Boca Raton Community High School's Drama Department is presenting Norman Panama and Melvin Frank's "Li'l Abner" at 7 p.m. March 5 to 7, with a special matinee performance at 2 p.m. March 7. The play is set in Dogpatch U.S.A., which is deemed to be the most unnecessary town in America.
"They live in such a podunk, backward town, and it is set to be blown up. The characters are like something you would find in 'The Simpsons,' and they are trying to convince everyone that they are indeed important," said drama director Mindy Clarke.
The play is based on Al Capp's comic strip, and Clarke said most of the students had never heard of the comic.
"I had them do research, and they found out all sorts of wonderful things about their characters. There is a lot of political satire, a lot of backwoods humor and of course foot-stomping music," she said. Tickets cost $8 in advance or $12 at the door. For more information, call 561-338-1533 or visit www.bocadrama.com.

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Spring break is on the horizon for scores of local students, and Lynn University hosted a recent event to highlight the dangers associated with risky behavior. The fourth annual Safe Spring Break Carnival featured an obstacle course simulating drunk driving, a video driving game and safe sex information and education.
“I started doing this because I got really tired of seeing young people dying on the roads. One of the worst things officers have to do is notify next of kin, and if I have spared one family that tragedy I will have done my job,” said occupant protection specialist Trooper Conya Bassett.
Bassett was running the obstacle course where students drove golf carts around a small field littered with cones and barriers.
“They wear these Fatal Vision Goggles which simulate various levels of impairment,” said Bassett.
Lynn University junior Mala Haddioui, 20, sported the blurred goggles representing a blood alcohol content level of .20 and said it was no easy chore.
“I messed up quite a few times, and I don’t know why anyone would try to drive under those conditions. I do think young people are embracing the message and drive under the influence less than in prior years,” she said.

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FAU’s Department of Music in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is currently accepting applications for the 2009 Michael and Madelyn Savarick Annual Music Competition. The competition is open to all Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties residents between the ages of 13 and 18 in the following categories: one for classical music composition and four categories for classical music performance including piano, voice, strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass or classical guitar) and winds/percussion (woodwinds, brass and concert percussion). Interested musicians must send a recording with their own performance of two selections of classical music, and entries must be postmarked no later than April 5. For more information, call FAU’s music department at 561-297-3820.

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The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s MS Walk begins at 9 a.m. March 1 at South County Regional Park, 11200 Park Access Road, and they are in need of both walkers and volunteers.
“MS interrupts the flow of information between the brain and body, and it stops people from moving. This year more than ever we need the support of the community to help us raise critical funds to support those in dire need in South Florida,” said Karen Dresbach, National MS Society’s South Florida Chapter president. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. March 1. For more information about the MS Walk or other MS events, visit www.mswalksouthflorida.org or call 800-344-4867.

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The third annual Festival of the Arts BOCA runs from March 5 to 15 and features a full slate of classical music, jazz and literature. The festival opens at 7 p.m. March 5 with the Boca Raton Rotary Club’s Future Stars Competition and concludes at 7 p.m. March 15 with a performance by the Russian National Orchestra. Notable literary events include a 7 p.m. March 6 presentation by Sir Salman Rushdie and a 7 p.m. March 9 presentation by former Under Secretary of the United Nations Shashi Tharoor. The festival is sponsored by local nonprofit The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.festivaloftheartsboca.org or call 561-368-8445.

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Standing - Advisor Jesus Barrera, explorers Joe Berry, post chief Jonathan Vought, explorers Casey Gugliotta, Mike Harrison, Mike Slatery and lead advisor Frank Correggio. Kneeling – Explorers Kimberly Vought, Stephanie Kujowa, Sara Jacobson. Boca Raton Fire Rescue Explorers Post #315 made a strong showing at the recent Explorer Conference and Challenge at the Coral Springs Fire Academy. Eleven teams competed in the event, and public information officer Frank Correggio said the team practiced three times a week for three months for the competition.
“These events help to promote teamwork and help test the team’s skill in Hose Deployment, Search and Rescue, Ladder Raise, Combat Challenge, Trauma, First Aid & CPR and other events,” he said. The Explorers won three first place trophies, two second place trophies and came in third for overall points.

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Cutting Edge Fitness, 21184 St. Andrews Blvd., is the official Palm Beach County host for Spinning Nation ’09, a nationwide event designed to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Athletes for a Cure. Dozens of spinners will hit the cycles at 9 a.m. and Noon Feb. 28, and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the nonprofit organizations. Cutting Edge Fitness is a group class facility, and owner Ari Meltzer said the location was created with cost and accessibility in mind.
“We created Cutting Edge so that people of all ages and abilities could get an amazing workout in a small group setting at an affordable price point,” he said. The cost for the Feb. 28 charity event is $55 per person. For more information, visit www.yourhealthyaddiction.com or call 561-368-6588.

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The Boca Raton Dog Club is hosting its annual AKC All Breed Championship Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 21 at Sunset Cove Amphitheater, 12551 Glades Road. Club president Diane Wagner said the day is designed to raise funds for the Southeastern Guide Dogs organization.
“There are so many costs associated with guide dogs such as leashes, harnesses and backpacks, and we are really hoping to offset some of those costs for new owners,” she said. For more information, call Diane at 561-392-0052.

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Danny Miller
Boca Raton Police detectives need your help in tracking a distraction thief who is a member of an organized ring of traveling criminals. Danny Miller entered the victim’s home under the guise of needing to check her water quality and once inside spilled a corrosive substance on the victim. As she removed her jewelry, per Miller’s instructions, he fled with the jewelry during the confusion. The band of thieves targets older women wearing jewelry at retail locations and follows them home. Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Jeff Simons at 561-338-1302 or Crime Stoppers at 800-458-8477.

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The Thomas family has been farming in West Boca for 50 years, and they recently reopened their market at 9905 Clint Moore Road.
“My mother and father knew you could farm this area quite well during the winter, and they came from Buffalo as the first farmers in the area,” said 53-year-old Cindy Thomas.
Thomas Produce operated as a U-Pick Farm from 1982 to 2000 but closed for myriad reasons, and it reopened as a traditional market.
“Wherever we would go in the area, people would stop us and pretty much beg us to reopen. It’s such a different feel here than a big chain store, and one of us is always here to talk face-to-face with our customers,” said Cindy’s brother, 62-year-old Norman Thomas.
The market is open seven days a week. For more information, call 561-961-5091.Cindy Thomas tends to the broccoli.

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The West Boca Chamber of Commerce is hosing a mini-table top business expo from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Boca Dunes Country Club, 1400 Country Club Drive. Chamber members can pay $100 for their space, which includes two admission tickets, but chamber president Barry Epstein said anyone is welcome to attend. The cost is $10 for members and first-time guests until Feb. 25 and $15 at the door. For more information, call 561-482-9333 or e-mail info@westbocachamber.com.

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Palm Beach County middle and high school students who think they may be the next Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino will have the opportunity to showcase their skills in a contest sponsored by Empowerment Through Hearing. The contest is designed to heighten awareness about the increase in hearing loss in students resulting from loud noise.
“It’s no joke that more than one in eight students have some form of hearing loss, and that’s why our book ‘Listen Up!’ was just introduced into all eighth grade classes in Palm Beach County Schools. The major cause of hearing loss among students is high-volume iPods, surround sound at movies, rock concerts and sporting events,” said Empowerment Through Hearing founder and president Kathlyn Maguire.
Students will create 30-second public service announcements demonstrating the relationship between noise and hearing loss, and local television broadcasters will judge the submissions. For more information, visit www.hearingconnection.org.

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The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free workshop from 8 to 10 a.m. Feb. 20 at NCCI Holdings, 901 Peninsula Corporate Circle, to help local businesses navigate today’s tumultuous economic landscape. The ‘"Back to Basics: Focus on Sales" workshop is open to the public, and attendees will learn strategies to generate more referrals, effectively grow business in a stagnant economy and how to turn objections into sales. Participants with specific questions should submit them before the event along with registration. To register, visit www.bocaratonchamber.com/events.

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Animal Aid, Inc, 2266 N. Dixie Highway, opened recently, and the no-kill shelter and pet adoption center also has a thrift store. The shelter takes in abused and neglected animals, along with dogs and cats from high-kill animal control facilities, and the nonprofit organization is currently seeking donations. It is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For information about adoption possibilities, visit www.animal-aid.com or call 561-393-1463.

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Chelsea and Dylan in front of the FDR Memorial in Washington DC.
Spanish River High School senior Chelsea Krost, 17, created her own talk show, "Teen Talk Live," and she took her program on the road to cover the inauguration of Barack Obama. Krost served as the youth reporter for People to People, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting international understanding through travel and educational experiences.
“The feeling of being there for such an historic event is beyond words. It was 7 degrees and we were up at 4 a.m., and I was absolutely bouncing off the walls,” said the Spanish River High senior. Krost was on the front lines and interviewed notable figures including Mary Eisenhower, granddaughter of the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and US News and World Report reporter Ken Walsh.
“She [Eisenhower] is such an amazing woman and she refers to herself as a peace pusher. She is also very involved with keeping her grandfather’s legacy alive and engaging the younger generation in the political process,” she said.
Krost’s brother Dylan, 15, also made the voyage and filmed their experiences.
“Being only 15, I’m not the most political person around, but you could not help but be moved by such an inspiring event” he said. For more information, visit www.teentalklive.net.

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The Boca West Cancer Research Unit’s annual luncheon and card party takes place at 11:30 a.m. March 2 at the Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive. With a membership of 1,152, the West Boca Unit is one of the largest units in the Papanicolaou Corps for Cancer Research, and all proceeds go toward the Sylvester Comprehensive Research Center/University of Miami. This year’s luncheon theme is "Smart and Sassy," and there will be a raffle followed by canasta and mahjong. For more information, call 561-488-0639.

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A St. Paul Lutheran School teacher and student had their hair cut the same day and donated the take to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization providing hairpieces to financially disadvantaged U.S. and Canadian children suffering medical conditions resulting in hair loss.
“The day after I cut my hair I ran into a woman at church who told me her 17-year-old daughter had received a wig from Locks of Love. She told me that she and her family were so grateful to them for helping her daughter feel better about herself during her cancer and treatment. It really put a personal face to what I had done, and I was very glad that I had the opportunity to do it,” said technology teacher Kelly Rose.
It was not fourth-grader Meaghan Murphy’s first cut for Locks of Love, nor will it be her last.
“I did this before and I wanted to do it again. I am going to grow my hair and I will probably do it again,” she said. For more information, visit www.locksoflove.org.

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The crew of Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services Boat 3 was recently named as recipients of the 2008 Firefighters of the Year award. Fire Captain Todd Stewart, driver Donnie Horn and firefighter/paramedic Tomas Martin were recognized for their actions during a May 26, 2008 sea rescue, in which they pulled three victims from a capsized 32-foot vessel in 6- to 8-foot seas. They will be honored at a Feb. 18 ceremony at the Fire Administration Building, 6500 Congress Ave.

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All Champions, 395 NE Spanish River Blvd., has indoor baseball and softball batting cages, and manager Jhonrid Martinez said business is beginning to gain momentum.
“We opened about one month ago, and things are definitely picking up. For the most part, it’s been teams or clubs coming in to practice, but we get others coming to just have fun,” he said.
All Champions also hosts hitting and pitching tournaments, and price varies by session or membership. For more information, call Jhonrid Martinez at 954-638-1343.

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Boca Raton Community Hospital and Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services will host "Smart Heart Day 2009" from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Fire and Police Services Building, 6500 Congress Ave. During the free event, residents can receive cholesterol screenings with a full lipid profile, a glucose check and blood pressure screening. Reservations are recommended, and results will be mailed within two weeks, provided residents bring six self-addressed return labels with first and last names. For more information, call the “Smart Heart” health line at 561-955-4468.

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Daggerwing Nature Center, 11200 Park Access Road, is offering a Spring Break camp from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 30 to April 3 for children ages 9 to 12. Children will spend the week studying Florida’s diverse environments and will take several field trips, including the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refugee, Morikami Museum and the Palm Beach Zoo. The week is limited to 20 campers, and registration runs from Feb. 14 to March 14. The cost is $100 per child. For more information, visit www.pbcparks.com/nature.

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Bank of America's Chief Economist Lynn Reaser will be the
guest speaker at the 7:45 a.m. Feb. 12 Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce
breakfast at the Boca Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle. Reaser is
responsible for tracking and forecasting economic trends and the
impact they will have on financial markets. She is currently on the
board of directors of the National Association for Business Economics
and has also served in a number of governmental capacities. For more
information, visit www.bocaratonchamber.com/events.

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Discussion began at the Feb. 10 city council meeting of a new ordinance designed to disclose campaign contributions on the city’s Web page. The information is currently available through a public records request, but Ordinance 5087 would require the reports to be readily available online.
“It’s something that other cities do, and it is definitely time for Boca to follow suit. The only thing that concerns me is that it does not go far enough, and I will be meeting with the city attorney over the coming weeks about the possibility of adding further amendments,” said Mayor Susan Whelchel.
Councilman Bill Hager, who will not run in the upcoming election due to term limits, sponsored the bill.
“When it comes to government affairs, more transparency, not less is the key. In a democratic society, this type of information is exactly what the public deserves and demands,” he said. The ordinance will go to a vote at the Feb. 24 city council meeting.

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Dana Hughes, Chief Dan Alexander, Detective Juan Carlos Pijuan.
Two city employees were recognized in a recent ceremony for their exemplary service. Detective Juan Carlos Pijuan has been with the city since 2002 and was named Officer of the Year. Pijuan has been involved in several high profile cases including the arrest of an individual who downloaded 2,800 images of child pornography and the investigation into the 2008 robbery of two jewelry couriers.
Evidence custodian Dana Hughes has been with the city for three years and received the Civilian of the Year award. Hughes has assisted in facilitating more than 14,000 items of evidence and handled the research disposition of more than 10,000 items of evidence.

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The National Endowment of the Humanities provides Palm Beach and Broward counties teachers with large laminated reproductions of American art masterpieces, but the program is woefully underutilized.
"This is a marvelous teaching tool for Palm Beach and Broward teachers. Unfortunately, so many schools are unaware that these reproductions are available to them for free, and many schools are actually unaware that these reproductions are already on their campuses waiting to be utilized," said Endowment of the Humanities Board of Trust member Yvonne Boice.
Local PBS station WXEL recently paid a visit to Boca Raton Community High School, one of a few local schools utilizing the program, and the show airs at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 and Feb. 13. For more information, visit www.picturingamerica.neh.gov.

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The West Boca Chamber of Commerce recently began posting available jobs on its Web site under the Forums tab. Only chamber members can post job listings, but postings can be viewed by all.
"We felt in these troubled times if there are jobs available from our members, we should help publicize them to the community", said chamber chairman Tom Kruse.
For more information, visit www.westbocachamber.com or call 561-482-9333.

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Christie Cade, Tristan Cade and Linda Gove.
Ten-year-old Tristan Cade opted out of any personal birthday gain and decided to redirect his friends to a local charity. In lieu of a gift, Tristan asked friends to donate money to Boca Helping Hands, a local nonprofit providing assistance to area families in crisis. Tristan’s benevolence resulted in a $560 donation, and executive director Linda Gove said the family is an example to all.
“I am always so pleased to see that children in our area understand that when we have abundance in our lives, we should be willing to help others. Tristan and his family are wonderful examples of this,” she said.
For more information, visit www.bocahelpinghands.org or call 561-417-0913.

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The third annual Allianz Golf Championship runs from Feb. 9 to 15 at The Old Course at Broken Sound Country Club, 1401 NW 51st St., and Feb. 13 is Boca Appreciation Day. On Feb. 13, Boca residents with a photo ID or city employees with a staff photo will be admitted free for the event’s opening round. The Allianz Championship is the first of two Florida stops, and next on the docket is Naples from Feb. 20 to 22. For more information, call 561-241-4653.

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Owsley, FAU's mascot, will be on hand at the 24th annual KidsFest.
The Children’s Museum, 498 Crawford Blvd, is hosting its 24th annual KidsFest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 14, and the diversions range from bouncy to educational. There will be a bounce house, demonstrations of Brazilian Martial Arts, magic shows, learning centers and much more. Admission is $5 per person, but infants get in free. For more information, call the museum’s office at 561-368-6875.

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Boca Raton implemented one of the first reclaimed water systems in Southeast Florida in the early 1990s to irrigate golf courses and landscaped areas, but until recently the Utility Services Department was only able to reuse 50 percent of available wastewater. Boca’s In-City Reclamation Irrigation System (IRIS) will be expanded over the next five years, enabling the city to reclaim 100 percent of wastewater, which will be used in place of valuable drinking water.
“The IRIS water goes through a rigorous cleansing process, and the pipes are completely separate from the city’s drinking water system. When you consider the fact that golf courses use anywhere up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day, being able to use reclaimed water will save untold amounts of drinking water each year,” said Utility Services director Chris Helfrich.
The program is being embraced by local golf courses, and Broken Sound Golf Club chief operating officer John Krane said watering restrictions during shortages can wreak havoc on a course.
“The course absolutely suffers during times of drought, and it is common to have large brown patches of dead grass. We host professional tournaments in Boca, and our courses are also a big draw for seasonal residents and tourists. If the courses are routinely in bad shape, those areas could also be impacted,” he said.

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The Town Center Mall, 6000 Glades Road, is hosting a "Summer Opportunities Fair" from noon to 6 p.m. Feb. 15 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 16. There will be 25 representatives from a wide range of camp and teen programs providing information on everything from camps abroad to sports-based programs. For more information, call 561-279-1333.

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11-year-old Anthony Peralta will be responsible for helping thousands of children across the country remember President Obama’s name through a memory tool called mnemonic.
Peralta learned the new skill at LearningRx, 21073 Powerline Road, and his submission of a llama with a large 'O' on its side nibbling on a bush won the nationwide contest. “It is an amazing technique using vivid pictures in a story-like list, and we have clients ranging in age from 4 to 86,” said LearningRx executive director Alicia Anfossi. Peralta’s father Greg said Anthony has made tremendous strides since he began the program.
“It used to take him five hours to get through homework and now it takes him two hours. He is more confident, and my wife and I no longer have to stand over his shoulder to make sure everything is done properly,” he said. For more information, call 561-488-6188 or visit www.learningrx.com.

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Boca police detectives need your help in identifying a suspect in three separate wallet theft incidents at two Publix Supermarket locations, 4141 N. Federal Highway, and 7431 N. Federal Highway. The incidents took place Jan. 13, 18 and 20, and detectives believe the suspect to be the woman in the accompanying photographs. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Randa White at 561-338-1307.

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St. Andrew’s sophomore Lucas Metropulos, 16, volunteers each year on a family farm in the Bahamas, and this served as the impetus for creating a program that is helping to feed local families.
Fishing For Families in Need is an eight-week clinic at the Florence Fuller Child Development Center, and Metropulos teaches economically disadvantaged children all that is fishing.
“My intention is to teach the children how they may provide food, have a job opportunity, help the environment, learn new skills and build goals through positive mentoring,” he said.
There is another component to the program also designed to feed local families.
“I have piloted a program to procure fish from charter, commercial, sport and resort fishermen to donate to the Boca Helping Hands Soup Kitchen. My volunteers are available to catch, clean and transport the fish to the soup kitchen,” he said.
For more information, visit www.f4fn.webs.com.

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Runners from 180 countries have been participating in a Nike running challenge since July 2006, and Boca Raton resident Robin Deyo's recent 5-mile run in her neighborhood helped the program cross the 100 million mile mark.
Nike formed a partnership with Apple, and runners can synch iPods to special running shoes and receive information about time, distance and burnt calories as they run. Deyo has been an avid runner for 20 years and was sidelined for a bit due to a cornea transplant.
“I started running again in late December and tipped the 100 million mile mark during my first run back,” she said.
Deyo said she was stunned to learn about the achievement, and that the program is key to meeting goals.
“I am very goal-oriented and always want to reach the goal I set before a run. As you run, you get continual updates and comments from famous athletes and it really pushes you to keep going,” she said.
For more information, visit www.nikeplus.com.

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The Mae Volen Senior Center’s ninth annual "A Love Affair" takes place at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Countess de Hoernle Theatre at Spanish River High School, 5100 Jog Road. The evening of song and dance features The Dancer’s Alchemy and Southern Dance Theater, and all proceeds go toward scholarships for the center’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Adult Day Care programs. The evening was also created to honor Yolanda Greenly, who founded the Performing Arts for Special Needs Program. Ticket prices vary, and group rates are available. For more information, call 561-395-8920, ext. 1-288.

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