for
ing distance, so after exploring a few more night spots we were ready many. Residents make the claim that the consumption of alcohol has
to call it a night. medical benefits, since it keeps away any mosquitoes that bring malar-
DAY TWO - Our South Florida friends were right; from the bal- ia. Bartenders are sworn to keep secret the fact that malaria hasn't
cony the following morning the sun did rise out of the Pacific Ocean been a threat in Panama for the past quarter-century. Luckily, Joey and
(???). Of course, there had to be some trick to this phenomenon. I I have had no signs of the disease since returning home.
promised to inves-
tigate. Promptly,
at nine a.m., Edgar
Gomez, who was
our prescheduled
guide, picked up
Joey and I in his
late model, air-
conditioned van.
Our plan included
points of historical
interest, and then
Ruins of Noriega Plaza (left) finally the main

10 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com The Dancers

 THE RAINFOREST & EXCITING, FAST-GROWING METROPOLIS

Chagras River (left) which feeds into the Panama Canal

We reached the Panama Canal. our final destination of the day, at

Mira Flores Visitors Center about 1:15 p.m. It is located on the east side
of the locks and allows visitors to observe transiting vessels and get a
first-hand look at various, mostly all- computerized operations. Celebrity Cruise ship “Infinity” heads to the Pacific Ocean
On our way to the locks, we had an amazing view of the Chagras
River that supplies water to the Panama Canal, the only river in the
world that empties into both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The locks
guide an average size ship, two forward pulling and two aft, holding the
ship steady. At no time in the locks would a ship move under its own
Cargo ship enters canal from Pacific Ocean through Gatun Bay power. The locomotives, about 30 feet long, were on tracks, weighing
forty-three tons with duplicate controls so that they could run in either
The historical evolution of the region cannot be thoroughly direction. To lift a 40,000 ton ship twenty-one feet in the lock chamber,
described in these pages, but the numerous efforts by groups of individ- one had only to turn a small faucet.
uals from many countries were involved in this gigantic project, not to The average toll per ship at the present rate is about $10,000, which
mention the great loss of life, before the canal was finally completed in is about one tenth the cost of sailing eight thousand miles around Cape
August, 1915. Horn. The largest toll yet paid for passage through the Panama Canal
At that time in Washington and San Francisco, plans were being was the Queen Elizabeth ll at a record $42,077.88.
made for tremendous celebrations with President Woodrow Wilson Chief engineer for the Panama Canal project was U.S Major General
and world leaders in attendance, and to include more than a hundred George Washington Goethals, an American Army officer who super-
warships. "The greatest international fleet ever gathered in American vised construction from 1907 to
waters," were to assemble off Hampton Roads, Virginia on New Year's 1914.
Day, 1915, then proceed to San Francisco by way of Panama. It was esti- Considered on of the seven
mated that it would take four days for the entire armada to go through wonders of the world, the Panama
the locks. Canal will soon be undergoing a
But there was no to be no pageant. The first ocean-going ship to go huge new project of widening the
through the canal was a lowly cement boat, the Cristobal. There were canal. The Panama Canal
no luminaries as planned. Ironically, on the same day, Germany would Authority has just signed a loan
declare war, so the big news of the canal opening was buried in the back agreement with representatives
pages of all newspapers. from various multilateral and
Before the age of electronic computers, the operation of the locks bilateral credit agencies for fund-
would depend on no less than 1,500 electric motors, supplied in great ing of $2300 million for the expan-
part by the General Electric Company. Ninety motors were used to sion of the waterway. Mira Flores locks with towing
swing the lock gates and usually four towing locomotives were used to Continues on page 46 locamotive in foreground
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 11
12 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
 954-570-7733

Feel better, improve your posture

and stand taller with Pilates!

www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 13

 BUY ONE ENTREE - GET 1/2 OFF 2ND
ENTREE OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE!

14 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof-woof

DOG DAY
Story & Photos by Jon Frangipane

The Blustry winds couldn’t, nor did the nasty little pit bull
incident dampen the spirits on Dog Day in the Park at Dan Witt last

I
month.
The Soroptimists, dressed in their usual colorful garb, were at
the front gate to meet and greet the crowd and sign in the many

N
dog entries.
Dogs romped, raced, twirled, jumped, barked, yelped, and then
some just stopped to get a good sniff.
Gigi & Luca Pet Boutique presented the annual Pet Fashion
Show, first prize going to Bianca Drohan of Deerfield Beach show-
ing off pet schnauzers, Iggy, Pumpkin and Trump. Second prize
went to Ashley for Walking Pricess and Happy. Third prize went
to yorkies Paige and Piper.
Doggie look-alike went to Debbie Anzalone with Luca and
Luna.
T
H
Judges for the event were Chip LaMarca, Debra Todd, and
Barbara De Ville. Mike Long was Master of Ceremonies.

P
A
R
K

More doggies next page

DOG DAY IN THE PARK
Continued from page 15
 Can You Benefit from Current
Opportunity in Municipal Bonds?
Do you own any municipal bonds? If not, you might
want to look at them. And right now, these types of bonds
may be especially appealing.
The interest you receive from municipal bonds is exempt
from federal taxes. If you are in one of the upper tax brack-
ets, the tax savings you receive from your municipal bonds
may be enough to provide you with a higher yield than
you’d typically get from a comparable Treasury or corporate
bond.
But in recent months, we’ve seen something that rarely
occurs: municipal bonds yielding as much as Treasury bonds
— even without taking the tax benefits into account. Why?
Because an oversupply of municipal bonds on the market
has led to lower prices. And when prices drop, yields rise.
If municipal bonds are appropriate for your needs, give
them some consideration. Member SIPC

954-783-6694 www.edwardjones.com

Robert Friedman AAMS

1827 NE 24th Street
Street
Lighthouse Point
FL 33064

robert.friedman@edwardjones.com

www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 17

18 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
 LHP CHAMBER NETS $31,300 AT THE
5TH ANNUAL “TASTE OF LIGHTHOUSE POINT”
The Lighthouse Point Chamber of
Commerce had the monthly social-meet-
ing at the beautiful state-of-the-art offices
of Dr. Brian Rask on the 14th Street
Causeway. Dr. Rask gave a tour of the
facility and advised all in attendance of his
practice and what differentiates his from
many other traditional dental practices.
Delicious delectables were provided by
Elsa of the Hot Tomatoe.

This was the first meeting of members

since the 5th Annual Taste of
Lighthouse Point in January at the
Lighthouse Point Yacht & Racquet Club.
President Michele Greene kept the crowd
in suspense as she conducted the "busi-
ness" side of the meeting.

The Chamber presented a $1000 sponsor- Receiving Membership Plaques, Front row, L to R: Robin Fulling, Susan &
ship check to Officer Jon Esposito of the Roger Gingrich, Ruth Spiegal, amd Julie Wheeler. Back row: LHP Chamber
LHP Police Department for the upcoming President Michele Greene.
Special Olympics our Police Department
will participate in, running the Federal
Highway corridor on Tuesday April 21,
2009.

After the attendees gave self-introduc-

tions, Greene thanked all those who
attended the Taste for all their great work
and whose efforts netted $31,300.00 for
the event. As a result, monies will be Mike McLain, Officer John Esposito and
donated to the LHP Recreation Renee Sabatini Elsa of Hot
Dr. Brian Rask
Department for a new visitor/home score- Tomatoe catered
board, the Library will be getting 9 new the meeting
computers for the residents as well as a
monthly classes on the how to use the
computer, three $2,500 college scholar-
ships for resident high school seniors who
will be majoring in, and $2500 to Norcrest
Elementary School for supplies in each
classroom.

For more information on the Chamber,

please visit our website @ Stacey Bliss, Barbara Seely Curtis and
Wendy Hall Mary Griffin&Julie Mahfood
www.lhpchamber.com

Lighthouse Point Magazine welcomes all residents in the surrounding area

to send news items, articles and photos that would be of interest to the community
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 19
 MASTER CHORALE OF SOUTH FLORIDA

By Jim Filosa 14th, with a lively holiday concert Singing in the Season,
presented with the Empire Brass, again at the same ven-
The Master Chorale of South Florida is comprised of ues.
the finest classical singers in Broward, Miami/Dade and After a short break the Chorale is now in rehearsals for
Palm Beach Counties. The MCSF began its Sixth Season what will prove to be a truly exciting continuation of the
on August 1, 2008, under the baton of newly appointed 2008-2009 Season.
Artistic Director/Conductor, Dr. Joshua Habermann. On March 15, 2009 the Master Chorale performed
Among his many accomplishments, Dr.. Habermann has Beethoven's Symphony No.9 with the world-renowned
Russian National Orchestra under the baton of music icon
served for the past 12 years as Assistant Conductor of the
San Francisco Symphony Chorus and Director of Choral Itzhak Perlman. This concert will conclude an exciting
Activities at San Francisco State University. Dr. Festival of the Arts at the Center for the Arts at Mizner
Habermann has also been named Director of Choral Park in Boca Raton.
Studies at the University of Miami and was recently Continuing into April, the Master Chorale will pres-
appointed the Music Director of the prestigious Santa Feent Made In America, accompanied by the Boca Raton
Desert Chorale. Symphonia, on April 24th at The Pink Church in
On November 14, 15 and 16th 2008, The Master Lighthouse Point, April 25th in Boca Raton and on April
Chorale, with the Boca Raton Symphonia and bass Donnie 26th in Miami. The two major works to be presented are
Ray Albert, tenor Glenn Siebert, mezzo Hannah Sharene Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, sung in Hebrew
Penn and soprano Angela Cadelago, presented and Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna, sung in latin.
Mendelssohn's Elijah at venues in Pompano Beach (The
Pink Church, Lighthouse Point), Miami, and Boca Raton, For exact times and ticket information, please visit
to rave reviews. the MCSF website at info@masterchoraleofsouthflori-
The season continued on December 12th, 13th, and da.org

20 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 21
 B U Y I N G P R O P E R T Y AT A U C T I O N ?
W H AT Y O U N E E D T O K N O W
Prior to attending an auction, potential buyers should try to find
out as much as possible about specific properties they are interest-
ed in. While most real estate auctions allow prospective buyers
some inspection rights, direct contact with the administrator of the
auction is frequently needed to arrange personal inspections.
Be sure to check the features, location and condition of the prop-
erty. Attempt to discern the current market value of the property by
looking at sales of comparable properties in the same area. Arriving
at an auction well prepared will help you determine your bid price
and even help you decide whether to bid on a specific property at all.
Anatomy of a Real Estate Auction
A property is put up for sale through an auction format for any
number of reasons - a foreclosure action, a tax deed application, a
court-ordered sale, provisions in a contract, a divorce resolution, a
provision to satisfy the needs of an estate, a dissolution of a partner-
ship or trust or because the owner chooses the auction as a means to
quickly dispose of the property.
Real estate auctioneers employ a variety of auction formats and
bidding procedures:
• An absolute auction is an auction in which the property is sold to
the highest bidder, regardless of how low that bid might be.
• A reserve auction also referred to as a minimum bid auction, sets
a pre-determined minimum bid amount prior to the start of the auc-
tion.
• A subject to owner withdrawal auction allows the seller to bid on
the property for himself or herself or to withdraw the property from
22 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
the auction outright if he or she does not like
the amount of money bid.
• A silent or sealed bid auction allows bids
to be made in advance and submitted for
review. Scott Lanza
In the case of a foreclosure or other court-
ordered sale, state laws generally establish a period of time over
which the property must be advertised prior to the sale. This serves
several different goals. The most important is to give ample notice to
draw prospective buyers. The other main reason for such announce-
ment of the auction is to give all interested parties sufficient time to
react to protect their interests.
Once you understand how the auction works, you need to ask
yourself: Is this for me? It can be fun to bid, but it can be costly.
Never bid because you get caught up in the fever of the moment.
Some auctions can be very intimidating. It's a good idea to go to a
few as a spectator, so you get used to the speed of the bidding and
terminology used.
There will always be a degree of risk when buying a home this
way, but with a little due diligence, potential homebuyers could
save a lot of money buying in this manner.
Excerpted, in part, from The Real Estate Investor's Answer Book by Jack Cummings, a
McGraw-Hill publication.
Scott Lanza, Certified Financial Planner & Branch Manager of
Lighthouse Point Financial welcomes your inquiries at 954-582-
5233. 2036 E Sample Road in the Gateway Centre.
 BUSINESS FORUM CELEBRATES 31 YEARS
A Professional Networking Organization

Formed by five local professionals in the spring of 1978, The Business

Forum met the first time for breakfast at the Howard Johnson’s
restaurant that used to be on the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and
U.S. One in Pompano Beach. The idea was that if local business own-
ers, each in a different business, met weekly they could effectively
promote each other’s businesses and build a strong foundation of
trust amongst the members. Based upon the trust developed, the
members could refer business to each other and all mutually profit by
the endeavor. After thirty-one years, the Business Forum, with over
thirty-five active members, is a business networking success. The
concept of continuing contact, camaraderie, and trust has meant
great profit for its members. Based upon the organizations records,
over one hundred business leads are generated by the members every
month, and over eighty percent of those leads turned into referrals
actually received by the members. It proves that a great networking L to R: Bob Heyman, Ellen Peoples, Jeannette Eschenbrenner
organization is the best value in advertising. and Carlos Arenas
Doyle of G & K Marketing, Marilyn Constantine of Cleaning Done
Hosting a gala affair and sumptuous dinner at Palm-aire Country Right, Kenton Hajdic of Oasis Lawn & Landscaping, Randall
Club in Pompano Beach, the Business Forum recently installed its Richards of Cypress Insurance Group, and Dr. José Orta of Mind By
new officers and board of directors for this, its thirty-first year. The and Spirit Chiropractic.
President is Robert Heyman of Triple Crown Property Management,
Vice President is Carlos Arenas of Amphion Communications, treas- The Business Forum meets every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m.
urer is Ellen Peoples of Peoples Title Insurance, and secretary is at the Palms dining room located at Palm-aire Country Club. For
Jeanette Eschenbrenner of Flowers by Jet. Directors are Kathleen more information go to: MyBusinessForum.com

www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 23

AS I WAS SAYING
Bread Winner
"Bread is dead," the headline screamed.
The shock of it caused me to cough vio-
lently, launching a chunk of partially-
chewed Pepperidge Farm Honey
Wheat on a short and tragic flight to
the floor below.
There must be some mistake, I thought, my mind desper-
ately searching for a logical explanation to reports of a loaf-
less world. Life without bread would be unthinkable,
unbearable, not to mention hard-to-swallow. The room
started to feel small and stuffy as my fingers fumbled with
the paper, searching for better news on another page.
"Bread Sales Grow Stale," read a second bombshell head-
line. "Anti-Carb Crusade Buries Bread," declared another
obituary-style story.
The devastating news hit me in the face like a Chicago hard
roll in a hurricane. The demise of bread was a crummy
prospect indeed. Take away bread and, in my view, you
risk the collapse of civilization itself. Remove bread from
the equation and you usher in an irreversible breakdown of
the very fiber of existence. And for what? The chance to
lose 15 pounds in six weeks so you can gain 30 six months
later? People of Planet Earth, I implore you. Is this how you
want it all to end - not with a bun, but a whimper?
My life had been a journey driven and nurtured by bread, a
quest enriched by bread as a daily symbol of sustenance
and stability. Bread, in all its glorious varieties added to
me, defined me, made me more than I would otherwise be.
I lived for bread, and my life is a testimony to bread's splen-
dor.
Feeding Young Minds. Studies have shown that empty
stomachs lead to poor concentration and a harder time
learning in school. What studies have not confirmed, but
what my personal experience proves without a doubt, is
that getting the nutrition kids need to learn, grow and suc-
ceed every day in school is greatly enhanced by eating a
seedless Kaiser roll with breakfast. I'm absolutely certain
of this due to the dramatic improvement in my grades from
the time my father started bringing seedless Kaisers home
with the paper in the morning. Before the Kaisers, I was
flunking math and scrapping by in geography. After the
Kaisers, my math grades soared to solid "B's," and my grasp
of geography impressed my teacher enough to write on my
report card "Alan thinks globally, acts locally, and smells of
cream cheese."
24 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
The Battle for the Biscuit. For as far back as I can remem-
ber, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. No cards,
no gifts, just say "grace" and begin the gluttony. While my
mother would awake at some absurdly early hour to pre-
pare a feast that would make a pilgrim weep with grati-
tude, my two brothers and I were interested in only one
thing. The biscuits. When loading our plates with food, we
each left ample room for the flaky golden delicacies,
begrudgingly adhering to the one-at-a-time rule my par-
ents had established after the "Biscuit Blitzkrieg of '81." On
that infamous Thanksgiving Day, 90 percent of the biscuits
landed in two of the five mouths at the table, and the bat-
tle for the last biscuit was fierce and vindictive. I can still
hear my mother say, "there, now neither of you gets it," as
she extracted it from the combined clutches of my brother
Bob and I and devoured it in two lusty, unladylike bites.
A Loaf of Bread, A Jug of Wine. When I got married, my
relationship with bread achieved even greater significance,
as the preparation of meals took on a new prominence in
my life. Conversations like the following became a daily
ritual.
Me: "Any thoughts on dinner tonight?"
My Wife: "How about grilled cheese?"
Me: "What kind of bread should we use?"
My Wife: "The Publix Sour Dough Plus Five grills up
good."
Me: "True. But their Country Rye is a larger loaf size
and holds the melted cheese in place better."
My Wife: "What about the sauerkraut rye we used to
get?
Me: "That was at Winn-Dixie, and they stopped mak-
ing it. I've been boycotting them ever since, which explains
their recent downsizing."
My Wife: "Then just pick out what looks good to you
at Publix and surprise me.
This, of course, was music to my ears, as visions of a steam-
ing loaf of Basil Parmesan Sun-Dried Tomato Foccacia
stirred my expectations for a night of hot buttered bliss.
Call me a fanatic, but for those who claim that bread's final
expiration date is here, I strongly disagree. Bread is not
dead. Bread will rise again. Bread is reborn! Crust is King!
Long live bread!
Now are you going to back away from that last biscuit or
are we going to have a problem here?
Copyright 2008 Alan Williamson
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 25
 The Garden
The Lady
Garden Says...
Lady Says...
ETERNALLY YOURS
By Donna Torrey After blooming,
all bulbs should be
The Spring holidays are here and allowed to die back
with them the focus on bulb plants. naturally, which
Grocery stores are brimming with daf- means that you will
fodils, hyacinths, tulips, and Easter have to tolerate
lilies. Perhaps the reason for bulbs some yellowing
being popular for the Easter holiday is foliage, and untidi-
that they so aptly describe rebirth, and rejuvenation. ness. So, it is best to
Bulbs by their very nature, are a storage vessel for the next place your decidu-
year's growth, with everything the plant will need for another ous bulbs in an area
season of bloom inside of itself, buried deep below the surface of where they are surrounded by other things that will pick up
the soil. It is a marvel of nature, and a symbol of resurrection. where they left off and camouflage them during the die back
However, most of the bulbs that you see will not have ever- period.
lasting life in South Florida, which really spoils the effect for me! Try some other bulbs that do very well here, including the
All of the grocery variety blooming bulbs need an extended orchid-like Gloriosa lily, which is actually a vine; the Rain lilies,
freeze period in order to bloom again. All that is, except the many kinds and colors are available, and the foliage is green year
Easter lily. In fact, most of the bulbs sold are not appropriate for round, much like liriope (which is a bulb in the lily family, but
zone 10. Lilium longiflorum, or Trumpet Lily, is one of the few doesn't flower here; not cold enough!), Blood Lily, and the spec-
lilies that will thrive in our climate. tacular Amaryllis. These bulbs will come back year after year, a
If you purchase one or receive one as a gift, don't throw it out gentle and beautiful reminder of our eternal souls.
after blooming. These can be planted in the perennial bed, where
there is partial to full sun, decent soil and average moisture with Garden Gate Nursery is located in the Pompano Citi Centre.
good drainage. They are reliable bloomers here, so don't waste Donna can be reached at 954-793-1199, or at www.donnas-
them, although they may not bloom right on Easter! gardengate.com

Beauty Spot of the Month

Congratulations to Peter and Mary Foglia of 2741 ne 39th Court, winners of the Lighthouse Point Community’s
Beauty Spot of the Month Award for March. Chosen by LHP Beautification Committee.
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 27
28 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 29
 THE ANNUAL HISC CHANGE OF COMMAND

By Lona Harris
Photos by Vern Rasmussen

The Hillsboro Inlet Sailing Club held their

Annual Change of Command ceremony at the
Lighthouse Point Yacht & Racquet Club.
Outgoing Commandore Julie Tice wel-
comed the new Commandor Sully Sullivan
and passed over the helm after a most out-
standing year of tireless dedication in build-
ing a phenomenally successful club.
Committee members were duly recog-
nized for their volunteer efforts throughout
the year.
Club members enjoyed an evening of fine
food and dancing.
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 31
 High Tea at Camp Tor ture
Story & Photos by Carlos M. Arenas Earth at 26°10'52.69"N 81°3'40.50"W. There are 2
photos there from our trip.
Camp setup and a meal followed and at 4PM
"DON'T GO! This is an ‘exclu-
tea was served in memory of Lord Robert Baden-
sive’ event, for only those Scouts
Powell who started the scout movement in the
who have what it takes. Not every-
Brownsea Island in August 1st 1907. Training for
one will qualify. Some will have to
proper and safe handling of knives and axes fol-
sit this one out at home - too tortu-
lowed. Some of the boys spent time building a fort
ous for them. For those that feel
and the Poi Poi tribe performed a great ceremony
they have what it takes— well,
during the campfire.
we'll have to find out." This was
Sunday morning is always important since it's
the invitation delivered to the
the opportunity to have our "Scouts Own" a non-
scouts of Troop 238 in Lighthouse
denominational religious service catering to feed
Point to our annual Big Cypress
our spirits and be thankful for a wonderful experi-
Preserve hike.
ence.
But, what really does it take?
On our way back we had extremely close
For starters each 12-14 year old
encounters with either Africanized bees or yellow
scout has to prepare his own back-
jackets. One of our leaders took 19 stings; a clear
pack with everything he needs for
reminder of how important is to have a well-
2 days and carry it (25-30lb) 3.5
thought and comprehensive first aid kit and that
miles into the wilderness, get mercilessly bitten by insects, sleep in the floor,
training is paramount. It's all about "being pre-
make your own food and be wet most of the time. Ask any youngster to do
pared.”
this and the likely answer will be: Are you talking to me?
Troop 238 is more than one year old and a big
Well, these boys are not your typical breed, at least not in some aspects.
success thanks to the efforts and sound leadership of Steve Z. Building on
The idea behind the Boy Scout program in general and Troop 238 in particu-
that success, some leaders and parents of our community are engaged in start-
lar is to make them "physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight"
ing a Sea Scout unit called a ship instead of a troop.
and that has been the big success of scouting in Lighthouse Point. The Cub
Sea Scouting had its beginning at a campfire in England when Baden-
Scouts program, led by Fernanda Mc Cosh as Cub Master of Pack 238 (boys
Powell voiced the hope that older Scouts would be interested in learning
7-11, www.cubs238.com) and the Boy
about boat management and seamanship. It offers the opportunity to experi-
Scouts program, led by Steve
ence sailing, boat-handling, scuba-diving, oceanography, navigation and
Zimmerman as Scout Master of Troop
other water-related activities. It is a coed outdoor program for young adults
238 (boys 11-18 www.scouts238.com) is
consistently forging upstanding men
out of boys. I have seen them blossom-
ing into critical, prepared, self reliant
and morally upright citizens. Many of
them go from: No way I can do that! to a
resounding: Wow, I did it!
They also go beyond the effort of
doing it yourself, by giving a helping
hand to the new members. Truly amaz-
ing. And it all happens because involved
adults get away from their comfort zone
and disregard their differences in favor
of a common goal. None of the leaders is
a professional scouter and many run their own business; it's an entirely vol-
unteer affair. We are very lucky to have the committed support of the St. Paul 14 - 20 years old and their adult advisers.
the Apostle Catholic Church. Father Bryce and his team have gone out of Part of the success of the troop has been the concept of "going back to the
their way to make us feel welcomed and at home. We are also fortunate to principles," making it, arguably, the only traditional scouting troop in South
count on many local businesses and the Lighthouse Point/Pompano Florida. Similar principles should apply to the ship. Learning the very basics
Exchange Club as sponsors, helping with the money needed for equipment will make our youngsters more self-reliant and capable. Activities will be
and some activities like the Summer Camp. planned in a way to minimize conflict with troop activities so the boys can
Back to Camp Torture: On Sept 27 0600, sleepy-eyed scouts and leaders participate in both.
(many of these relying on steaming cups of coffee), reunited at the parking lot Many community members have offered help with resources. What
and started distributing the food and troop equipment. After the youth lead- seemed to be the largest hurdle: where to keep the boat will be solved in the
ers got their act together (the adults kept our arms crossed. THEY run the near future, as Dr. Marc Gannon of Lighthouse Point has graciously offered
activities), we headed to Alligator Alley. Upon arriving at the Florida Trail the use of his dock, once he frees it up from his current vessel. We thank Dr.
entrance, everyone mounted up and started the hike. One mile of walking on Gannon because this will be a great boost for our organization. Please check
the dirty Noble Road took us to our detour for Camp Torture. At this point,, our (work in progress) website: www.ship238.com. You may fill out a form
the boys had to follow the blue blazes, since the trail is not obvious at all. to be kept informed on progress of the ship and pre-register if you want to
Wading through water flowing South to the Everglades from Lake participate. You can also call me at my office at 954-782-8668.
Okeechobee was an interesting experience for our new scouts. One year ago Yours in scouting,
the boys spotted what appeared to be a Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin Carlos M Arenas, Asst. Scoutmaster Troop 238
and did the sensible thing: retreat without disturbing the viper. Was the hike Office: 954-782-8668 Fax 954-301-0106 email: carlos@scouts238.com
tortuous? Absolutely! But these boys are strong and persistent and they website: www.scouts238.com
helped each other to get to Camp Torture, which you can find in Google America is returning to the values Scouting never left

32 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

34 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
P
L
E
A
S
E

S
U
P
P
O
R
T

O
U
R

A
D
V 1930 NE 34th Court • Pompano Beach, FL
E
PEDIATRIC DENTISTS
R
T Dr. Robert Stephens
I Dr. James Bennett
S Dr. Lauren Governale
E
R “SERVING SOUTH FLORIDA FOR
OVER 35YEARS”
S (SATURDAY HOURS AVAILABLE)
Email: sfldco@bellsouth.net
Website: www.sfldco.com

954-781-1855
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 35
 DOCKSIDE GALLEY GRILLE ANNUAL BASH
Restaurant’s popularity grows each year
There wasn’t much room to navigate dur-
ing the yearly customer appreciation party at
the Dockside Galley Grille last month. That’s
because great samples of Mike Kidrow’s culi-
nary magic put a smile on everyone’s face and
no one left without having seconds.
Maybe the restaurant is a little out of the
way, but the loyal customer base seems to
grow each year.
The setting on the water is a perfect place
to get away from the city’s hec-
tic pace.

Lighthouse Point Magazine

 PETRONES HONOR CLAIRE SYLVIA
By Jon Frangipane

Claire Sylvia is a regular customer at

the Red Fox Diner. Owner Lou
Petrone was so impressed with this
lovely lady that he and wife Patty
held a spectacular party for her at
their home last month.
What makes Claire Sylvia so spe-
cial? She is a most pleasant, good-
looking, well-groomed lady, unas-
suming in nature, with a great inter-
est in other people. But the most
extraodinary fact is that Claire is a
survivor of multiple organ trans-
plants.
The Petrone’s have been involved
in many charitable events in the com-
munity and at the Red Fox Diner
since opening a few years ago. Their
generosity in giving a helping hand to
those in need is highly appreciated
and respected.
Their daughter, Shawna, visiting
from Chicago, keep the crowd enter-
tained with her smooth vocal rendi-
tions.
Thank you to the Petrones for
your kindness!
Look for the Claire Sylvia story
in our May issue!

Lighthouse Point Magazine 37

38 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 39
 MONA LISA A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR 80 YEARS
Coal-fired Ovens bring out the flavors of Sunny Italy
Story by Linda Kaufman P h o t o s b y J o n F r a n g i pa n e

"Mona Lisa," the two-month-old gem of a

restaurant in Deerfield Beach is getting known
quickly by word of mouth. It's the kind of restau-
rant that you want to tell all your closest friends
about because you know that you have found one
special place. Located just off of A1A and Hillsboro
Boulevard, "Mona Lisa" is perfectly situated for all
the walk-in beach traffic.
Upon entering the black tiled restaurant with matching booths, with
red and white gingham half curtains at the front entrance, you will notice
the numerous photographs of infamous mobsters such as Al Capone, John
Gotti, and Carlo Gambino. White rosaries hang over Gotti and Gambino's
pictures as if to cleanse their souls. The brickwork on the left wall stretch- Antipasto
es towards the center where a gigantic pizza hearth blazes. Blue mosaic
tiles add color to the far wall, below which stands a top of the line commer-
cial coffee maker that you would find in Italy. There is outdoor seating to
watch the pedestrian traffic and to listen to Italian music on weekends.
Steven and Theresa launched Mona Lisa after having been retired from
their life long restaurant business. Steven's family started the original
"Mona Lisa" of Brooklyn, New York over 80 yeas ago. The restaurant was a
fixture in New York, built on the reputation of using only the freshest
ingredients and the same recipes that have been handed down from gener-
ation to generation from Sicily. When Steven was seventeen, he decided to
go off on his own and opened up his own bakery and restaurant with
Theresa after securing a loan from Theresa's family. They devoted all their Roasted Peppers
time and youth to the restaurant that fortunately allowed them to
retire at a young age. Then after 9/11, Steven moved his family and
his in-laws to Florida and found homes near each other in
Lighthouse Point. Using the same family recipes, the pizza is
made with water from New York that gets trailered down every
couple of weeks. "We're fanatical with the pizza." says Stephen.
"We do it the right way." All the pizzas are prepared "well done"
with a thin crust. You can choose between a traditional Margarita
pizza of plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, imported pecorino
romano cheese, olive oil and basil and Bianco pies which is of the
same ingredients
with ricotta
cheese but with-
Chicken Wings
out the tomatoes.
Various cheese, vegeta-
bles, and meat toppings
can be selected for either
type of pizza in personal
or family size. I was never
much of a pizza lover but
after having tasted the
Bianco pie with pesto and
kalamata olives, I am now
Ciabatta Bread Sandwich a pizza convert!

40 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com Sausage and Brocalli Rabe

 Cases of tomatoes and went to heaven! The
are ripened, seeds napoleon, tiramisu, éclair,
removed, then manually and canola are out of this
ground with a tomato world too! Most of these
grinder. Canned toma- pastries are staples at
toes are never used! You Mona Lisa but it really
can absolutely taste the depends on the bakers'
difference when only mood as to what will
fresh ingredients are appear for all the sweet
used. Even the moz- tooth's out there.
zarellas are homemade, Therefore, there is no set
which are delicious in dessert menu.
the "Caprese Salad" with Steven has purchased
vine ripe tomatoes, aged an apartment in Deerfield PIzza Man
balsamic vinegar, basil Beach to house the three
and olive oil. ($6.75) bakers who descend
Teresa shows New York The appetizers are from the New York
Times Cheese Cake Award generous in portion. operation for a three to
"The Italian wings" four month rotation. In
which are oven roasted wings marinated in olive oil, red wine fact, Mona Lisa of
and rosemary ($9.95) have a nice flavor to them. I loved the Brooklyn is well known
coal oven roasted red peppers ($9.95) which were fresh tasting for their pastries and
and slightly sweet. The Italian sausage in the "broccoli rabe cakes. They have been
and sausage" ($9.95) had an interesting, spicy taste that com- shipping their pastries
plimented the garlic and cracked red pepper infused broccoli nationwide. Influential
cousin. people of New York
If you're not up to having pizza, you will not be disappoint- such as Bloomberg,
ed with the traditional Italian sandwiches that are made with Giuliani, and
fresh homemade ciabatta bread. I tried the prosciutto moz- Steinbrenner have been
zarella and arugula sandwich ($10.50) which reminded me of ordering cakes from
the sandwiches in Italy-fresh, delicious and addictive. (I actu- Mona Lisa over the
ally came back to take out the same sandwich a few days later!) years. Numerous Margarita Pizza (top)
You can select pesto or sundried tomato awards have been
Pesto Pizza (bottom)
spread to compliment your sandwich. awarded from Italy
There are various different sand- to New York for their desserts.
wiches to choose from: pro- Steven and Theresa are usually around to cater to the
sciutto and provolone, customers. Steven, an imposing Italian with a Brooklyn
grilled chicken moz- accent is a no nonsense kind of guy who is funny with-
zarella and arugula, out meaning to be funny. He tells it like it is without
sweet capicolla, moz- any embellishment. When I asked him what time they
zarella, roasted red pep- close the restaurant, he said, "When I get tired, I throw
pers, and sundried tomatoes, everyone out.. I shut the lights, put up the heat… but they
or turkey breast, provolone, don't want to leave!" Theresa is a petite, attractive Italian with
tomatoes, and romaine lettuce to dark hair and eyes who still looks at Steven with an endearing
name a few. All the sandwiches Dessert Tray look. They knew each other since they were twelve and thir-
are huge and priced at $10.50. teen years old and have been together ever since.
The best part of the meal was the desserts of course. You "I came up the hard way… I've been doing this for many
can drop in to just have a cup of cappuccino and pastry that are many years.. the old way, the right way. .. without a franchise…
just heavenly. The coffee beans are roasted right here on the we're good at what we do. " Steven said matter-of- factly. "I
premise. The pastries are like no other. The New York Times don't do this for money! I do it because I love it. I love the peo-
voted Mona Lisa to have the best cheesecake. Soft and creamy, ple and making people happy."
sweet yet not overly sweet, it's simply divine! The lobster tail
is a light, slightly crispy pastry filled with French cream or Mona Lisa is located at 2009 NE 2nd Street
canola cream. I tried it with the French cream and it's an unfor- in Deerfield Beach. Call 954-420-5644
gettable experience with a cup of cappuccino. It's as if you died
*This article was written for promotional purposes www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine
41
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 43
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 45
 PANAMA - A Quic k-Changing Landscape
Continued from page 11
DAY THREE - At nine a.m. tion was made in a
Edgar Gomez picked us up and rather large open
we headed for the Gamboa thatched hall built
Rainforest over an hour away 6 feet above the
along extremely bad roadways ground with a
covered with huge, deep ruts floor of palm
that in most cases were leaves. The Embera
unavoidable. To call these 'pot- speak their own
holes' would be being too kind. language, but are
Our driver said that the condi- also fluent in
tions were caused by the hun- Spanish. The villagers
dreds of cement trucks that set up tables of their
travel the area in the name of handicrafts and offer
"progress." Apparently, the them for sale. Most
government's last concern is crafts ranged from a
fixing the roads. Friend few dollars to possi-
Joey kept hitting his head bly $100. The wood
on the tour car roof and carvings and woven
bouncing around the bowls can cost as
backseat. He kept saying, much as $600, and
"My poor back can't take plates are amazing!
this!" Each family has
We finally pulled up their own table, and
to a lakeside reservation whatever they sell,
in Gamboa where hol- they keep. I couldn't
lowed-out canoes were resist a monkey carving. The
lined up along the shore Embera rely on the sale of their
and indians from the crafts for their existence. Their
Embera Tribe were wait- lives are very simple by American
ing for us. We were led to standards, but they seem to be
the canoes which were about 20 feet long with one Indian standing fairly happy. This was a great day
at the helm and one sitting in the stern section to steer the craft, to spend immersed in an ancient
climbed aboard and headed up the Chagres River, the same river that culture — and to glance at beauti-
feeds into the Panama Canal. ful baskets, shaman
The 15-minute trip up the pristine body of water took us to a masks, and wood carv-
beautiful, scenic waterfall. A few tourists took a short swim in the ings directly from the
emerald-colored jungle people who creat-
pools of sparkling ed them.
water. As expected, After the demonstra-
questions regarding tion, we had a nice meal
alligators, snakes, of fried fish and pata-
spiders and monkeys cones. It was actually
were a big part of quite tasty. We found the
conversation as we experience exhilarating
once again boarded in this pleasant little vil-
our canoe and headed lage.
for the Embera Indian A last goodbye
Reservation, another to our Indian
15-minute trip up friends, and we
stream. canoed back to our
We were greeted Embera natives greet your editor starting point,
by many smiling female remembering that
and young Indians as we stepped from the boat. Upon noticing a we had to look for-
shirtless female Embera Indian, friend Joey said, "I think I remember ward to an unpleas-
seeing her in the National Geographic." I didn't reply. ant, bumpy ride
The Embera Indian Chief had died a few days before, so we were back to Panama
informed there would be no tribal dance that day, but a tribal leader City.
would describe how their arts and crafts were made. The presenta-

46
Edgar Gomez & family
Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
 DAY FOUR - A Christmas
Parade was scheduled downtown
and I wanted to get some photos
for additional local color from the
city dwellers. The sun was intense-
ly hot, so I prepared myself by
spreading on a thick coat of #50
SPF sun block lotion, and wearing
a sun-resistant, long sleeve white
shirt and baseball cap, forgetting
On Parade
that I was in Panama, not South
Florida. A 3-hour session was all I
needed to develop a serious burn
that took over 3 weeks to disappear. Panama sun
is Africa hot!
Religious floats were prominently featured in
the parade, but Panama's love for parading a
Mister M&M candy replica was clearly evident.
And Santa Claus was merely a plastic replica that
appeared sad and joyless. Many floats looked as
though they had been used and certainly abused
for many years, and not one big sigh or any oohs
and ahhs could be heard from the crowd. It
appeared to be just an annual parade you went to
out of habit with little excitement generated by
any passing float. I just realized that I'm sounding
like a typically spoiled American who grew up
watching the huge, spectacular Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade. I had taken enough
Beauty Queens
photos, and the sunburn on my chest was begin-
ning to burn badly. We were both more than ready for dinner and an early
night back at the apartment.
DAY FIVE - Edgar was invaluable in helping bring the events of Panama’s
past and present together. Joey and I found the whole experience entriguing,
especially upon learning that everyone from Donald Trump to the Chinese
goverment wants a piece of the action. Yes, Panama will always remain as a American ExPats
critical world hub between North and South America.
Later this day, Edgar drove to an elementary school
where he picked up his wife, a part-time teacher, and
their two children. We then proceeded to their home on
the edge of the Gamboa Rainforest on that same old,
bumpy road. And again, Joey bounced around in the back
seat for what seemed like an eternity.
Our last night was spent at a party-like gathering of
American ExPats, or U.S. Citizens who have now either
moved to Panama full time, or spend a good part of each
year in Panama. As far as we could determine, they all
seemed happy with their decisions. The meetings are
well organized and certainly a great support system for
those starting a new life in a far away country. Panamanian musician Joey chats with Ronald

www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 47

 MORTGAGE NEWS TA X C R E D I T F O R H O M E B U Y E R S
By the time this article runs you will have heard
much about The Stimulus Package. As I wrote
this at the end of February it had just been signed
into law so most of the information had yet to be
interpreted and most of the "how to implement it"
had not been worked out. One part of the pack-
age that is very clear from the start though is a
modification of the $7,500 First-time homebuyer
Mary Griffin credit that had already been in effect as part of the
Housing and Recovery Act of 2008.
The new tax credit is this: First-time homebuyers who purchase homes
from January 1st, 2009 until the end of November 2009 may be eligible
for an $8,000 or 10% of the value of the home tax credit, whichever is
less. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within
three years. Basically, the biggest difference in this new version of the
tax credit versus the old one is you don't have to pay it back if you own
your new home for at least 3 years. The tax credit starts phasing out for
couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes
above $75,000.
Tax Credit Versus Tax Deduction
It's important to remember that the $8,000 tax credit is just that… a tax
credit. The benefit of a tax credit is that it's a dollar-for-dollar tax reduc-
tion, rather than a deduction that would only save you $1,000 to $1,500
when all was said and done. So, if a homebuyer were to owe $8,000 in
income taxes and would qualify for the $8,000 tax credit, they would
owe nothing.
LEGAL MATTERS
HO W T O HIRE A L AWYER
By Kim Douglas Sherman, Esq.
If you want to get the most lawyering
for your money, read on. Your first step
should be to identify your problem and
legal needs. Do you need a will? Does
someone owe you money? Maybe the
company you hired will not finish the job? Make a list of your
questions and prepare to get some answers.
You should be looking for a lawyer with local knowledge,
who knows the judges, experts, and the way it gets done
where you need it done. Your best source of referrals is your
friends or business associates-people whose opinions you
trust. Check with the county bar association for a profes-
sional referral network. If all else fails look in the telephone
directory under the area of specialty that you need.
When you call the lawyer for an appointment, you should
feel welcomed. Ask if there will be an initial consultation fee.
When you meet with the lawyer ask him or her to tell you
what are their qualifications to do your job. Read the lawyer
your list of questions and ask for answers. Ask the lawyer to
evaluate your position. What is the downside risk and max-
imum cost? If you win what is the chance of getting paid?
Ask the lawyer to be candid-is it worth hiring him or her?
48 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the homebuyer can
receive a check for the credit if he or she has little income tax liability.
For example, if a homebuyer is liable for $4,000 in income tax, he can off-
set that $4,000 with half of the tax credit… and still receive a check for
the remaining $4,000!
Homes that Qualify
The tax credit is applicable to any home that will be used as a principle
residence. Based on that guideline, qualifying homes include single-fam-
ily detached homes, as well as attached homes such as townhouses and
condominiums.
Mary Griffin is a Certified Mortgage Planner to Howard Grace and
Associates, 625 S.E. 10th Street in Deerfield Beach. She welcomes all
your mortgage questions at (954) 421-3255, e-mail her at
mary@howardgracemortgage.com. Website: www.howardgrace-
mortgage.com
If you know of an interesting
person with life experiences
worth reporting in our mag-
azine, please contact us
You may want to ask the lawyer to put his or her opinions
into writing.
When it is time to talk about legal fees make sure that
you know all the terms and add some important ones of your
own. Make sure the agreement is in writing and that you
have received a copy. Ask if the lawyer will put a "cap" upon
the fee or set a fixed fee. If the charges are on a time basis, ask
what the minimum billing time unit will be-- will the charges
be by the tenth of the hour or greater? Make sure that you
know which lawyer will be performing your work. Have the
lawyer commit to give you copies of all documents received
and sent out regarding your case. Tell the lawyer that you
will not tolerate churning, that is billing for lawyers in the
same firm to talk to each other or their para-legals about your
case. Insist that you want regular billing on a monthly basis
that specifies the services rendered and the specific time
charged for each service.
Get one last promise from your new lawyer. Make him or
her promise to call you back within the same day that you
call or before the end of the very next day. Now you have a
firm basis upon which to build a satisfactory relationship
with your lawyer.
GOOD LUCK!
For further info: Sherman Law Offices 954-489-9500
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 49
 Over 90 Luncheon Held at St. Paul’s
4th Annual St. Paul’s Women’s Club Event
For the fourth year in a row the Saint Paul's Caroline Scialo, 91;
Women's Club hosted an “Over 90s Luncheon" on Edwin Smith, 90;
February 26, 2009. Francis M. Smith,
Invitees included all parishioners age 90 and over. 94; Harry Volpe, 95;
As the older generation grows even older, we marvel, Each year the
not only at the mental acuity of these folks, but there guests at the lunch-
physical appearance, as well. eon are given a vase
A perfect example is Rose Jonan, born on January with a lovely flower
3rd, 1906 and oldest of the group at 103 years old who to take home with
says, “God was good to me.” She says she loves to pray them. The Women's
and does so three times a day by watching TV station Club would like to
WBTN. By all appearances, praying is a good thing. Her acknowledge with
husband John died twelve years ago. They had been thanks the generosi-
married 58 years. ty of the Lighthouse
On this day, Harry Volpe and Caroline Scialo sat Point Florist which
next to each other to learn that they are both from Bari, graciously provided Rose Jonan, 103 years old, enjoys
Italy. Also somewhat interesting is that Edwin Smith, and arranged the annual luncheon
Dorothy Gurzynski and Marie McGill were all born in flowers for the guests free of charge for the second year
November of 1919. Amazing to think after 90 years they in a row.
would all end up together at a luncheon in Florida. The planning and preparation for the luncheon was
Those over 90 guests included: Joseph M. carried out by President, Diana Marcinka and Board
Biviano, 93; Ethel Bochetto. 94; Emma Francem, 93; Members, Cathie Desjean, Rosa Barros, Betty Arcella
Elmer Grade, 95; Dorothy Gurzynski 90; Sylvia and Carolyn Bergamini. On hand to greet the special
Hagmaier, 91, Jean Hajdic, 91; Virginia Hanley, 94; Rose guests and serve the delicious lucheon were Women's
Jonan, 103; Catherine Lemerise, 91; Ann Martin, 94; Club members, Judy O'Hara, Kathi Danes, Ann
Marie McGill, 90; Lucy McKie, 98; John Millette, 94; Hutchinson, Bea Nieds, Betty Krupa, and Marie Puleo.

50 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

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www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 51

SKIN CARE
What's Ne w & Exciting in 2009?
Let's Talk Latisse
By Melanie S. Hecker, MD, MBA
A New Innovation in eyelashes
Latisse™ solution is a prescription treatment for
hypotrichosis used to grow eyelashes, making them
longer, thicker, and darker. Eyelash hypotrichosis
is another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes.
Latisse™ solution works by affecting the growth phase of the eye-
lash hair cycle in two ways; first, it increases the length of this
phase; and second, it increases the number of hairs in this growth
phase. The exact way it works is unknown. The onset of effect
with Latisse™ solution is gradual. In the clinical trial, the majority
of Latisse™ users saw a significant improvement by 2 months.
Who Can Use Latisse™?
Anyone is a candidate for longer, thicker eyelashes, however
you should not use Latisse™ solution if you are allergic to one of its
ingredients. Also tell your doctor if any of the following apply to
you: previously diagnosed with eye pressure problems, if you are
currently taking medication for eye pressure problems or have high
risk factors for glaucoma. People with a history of eye pressure
problems should speak to an eyecare specialist before starting
Latisse™. Individuals taking medication to lower their eye pres-
sure should be closely monitored while using Latisse™ and those
with a family history of glaucoma should be evaluated before start-
ing Latisse™. However, the safety and effectiveness of Latisse™
T h i n k B e f o r e Yo u M a k e T h a t N e x t O n l i n e P u r c h a s e
By Linda Bourguet
We've all heard about the devastating
effects to a community when Wal-Mart
moves to town, but what about the
impact of buying online instead of from a
local merchant? Let's think about it.
You're in the market for a Coach handbag that you can get
online at coach.com for $100. (I know, I know, no Coach
handbag is only $100, but it makes the math easier.) 100% of
your $100 goes to wherever Coach corporate decides to send
it, I think I can say with some certainty that none of it will
end up in Lighthouse Point. Let's say you buy that same
Coach handbag at a retailer in Lighthouse Point. That retail-
er has to pay Coach for the handbag, we'll assume $50, leav-
ing $50 profit. Statistics show that 68% of this profit will
stay in the LOCAL community. That's $34 the store owner
will spend in local restaurants, gas stations, jewelers, cloth-
ing stores, etc. Millie Walsh from Body & Soul Boutique
If you know of an interesting person with life experiences worth
reporting in our magazine, please contact us today!
52 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
was shown in a clinical trial. Only Latisse™ has been approved by
the FDA as a prescription treatment for hypotrichosis used to grow
eyelashes.
How Do I Use Latisse™?
Once nightly, start by ensuring your face is clean with eye
makeup and contact lenses removed. Using a sterile applicator
that comes in the kit, only one drop of Latisse™ solution on the
applicator is required for each eye. It is applied only to the upper
eyelashes as though you were applying eyeliner. Repeat the same
process for the other eye. Latisse™ should not be placed in your eye
or in your lower eyelid. Your contact lenses can be put back into
your eyes 15 minutes after applying Latisse™ solution. If you miss
a dose, there is no need to "catch up." Just apply Latisse™ solution
the next evening and make it part of your nighttime routine like
brushing your teeth. It is not necessary to use Latisse™ more than
once a day as it will not increase the growth of your eyelashes.
What Else Should I Know About Latisse™?
If you stop using Latisse™, your lashes are expected to return to
their previous appearance over several weeks to months. And yes,
you can use mascara in addition to Latisse™ solution.
Hecker Dermatology Group, P.A. New patients are welcome
and many insurances accepted. Appointments are available at:
954-783-2323 or visit us on-line: www.heckerderm.com.
comments, "I was surprised when one of my regular cus-
tomers told me she bought $250 of merchandise on the inter-
net that she knew I carried in my store. I have the exact same
product in my store at the same price. To top it off, she
brought some of the items to my store and asked me to
exchange them." In these tough economic times, every dollar
counts to a 'mom and pop' company, but even shopping at
the local Staples instead of Staples.com provides jobs and a
tax base to the city of Lighthouse Point. By shopping locally
we are perpetuating a cycle that supports our local economy.
I'm not saying that there's not a place for using the internet,
a local retailer wanted $50 for an item I recently purchased
on ebay for $30. I'm just asking that next time you're online
shopping in the comfort of your home and PJ's at 3am, ask
yourself, "Can I get the same thing within my community at
a comparable price?" We will all pay the price when local
businesses start closing their doors because we picked con-
venience over making a little extra effort.
Today, when every dollar counts………………
Get cash back on all of your shopping !!!
GO GREEN, while saving time, money and gasoline.
SHOP TO EARN means SHOP TO SAVE!!!
954-326-2831
TAKE A MINUTE TO VISIT US TODAY AT:
www.shoptoearn.net/evesapple
www.24hourtour.net/evesapple

www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 53

 STRANGE, BUT TRUE !
• New Jersey is home to the Miss America Pageant held
in Atlantic City.
• The game Monopoly, played all over the world, named
the streets on their playing board after the actual streets
in Atlantic City.
• And, Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the
world.
• New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment
area outside of the Middle East countries.
• New Jersey is a peninsula.
• Highlands, New Jersey has the highest elevation along
the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.
• New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties
are classified as metropolitan areas.
• New Jersey has more race horses than Kentucky.
• New Jersey has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq. mi.)
than Havana, Cuba.
• New Jersey has the most dense system of highways
and railroads in the US.
• New Jersey has the highest cost of living.
• New Jersey has the highest cost of auto insurance.
•New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the
nation.
Green Harriet
PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
Invest in a programmable thermostat and set it way up or
down (when everyone's at work/school, and asleep at night);
program it to turn "on" shortly before folks get home/wake
up/
HOT WATER HEATER SETTINGS
Set your hot water heater no higher than 120 degrees.
TURN OFF THE TAP
Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
USE A CLOTH BAG
Paper or plastic? Neither! Take a cloth bag with you to the
grocery store.
PLANT TREES
Trees help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by
absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that
100 billion metric tons of carbon over the next 50 years could
be sequestered through forest preservation, tree planting and
improved agricultural management.
DITCH YOUR CAR
Avoiding 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate
about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year, accord-
ing to climatecrisis.net. The majority of car trips people make
are under two miles, so that should be easy to swap driving
54 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
• New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is
sometimes referred to as the Diner Capital of the World
• New Jersey is home to the original mystery pork parts
chub, Taylor Ham or Pork Roll.
• North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area
in the world, with seven major shopping malls in a 25
square mile radius.
• New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis
Island.
• The Passaic River was the site of the first submarine
ride by inventor John P. Holland.
• New Jersey has 50+ resort cities & towns, some of the
nations' most famous: Asbury Park, Wildwood, Atlantic
City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch and Cape May.
• New Jersey has the most stringent testing along our
coastline for water quality control than any other
seaboard state in the entire country.
• New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state
and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation
when you include pharmaceuticals.
• Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the
best you can buy.
for a bike or public transit, said Rob
Sadowksy, executive director of the
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
GREEN YOUR BABY
It doesn't have to be a choice between plastic dia-
pers that pile up in landfills and cloth diapers that
require frequent laundering.
GET A WATER BOTTLE
Americans buy 28 billion single-serving plastic water bottles
every year, and 80% of those end up in landfills, according to
the Container Recycling Institute. Meeting the nation's
demand for bottle water requires more than 1.5 million bar-
rels of oil annually, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year, the
Earth Policy Institute estimates.
UNPLUG ELECTRONICS
Cell phone chargers, TVs, DVD players, stereos, microwaves
and other electronics with transformers continue to draw
power, even when they're off or not charging anything, as
long as they're plugged in. In the U.S., such "phantom elec-
tricity" emits about 12 million tons of carbon into the atmos-
phere a year, according to Conservation International.
DRIVE RESPONSIBLY
Every gallon of gas burned emits 20 pounts of carbon diox-
ide, so make the most of your tank.
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 55
 CANTANKEROUSLY YOURS
JUST FOR LAUGHS, READ THE NEWS
Dear Fellow Newsaholics,
Yes, yes, I know all about the terrible
news everywhere these days. However, I
submit that - in addition to all the gloom
and doom - ridiculous items also pepper the
newspaper daily. And sometimes, many of
us skip over articles of the absurd, the outra-
By Wendell Abern geous, and even the most innocuous. But
they're there. Every day. And viewed the
right way, they're humorous. A few modest examples:
1 - No swimming pedicurists down here
The Florida Board of Cosmetology has ruled against the use of
tiny flesh-sucking fish to nibble dead skin and thick calluses from
toes and heels of consumers seeking pedicures.
In the skin-eating process, popular in Asia and some U.S. cities,
tiny toothless fish, commonly called, "Doctor fish," wolf down
decaying skin with apparent gusto.
I concur with the board's decision. There's something off-putting about a
pedicurist telling a customer, "Just stick your feet in the tub and give the fish a
little nosh."
2 - Can't tell the future without a psychic
According to Jill Dahne, Hollywood psychic, people reach out to
seers such as herself in critical times like these, anxious to find out
what the future holds in store. While Ms. Dahne does predict the
future, she does not indulge in speculation over outcomes of ball
games or horse races.
Meanwhile, Rosemary McArthur, founder of the American
Association of Psychics & Mediums, warns that "not all psychics
can be trusted. There are a lot of desperate people right now, and
they're reaching out to psychics; a lot of these people are being
taken for a ride."
Wonder if this warning includes Jill Dahne, who charges $200 for a psy-
chic reading … and last year predicted Hillary Clinton would win the presi-
dency and name her husband as VP.
3 - Budget tricks
In his first speech to Congress, our new president promised that
his first budget will include money for the Iraq War, the buildup in
Afghanistan and other expenditures. The previous administration
omitted such costs in its budgets, later asking for extra revenue in
special appeals.
Oh, oh. Hope my wife missed that part of the speech. Whenever I draw up
a household budget for the two of us, I deliberately use Bush's strategy, leav-
ing out salami, cheddar cheese and hot fudge.
4 - Let's hear it for the vaunted World of Academe
A Tampa newspaper reports that Abdul Rao, a University of
South Florida dean who helped steal a $100 bike, is expected to
resign.
Rumor has it that Rao was Dean of the School of Ethics.
5 - Now let's not rush to judgment
The Rev. Francis Guinan, accused of stealing almost $500,000
from a Delray Beach church, recently said he "felt as though he had
discretion to spend church money how he wanted, but was sorry for
some of his spending." The priest, according to a recent article, used
the money for "girlfriends, trips, and supporting a gambling habit."
One would love to hear how the Vatican felt about the priest's belief he
had discretion to spend money on a girlfriend. And did he wear his priestly
attire while messing around? Perhaps the girlfriend was turned on by his holy
look.
56 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
.
6 - To escape arrest, steal big
FBI agents tracked down financier R. Allen Stanford last month,
serving him with legal papers for perpetrating a fraud which can
cost investors eight billion dollars.
Mr. Stanford has not been charged with any crime, is not under
arrest and is not in custody.
Apparently, the feds are using the Bernie Madoff yardstick for crimes, and
will wait until Mr. Stanford's swindling efforts reach 50 billion dollars before
arresting him..
7 - Teens speechless after arrest
Five Palm Bay teens "were arrested on burglary-related charges
after police followed a trail of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups packages
from the crime scene back to the house of one of the teens."
Word has it they were unable to give a statement to police because their
tongues were stuck to the roof of their mouths.
8 - Languishing Languages
Christopher Moseley, an Australian linguist who edited a
recently published atlas that documents 2,500 dead or dying lan-
guages, reports that "Language endangerment is a universal phe-
nomenon."
If he ever hears how professional athletes and teens conjugate verbs, he'll
no doubt place the English language on the Endangered Species list.
9 - "Humans evolved feet first"
At least that's how some anthropologists see it.
The journal, Science, recently reported that human feet - as we
know them today - appeared much earlier than previously thought.
Recently discovered fossilized footprints, 1.5 millions years old,
indicate that as far back as 1.5 million years ago, hominids had a pro-
nounced arch and a big toe parallel to other toes.
Where's the big news in that? I can name at least a half-dozen profession-
al athletes whose brain size is still trying to catch up to their foot size.
10 - Ozzie does it again
I thought I'd heard the end of Ozzie Guillen's silly rants last
time I left Chicago. But this outspoken manager of the Chicago
White Sox was recently quoted as saying, "I hope I die on the field.
I hope when I walk to change the pitcher, I drop dead and that's it.
I know my family would be so happy it happened on the field."
Oh, shut up.
11 - Hey, I'm convinced
Aasiya Hassan launched his Bridges TV network in Buffalo,
New York, in 2004, hoping the network would "balance negative
portrayals of Muslims following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks."
Earlier this year, Hassan's wife asked for a divorce, so Hassan
beheaded her at his TV station.
Yessir, nothing like a good old decapitation to change your mind about
someone.
* * *
Well, it's time to get today's newspaper and look for some good
laughs. Oh look, here's one! I just picked up the sports page and
spotted an article about Dwayne Wade. Not about his playing abil-
ity, but about his fashion-plate Band-Aids.
Cantankerously Yours,
Wendell Abern
Wendell Abern can be reached at dendyabern@comcast.net.
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 57
 ON RELIGION
By Reverend Jack Noble
At the Heart Of It All
I love this time of year bursting as it
is with new life. It reminds me that liv-
ing life is like being given a free ticket to
a terrific play. Each day the act unfolds
on something new and exciting. But
thrilling as it is, this succession of scenes
cannot go on forever; which, in my opin-
ion is probably just fine. I mean, can you imagine…? Soon
or late, even the most enthusiastic among us grows bored
and weary. And no matter how terrific the action, no one
can stay with it forever.
What happens when we leave the theater? One can
believe, I suppose, that nothing happens, that the stage
goes blank and dark; or one can believe that some other
form of awareness will begin.
The older I become, the more I find myself believing
that something definitely happens after death. My reason-
ing may seem weak or even naïve, but it carries consider-
able weight with me, and it is simply this: The whole thing
– the WHOLE thing – from the whirling masses of neu-
trons in my brain, to the far reaches of the universe with its
hundreds and hundreds of galaxies – the whole unbeliev-
able shooting match – is just too beautiful, too purposeful,
too cunningly arranged for it all to end in nothingness.
I mean, it is all too wonderful to be pointless!
Now of course the more cynical among us might say
that this idea is nothing but pure ego strutting itself
around.
But I believe that the chances of something being out
there in that “undiscover’d country,” as Shakespeare called
it, are better than the chances of nothing being out there.
As I sit in my living room watching the tide raise the
boats in the canal outside my window, as I watch the bare-
foot boys rushing to the bridge with their fishing poles, as
I pass the tennis courts and see the players there, as I jour-
ney to the pre-op with a friend and see the nurses at work,
or as I merely watch the world unfold around me, I am
more and more convinced of something very loving, and
very intelligent at the heart of it all. I stand more often than
most at the edge of the grave, or outside the crypt, or next
to the niche and often when I am there, I experience this
tightening of my throat – especially if the passing has been
long and difficult – I am reminded, “They’re at home now;
yes, they’re at home.”
Article provided by Reverend Jack Noble of the First
Presbyterian Church, 2331 NE 26th Street in Pompano
Beach. 954-941-2308
58 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
WE LOVE OUR PETS
Fleas Are Back in Town!
My dog has fleas, please help! Is a plea we hear from our
customers many times a day-on a daily basis. As a pet
owner myself, any advice we can get is priceless, so I want-
ed to share with you this very helpful article from the
ASPCA.
Why Are Dogs Susceptible to Fleas?
Fleas are hearty and nimble, and when searching for a
host, they can jump 10,000 times in a row (the length of
three football fields). Three pairs of legs make for excellent
leaping capabilities (up to two feet), and a laterally flattened body allows for quick
movement in a dog’s fur.
With a complete life cycle ranging anywhere from 16 days to 21 months, depend-
ing on environmental conditions, fleas are most commonly found on a dog’s
abdomen, the base of the tail and the head. With heavy infestations, however, fleas
can thrive
anywhere on the body. They feed once every day or two, and generally remain on
their host during the interim.
What Are Some Signs of Fleas in Dogs?
• Droppings or “flea dirt” in a dog’s coat
• Flea eggs on dog or in dog’s environment
• Allergic dermatitis
• Excessive scratching, licking or biting at skin
• Hair loss
• Scabs and hot spots
• Pale gums
• Tapeworms
What Are Some Complications of Fleas in Dogs?
Since fleas can consume 15 times their own body weight in blood, they can cause
anemia or a significant amount of blood loss over time. This is especially problemat-
ic in young puppies, where an inadequate number of red blood cells can be life-
threatening to some dogs. Signs of parasitic anemia include pale gums, cold body
temperature and listlessness.
When a dog has a heightened sensitivity to the saliva of fleas, just one bite of a
flea can cause an allergic reaction. This condition is known as flea allergy dermati-
tis and causes intense itching and discomfort for your dog. Signs include generalized
hair
loss, reddened skin, scabs and hot spots. Flea allergy dermatitis often leads to skin
infections.
Are Certain Dogs Prone to Fleas?
Dogs who live in warm, humid climates, where fleas thrive at temperatures of 65
to 80 degrees, and those who live outdoors are most vulnerable to fleas.
How Do I Treat Fleas?
• It is important that all of your pets are treated for fleas, including indoor and out-
door cats, and that the environment is treated as well.
• Speak with your veterinarian about choosing the right flea treatment product.
Common options include a topical, liquid treatment applied to the back of the
neck, shampoos, sprays and powders. Some products kill both adult fleas and their
eggs, but they can vary in efficacy. It is very important not to use products on your
dog that are intended for cats (and vice versa). Prescription products are generally
more effective and safer than over-the-counter products.
• Thoroughly clean your house, including rugs, bedding and upholstery.
(Remember to discard any vacuum bags.) In severe cases, you might consider using
a spray or fogger, which requires temporary evacuation of the home.
How Can I Prevent Fleas?
Using a flea comb on your dog and washing his bedding once a week will go a
long way toward controlling flea infestation. Also, it is important to treat your yard
as thoroughly as your house.
If you have any questions or tips on how to get rid of fleas, feel free to con-
tact me. Elizabeth, Gigi & Luca Pet Boutique, 1825 NE 24th Street, Lighthouse
Point, 954-784-8755, www.gigiandluca.com
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 59
T HE E YES HAVE IT HOW DO YOUR EYES FEEL?
By Dr. Steven Wigdor
Do your eyes ever feel tired, gritty, or
sensitive to light? Does your vision ever
fluctuate from clear to blurry, especially
when you're concentrating on something?
Do you ever move the page back and forth
trying to find the easiest place to see it?
Do you ever wish you could see that traf-
fic sign just a little sooner? Did you know that these symp-
toms are relatively common and are usually easily correctable?
There are many factors that influence not only the way you
see, but how your eyes feel while using them. When light
travels into your eye it must first travel thru three layers of
your tear film before even reaching the front corneal surface of
your eye. If the tear layer of your eye is not smooth and prop-
erly formed, a dry sandy feeling and/or excess tearing can
occur, both of which can cause intermittent blurred vision.
Many factors, such as medication, hormones, allergies and
irritants can negatively influence the quality and quantity of
the tear film. When we concentrate on something such as
when we read, use a computer, or watch television, the fre-
quency that we blink decreases. If your tear film is already
compromised, and then you decrease the frequency that you
spread whatever tears you do have across your cornea, your
dry eye will feel even worse. There are various treatments and
nutritional supplements that have been shown to improve
tear production and quality, and thus help in these situations.
60 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
If your glasses or contact lenses are not accurate, your
vision will obviously be blurred. When there is an additional
cause creating blurred vision such as dry eye, cataracts, etc.,
then the amount of blur you experience will be magnified. It
is important to reduce or eliminate all causes of blur in order
for you to experience maximum clarity.
During a comprehensive eye exam, ocular health status is
evaluated as well as possible causes of reduced vision. Various
options to improving comfort and sight are discussed that will
be customized to your needs and lifestyle. If any medical
issues are discovered, they would either be followed or treat-
ed in an appropriate manner. In either case it's important to
evaluate any medical conditions early in order to provide the
best opportunity for continued eye health.
It's important that any comprehensive examination
include a complete discussion of your eye care needs based on
your job and lifestyle. This way you will receive the best cus-
tomized resolution to all your concerns. Make sure your doc-
tor is willing to take the time to listen to your concerns.
Remember, everyone has hindsight - protect your eye-
sight! Dr. Steven Wigdor, a board certified Optometric
Physician, and his staff welcome your calls and ques-
tions in Lighthouse Point at 954-943-6210. You can also
visit them at 3650 N. Federal Highway in the Venetian
Isle Shops on the web at www.eyecareandeyewear.com
They also accept many vision care plans, so call today.
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 61
REAL ESTATE NEWS There’s Goodness in the Hearts of Americans
Greetings,
In these most unprecedented times, returning
to the basics in every aspect of our lives, includ-
ing business, is so important. With 71,000 fore-
closure actions filed in Palm Beach and Broward
Counties in 2008, we understand that many of
our neighbors are in need of our help, expertise
Jim Balistreri and genuine care. Fortunately, we are able to
help many of these folks avoid foreclosure if we
are able to reach them in time - and with your help, perhaps we can
reach more sooner.
Commentator Paul Harvey passed away Saturday, February
28th at the age of 90. I was moved by the "Prayer for Our Nation"
that Mr. Harvey aired on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'
which received a larger response than any other program he has ever
aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation
and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called
'One nation under God.'
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgive-
ness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word
says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we
have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our
values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We
have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our
unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it
LIBRARY NEWS LHP LIBRARY — More than a w arehouse f or print!
By LHP Library Director Doreen Gauthier
It was not serendipity that National Library
Week, National Volunteer Week and
Florida's statewide Library Appreciation
Month are virtually simultaneous celebra-
tions. A great many of Florida's, yea the
nation's, libraries were begun as volunteer
efforts. Women's clubs, Junior League chap-
ters, literacy coalitions, and even an assorted
garden club were the foundations of the local library.
Lighthouse Point's library was begun as an all volunteer effort in
1965 as the brainchild of Mr. and Mrs. William (Elayne) Solien.
These two far-sighted people recruited their friends and neigh-
bors to provide a lending library for this fledgling eleven-year old
community. The collection was donated - mostly second-hand
books from private libraries, all staffing was a volunteer cadre,
and the funding came from the social event of the season - the
Library Ball.
Today, the Lighthouse Point Library is blessed with the same
spirit of volunteerism.
Since the mid Twentieth Century each United States president
has urged the involvement of the populace in a volunteer move-
ment - FDR had a vegetable soup of agencies to stimulate citizen
participation in local public works projects or local artistic
62 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
justifiable. We have
neglected to disci-
pline our children
and called it building
self esteem. We have
abused power and
called it politics. We
have coveted our
neighbor's posses-
sions and called it
ambition. We have
polluted the air with
profanity and
pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed
the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlighten-
ment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us
from every sin and set us free. Amen!'
If we don't stand for something in our great country, we risk
falling for everything. I am encouraged about the future of America
because of the goodness and strength that lies in the hearts of her
people.
If we can help you or someone you know we would be honored.
May God bless you,
Jim Balistreri
Broker / CEO
efforts; John Kennedy established the Peace Corps as well as the
Volunteers in Service to America; George H. W. Bush spoke of
"points of light"; Jimmy Carter continues to promote Habitat for
Humanity; George W. Bush urged "faith based initiatives" and
2009 President Obama's Volunteer Corps embody this involve-
ment. Our volunteer resources are not just those nearly 50 wel-
coming ladies at the circulation desk - we have dedicated teach-
ers who provide a variety of classes weekly: a seven member
Advisory Board; and the Friends of the Library. Those Friends
who are 30 years old this year have provided literally hundreds of
thousands of dollars to support the capital projects of the library
through two expansions and to assist in underwriting program-
ming for adults, children and supplemental training for staff.
Volunteers are our life-blood and sustainers.
National Library Week and Library Appreciation Month recog-
nize the cornerstone values of education and culture; access to
information on health, economics, and the environment; the open
access to electronic networks and their resources. These values
have become vital conduits for individuals seeking to find, evalu-
ate and use the information for employment, fiscal research, and
recreational pleasures. The library is far more than a warehouse
for print - we are the available gateway to the Internet, the afford-
able source of DVDs, CDs, and videocassettes. The diversity of
information exchange is limited only by one's imagination.
World's Connect @ Your Library. Visit us soon.
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 63
 Hot Off
the Grill
By John Offerdahl (a.k.a. The Gridiron Griller)
Girardi's NYC Grilled Pizza
Serves 4
Last time NY Yankee GM Joe Girardi
stopped by the home of the Gridiron
Griller, we had some fun grilling a fresh
dough pizza. It is so easy and has an
amazing crispy crust with just store-
bought dough. As simple as the process
is, you could have one made at half time quicker than you could
call for delivery. The fresh ingredients really make it stand
apart from the frozen sort and the smoky charred marks from
the grill make it a signature dish.
PREP
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 8 to 10 oz.)
• 1/2-3/4 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1 tube (11 oz.) pizza crust
• Non-stick spray
• 1 cup sliced Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup lightly packed arugula
• 8 oz. Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 oz. shredded parmesan
READY
Preheat grill to medium-high. Put chicken in vinaigrette dress-
ing in a Ziploc bag, seal and turn to coat every 5 minutes. . Line
a baking sheet with foil and coat it with nonstick spray. Unroll
pizza dough on sheet and press into a 12" by 9" rectangle. Coat
top of dough with nonstick spray. Mix the tomatoes, basil, gar-
lic and arugula in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
LETS GRILL!
Remove chicken form the marinade and discard the marinade.
Grill turning once for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove to a cutting board
and cut crosswise in 1/2" slices. Invert pizza dough onto grill
and peel off the foil. Grill for about 1 minute until the underside
is slightly browned. Turn crust over and grill for another
minute until underside stiffens. Top off with mozzarella slices
and chicken. Cover and grill 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts,
but not letting crust burn. Transfer to cutting board and top
with tomato mixture, sprinkle with parmesan.
The Gridiron Griller says…
"There's nothing like an authentic New York pizza hot off the
oven rack. Then again, wait until you try Joe Girardi's NYC
grilled pizza hot off your very own tailgate grill! It's sure to be
a Yankee grand slam!
What's on Your Plate Today?
www.offerdahls.com
64 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
Presciption Drugs High
On Teens’ Wish List
Sheriff Al Lamberti Reports
Would you know if your child was using
drugs? Hanging out with a "good" group
of kids, high grades and lots of energy
doesn't necessarily mean your young one
is staying clean. Today's drug abuse has
become more convenient, easier to hide
and more popular, thanks to the use of
prescription and over-the-counter medi-
cines. Our kids don't have to look far for
a high - a trip to their home medicine
cabinet might just do the trick.
While use of illegal drugs among teens is falling, prescription
drug abuse is on the rise. In fact, studies show that one in five
teens has abused a prescription pain medication, and in
Florida prescription drugs have killed 300% more people
than illegal drugs.
Kids as young as 12 are trying or using prescription drugs for
non-medical reasons. Many think these drugs are safe
because they have legitimate uses, but taking them without a
prescription to get high or "self-medicate" can be as danger-
ous - and addictive - as using street narcotics. This mistaken
thinking causes teens that wouldn't otherwise touch illicit
drugs to abuse prescription drugs.
Pain relievers, sedatives and stimulants are the most widely
abused drugs. Teens often combine prescription and over-
the-counter drugs with alcohol, a fatal combination.
Parents need to be aware of the dangers associated with pre-
scription drug abuse and take actions to prevent their chil-
dren from addiction. We need your help to save our children
from this growing trend.
• Monitor your medicine cabinets. Count how many pills
you have and make note of the date when you should expect
to refill your prescriptions. Be aware that teens may obtain
these drugs from medicine cabinets while visiting friends or
family.
• Restrict the availability of these substances within your
home. Consider even locking them in a safe.
• Attend a "drug take back program" to rid your home of use-
less or expired medications. You can get information about
this program from our website at www.sheriff.org/prescrip-
tiondrugs.
• Talk with your teens about drug use. Help them under-
stand that misused prescription drugs can be just as danger-
ous as street drugs, especially when used in combination
with other substances, like alcohol.
Don't let drugs start in the home. By educating teenagers and
observing their activities, parents can help curb this danger-
ous trend.
Sheriff Al Lamberti
www.lhpmag.com Lighthouse Point Magazine 65
 IDENTITY THEFT
Tax Time is Also Opportune Time
For Identity Thiev es
It's that time of year again. It's tax time!
Though many taxpayers may dread fil-
ing a return, and many of us would
gladly welcome a refund, there are oth-
ers ready to take advantage of this time
of year: identity thieves. Especially
Denise Richardson now, you have to keep a tight grip on
your personal information, or you could find yourself up against
the IRS.
We are all much more vulnerable to identity theft during tax sea-
son. Scammers know that by late January and early February,
valuable personal information such as W-2's, 1099's, and end-of-
year statements are being delivered through the mail. Early tax
returns are getting filed both via the US Postal Service and elec-
tronically. This spike in activity provides additional points of vul-
nerability for consumers. Criminals have created new and inno-
vative methods to either get their hands on your personal infor-
mation or trick you into divulging it by pretending to be an offi-
cial from the IRS.
Did you know that your tax return could be rejected? That's
right-refused by the IRS. More and more taxpayers are finding
out their tax return was rejected by the IRS when it was entered
for processing. This rejection usually means someone else has
filed a return using your social security number and personal
information. In fact, there have been so many scams of this sort
reported to the IRS that they've now opened a new office
designed to deal exclusively with scams, fraud and identity theft.
So during tax season, you need to step up your vigilance. On the
bright side, there are plenty of things you can do to lower the risk
that you will be a victim of tax-time identity theft.
USE COMMON SENSE
Work with a reliable tax preparation company. Don't place
returns in your mail box for pick-up-take them to the post office
instead.
MAKE SURE YOUR COMPUTER IS SAFE
Update all the security features on your home computer, especial-
ly if you are handling your own return and filing electronically.
Also make sure that you don't have any peer-to-peer software on
your system since this could act as an entry point for hackers, pro-
viding an opportunity for someone to bypass your computer secu-
rity and copy items from your home system, including photos and
important documents. Tax preparation software in itself does
not put you at risk for identity theft, but a lack of security on your
home computer or laptop certainly could cause problems.
DON'T GET PHISHED
You should never take phone calls or click on links embedded in
emails from persons who claim to be IRS agents. If you do, you
could be the victim of "phishing." Phishing is a technique used by
identity thieves to get you to divulge personal information. This
66 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
time of year the scammers will be posing as representatives of the
IRS. A typical scam e-mail might attempt to notify the taxpayer
of an outstanding refund and urge the taxpayer to click on a link
taking them to a fake but official-looking website. The fake web-
site then either downloads malicious spyware or solicits personal
information. It is important to note the IRS does not use e-mail
to initiate contact with taxpayers and the official website will
always refer to .gov -such as IRS.gov. If you have any doubt
whether a call or email is authentic contact the IRS directly. Take
the time to look up the official number.
WATCH OUT FOR RETURN PREPARER FRAUD
Stick with trusted and reputable tax preparers. Dishonest return
preparers make their money by skimming a portion of their
clients' refunds and charging inflated fees for return preparation
services. They attract new clients by promising large refunds.
Taxpayers should choose carefully when hiring a tax preparer.
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
Take the necessary time to place proactive safeguards. The best
way to avoid an identity theft is to plan for one! If you aren't pre-
pared to deal with both prevention and restoration, then make it
easy on yourself and hire a company like LifeLock to do it for you.
Their system places multiple layers of protection, reduces your
overall risks and guarantees a complete support system in the
case of an actual identity theft. If you prefer to go it alone there
are a few things you can do to minimize your risk such as obtain
copies of your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com, freeze
your credit file or activate fraud alerts by contacting the credit
bureaus.
That's the bright side. Now for the not-so-bright side... there isn't
really anything a consumer can do to keep another person from
filing a tax return. The IRS doesn't have the means to validate on
the spot whether the person filing the tax return is the rightful
owner of the personal information provided. You need to focus on
prevention. Look for the warning signs that someone is using
your information and begin the long process of fixing the problem
… if it can be fixed at all.
Suspected tax fraud can be reported to the IRS Web site at
IRS.gov, or by calling 1-800-829-3676. The identity of the person
filing the report can be kept confidential. The person may also be
entitled to a reward.
LifeLock offers Lighthouse Point readers and their loved ones a
special 20% discount for life. Use the promotional code:
Lighthouse when signing up by calling them at 800-LifeLock or
visiting LifeLock.com
Contributing sources: LifeLock, IRS/FTC
For more information, tips and scam alerts visit my website
and blog at GiveMeBackMyCredit.com and feel free to con-
tact me at your convenience!
 We encourage those who can perform magic in their kitchens to submit favorite creations that can be enjoyed by readers
of our magazine. To submit your recipe, please email us at: LHPnews@bellsouth.net. and type “RECIPE” in the subject line.
BROILED MUSSELS WITH SWEET PAPRIKA AIOLI
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 50 minsMakes: 10 to 12 servings
Game plan: The mussels can be made up to 4 hours in advance,
and they actually improve in flavor when you do so. Follow the
recipe through step 3, top with aioli, then cover and refrigerate.
When your guests arrive, pop them under the broiler, garnish
with parsley and lemon juice, and serve.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 1/2 pounds mussels
* Sweet Paprika Aioli
* 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Scrub the mussels and debeard them by grabbing the thread, or
beard, that runs along the side of the shell and removing it by
pulling it toward the hinge of the shell.
2. Spread the mussels on a baking sheet in a single layer and
roast until they open, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the
oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened
mussels. Heat the broiler to high.
3. Carefully pull apart the mussel shells and discard the meat-
less side of each. With your fingers or a teaspoon, carefully
detach the meat from each shell, place it back in the shell, and
return the mussel to the baking sheet. Top each mussel with 1/2
teaspoon aioli.
4. Broil the mussels until the aioli is browned, about 2 to 3
minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley, and driz-
zle with lemon juice. Serve immediately.
ORANGE-VANILLA RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
TIME/SERVINGS: Total: 2 hrs, plus cooling time
Makes: 1 (9-inch) cake (Use Keebler Pecan Shortbread Sandies for
cookie crumbs).
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUST
• 1 1/4 cups pecan shortbread cookie crumbs, from about 11 cookies
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), melted
THE FILLING
• 2 pounds good-quality ricotta cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons packed orange zest, from about 1 medium orange
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE TOPPING
* 1/2 cup orange marmalade
* 1/3 cup vodka
www.lhpmag.com
MOCHA PUDDING CAKE
Total: 45 mins Makes: 6 to 8 servings
The ultimate dump-and-stir cake, this dessert requires no skill to
make yet bakes up into an impressive three-layered treat with a
crusty top, a cakey middle, and a chocolaty pudding bottom.
Game plan: If you want a strong coffee flavor use a darker, more
heavily roasted coffee. But keep in mind that the stronger the cof-
fee, the weaker the chocolate flavor will be.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted and cooled
slightly • 1 large egg • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat
an 8-by-8-inch square baking dish with butter and set aside.
2. Combine flour, 3/4 cup of the cocoa, baking powder, and salt
in a medium bowl and whisk to break up any lumps. In a large
bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, milk, butter,
egg, and vanilla until evenly combined and smooth. Add flour mix-
ture to milk mixture and whisk until just combined (some lumps
will remain).
3. Transfer batter to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
Combine remaining 1/4 cup cocoa, remaining 1/4 cup granulated
sugar, and brown sugar in a small bowl until well mixed, then
sprinkle over batter. Pour coffee over batter, do not stir, and place
in the oven.
4. Bake until cake is bubbling, puffed, and set at the edges but
still a bit loose in the middle, about 25 minutes. Remove to a rack
and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CRUST
Heat the oven to 350ºF and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 9-inch
springform pan with butter.
2. Place cookie crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl and mix
until thoroughly combined. Place crumb mixture in the pan and, using
a measuring cup, press evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 to 15 min-
utes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on a
wire rack.
FOR THE FILLING:
1. Place ricotta in the bowl of a food processor and blend until
smooth. Add sugar and flour and pulse until well incorporated, about
10 (1-second) pulses, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the
motor running, add eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incor-
porated. Add vanilla, orange zest, and salt and blend until just incor-
porated. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
2. Bake until the center of the cheesecake is set and the edges are
golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.
Lighthouse Point Magazine 67
LOCAL BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY

Pat’s TLC Pet Sitting

in your home

Lighthouse Point/Deerfield
Resident Since 1970
(954) 421-8757

Barbara Passariello, Licenced Nutritionist

FREE VIDEO AD SPACE

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
INTRODUCTORY OFFER
A small investment of $250 production costs
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69
 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
PARENTS Hey Kids! Born in May?
IF YOU PREFER Send us your photos before April 8th!
THAT WE DO NOT Include your name & birthdate and
INCLUDE YOUR Email to: LHPnews@bellsouth.net
and Please type “Lighthouse Point Birthday”
CHILD’S LAST NAME,
in the Subject Line, or mail to: City News Group,
PLEASE BE SURE TO LHP Birthday 3467 17th Terrace • Oakland Park, FL 33309
LET US KNOW!
SEE PHOTOS WORLD-WIDE AT: www.LHPmag.com

H
H
A
A
PP
PP
YY

BB
II
RR
T
T
H
H Gabriel Eden Trusty Andre B. Lindsay P.
D
D turns 4 on April 12th turned 2 on March 5th turns 6 on April 3rd

A
A
YY

T
T
O
O

Y
Y
O
O
U
U

Colin Burns Cole W. Sage C.

turned 10 on February 28th turned 1 on February 12th turns 2 on April 13th

70 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Dad,
Late yesterday afternoon, we learned of a fraud scam
being perpetrated against small business owners
across the country in connection with the recent
economic stimulus legislation. I am sending this in
case similar scams are taking place involving your
agency's programs. Our investigation has deter-
mined that small business owners across the coun-
try are being contacted by a letter using SBA letter-
head, asking them to send their bank name and
account information to a fax number so that the
Small Business Administration (SBA) can allegedly
determine their eligibility for a tax rebate under the
recent economic stimulus legislation. However, this
letter is fraudulent because: (1) it was not issued by
or authorized by the SBA; (2) SBA does not have a
program to determine tax rebate eligibility of small
businesses; (3) there is no SBA employee with the
name of the person allegedly signing the letter; and
(4) there is no SBA employee with the title of
Entrepreneurial Development Adninistrator, the
title of the person allegedly signing the letter.
We have drafted a press release which was issued by
the Agency last night alerting people to this scam,
drafted an information notice which is being sent
out to all agency employees, are issuing a subpoena
to obtain the subscriber information for the fax
number, and issuing a cease and desist letter to get
the telecommunications company to shut down the
number.
Given the widespread nature of this fraud, it is quite
possible that other agencies covered by the stimulus
legislation may also be facing similar scams.
Your loving daughter,
Noelle
(Noelle Frangipane is working in Washington, D.C. at the
Security and Exchange Commission as Deputy Inspector
General at the Office of Inspector General)
www.lhpmag.com
To The Editor,
I was delighted to read the article by Mr. Fred
Schorr in the March edition of the LHP mag. It
was a patriotic call to our community to unite and
to do things close to home.
I had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Schorr
better whilst my wife Erica Davey was working
closely with him to get LHP certified as a
Community Wildlife Habitat. He is a progressive
minded leader that only have the best interest of
our City at heart. Few people are aware how he,
not only motivated the team, but how he got into
the drag and certified all his neighbors yards. He
makes me think of the “Atatürk” of LHP (father of
the modern day Turkish Republic). Maybe some-
one in his position cannot be everything every
body expects him to be. But I think he comes pret-
ty damn close to that impossible dream.
May I suggest to Mr. Schorr that he institute a reg-
ular page in the LHP mag to keep his flock
informed of what is happening in our city and how
we can help and join hands to make LHP an even
better place to live in. For example. our Real
Estate values are depressed, but not as bad as
other areas. Imagine if we all work together to
make LHP an even more enviable suburb to live in,
how the forces of supply & demand will kick in
get those values back where they belong.
The absence of an official “City of LHP” page in
your magazine for our cities doings always both-
ered me. Maybe it is time for the city to acquire
space for this purpose.
Sincerely Yours.
Jan Davey
SPEAK YOUR MIND!
A Letter to the Editor is a great way
to let your feelings known in a time
when there is so much to be said!
Lighthouse Point Magazine 71
 COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT L O W E R I N G B R O WA R D C O U N T Y
P R O P E R T Y TA X E S A G A I N I N F Y 2 0 1 0
By Broward County Commissioner
and Vice Mayor Ken Keechl
When I campaigned to be your Broward
County Commissioner, I promised that I would
never vote to increase your property taxes. I
have kept that promise for the last two years. I
intend to keep it for the next two years as well.
For Fiscal Year 2008, I voted to lower property taxes and shrink the
County's budget by approximately $90 million dollars per year. My col-
leagues agreed by a 9-0 vote.
For Fiscal Year 2009, I voted to lower property taxes and shrink the
budget by approximately $87 million dollars per year. My colleagues
agreed by a 7-2 vote.
Since these are recurring, yearly savings, the result of these two votes
was to shrink the Broward County budget by almost $177 million dollars
per year.
How did we do this? We instituted a hiring freeze, which reduced
operating expenses drastically. We reduced capital projects by prioritiz-
ing and funding "needs" while postponing or eliminating "wants". We
paid off certain debt (to lower yearly interest costs) and we minimally
raised certain fees (which hadn't been reviewed or raised in more than 13
years!)
On February 17, 2009, the County Commission had its first Fiscal
Year 2010 budget workshop. The good news: the majority of my col-
leagues agreed to lower property taxes for a third consecutive year. The
bad news: we couldn't agree on how much to cut from the FY 2010 budg-
et.
Due to the decrease in property values county-wide, some of my col-
AL’S CORNER HAVE Y OU SCHEDULED AN INSPECTION?
Recently the Sun Sentinel ran an article on
vehicle maintence and how the auto repair shops
are seeing larger repairs due to the current lack of
maintenance. The article explained how the
shops were replacing engines because the owners
failed to get their oil changes. They also men-
tioned brakes that were over due for new pads
By Al Siefert
and how the old pads were wearing into the
rotors which caused a more expensive repair.
As consumers we expect things to wear out and know that there is
a useful life for everything. However basic maintenance will often
extend the life of many household appliances. One example of this is
changing the filter in the air conditioners. By changing the filters we
keep the coils from getting clogged and the units run more efficiently.
Once the coils get clogged you will need to pay a repair man to remove
the coils, clean and reinstall them.
Recently we had two different calls from people that were without
power because of a panel failure.
The first one was at a residence who was replacing the same 60
amp fuses on a service disconnect close to his main service. He
replaced the fuses two times before the service disconnect overheated,
melted down and burned the fuse block. This disrupted several cir-
cuits and caused him to lose power to most of his house.
The second property was experiencing a circuit breaker tripping
before the panel burnt through the buss bar. This caused a need to
replace the panel and the main disconnect. In both cases the customer
72 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com
leagues want to raise the property tax (millage) rate applied to all taxable
real property in Broward to a certain rate known as the "rolled-back" rate.
Technically, this is not considered a "tax increase" because it will bring in
the same amount of property taxes as last year. If 5 or more of my col-
leagues agree, the FY 2010 budget would decrease by approximately $45
million dollars (for a combined three year cumulative and recurring budg-
et decrease of $222 million dollars.) Not bad.
Nevertheless, while I believe the County Commission has made real
progress over the last two years, and while I believe that $45 million dol-
lars is a real reduction, I don't believe it is good enough.
In order to keep my promise to you and your families, I believe I can-
not, in good faith, vote to raise the County's millage rate on the assessed
value of any real property you own in Broward County. To me, an
increase in the millage rate equates to a tax increase. If 4 or more of my
colleagues agree with me and we keep the County millage rate at last
year's rate of 4.888, the County's FY 2010 budget would shrink by an
additional $135 million dollars (for a combined three year cumulative and
recurring budget decrease of $312 million dollars.)
My colleagues and I will continue to discuss the FY 2010 budget for
the next several months. I will, of course, continue to fight to lower your
property taxes as much as possible. And based on the first budget work-
shop, I am confident that the majority of the Broward County
Commission will eventually vote to once again lower your property tax
burden by decreasing the size of Broward's budget by at least $45 million,
and possibly by as much as $135 million. I will keep you apprized of our
discussions.
My best to you and your families,
Broward County Commissioner and Vice Mayor Ken Keechl
www.broward.org/KKeechl
was unaware that they would be without power for a long period of
time.
In the South Florida environment we are subject to damaging salt
particles in the air. These particles are the cause of many metal prod-
ucts to rust prematurely including electrical equipment mounted in
outdoor locations
Be aware that if a circuit is tripping it is probably for a reason.
There could be a problem with the item the circuit breaker (or fuse) is
protecting, the wiring could be going bad, or there is a problem in the
panel. A warm panel cover, flickering lights or a burning smell could
also be a symptom of a problem in the electrical panel.
Electrical inspections if done properly could save people money by
finding a potential problem before it gets critical. Many companies
have thermal camera’s that will show temperature variations in the
equipment. These cameras will show overheating problems before
they are visible to the naked eye.
We recommend an annual inspection as preventative maintenance.
These inspections are not expensive and will give the customer piece
of mind, knowing that the wiring and equipment is in good condition.
We do not recommend anyone that is not experienced with electrical
systems to remove any panel or equipment covers. There are energized
parts inside that could be dangerous if touched.
For further info, please call Al Siefert Electric (954) 493-9411
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74 Lighthouse Point Magazine www.lhpmag.com

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