The fruits of one six-week Pembroke Pines summer drama camp are coming to pass.

The Susan B. Katz Theatre of the Performing Arts, 17189 Sheridan St., is hosting a whodunit drama performance called “The Show Must Go On!” free to audiences and parents at 7:30 p.m. on July 30.

The song-and-dance caper features an ensemble of child actors crooning timeless Broadway musical numbers. The plot of “Show” concerns a theft of costumes and props from all the popular Broadway productions, and it’s up to theatre police and the casts of “Annie” and “Grease” to ferret out the conniving culprit who literally stole the show.

The romping production features plenty of inside actor humor, over-the-top villains, bumbling heroes and Broadway stars.

For more information, call 954-986-5027, or visit www.ppines.com.

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When Sage McBride was a toddler no taller than a musical bow, he cried whenever his mother played the violin.

Turns out, it was pitch-perfect hearing: he only wailed if she struck a wrong note.
After that early portent, it wasn’t surprising to either that Sage would eventually be labeled a violin virtuoso before his 13th birthday.

After taking violin lessons in private preschools, he joined both the Miami String Project and the Hollywood-based Florida Youth Orchestra chamber groups by age 9. Since then, McBride’s career has skyrocketed: now sitting in the principal division of his string section, the violin prodigy has played inside Carnegie Hall alongside his chamber orchestra at age 10 and represented the state of Florida during the 400th anniversary celebration of Jamestown, Virginia.

McBride’s also active in community service, treating retirement homes, condo communities, churches and homeless shelters to violin performances.

The young violinist is unveiling a new performance at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave., from 10 to 11 a.m. inside the main hall.

For more information, call 954-450-6888.

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Thanks to the Pembroke Pines Fire Department, saving lives just became simpler for local residents.

The citywide rescue division is staging CPR classes for the general public every third Tuesday of each month on the second floor of Fire Station #69, 9500 Pines Blvd.

The training course, called Heartsaver AED Anytime, combines practical hands-on exercises like applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an inflatable CPR manikin with technical software quizzes on special computers. Adult residents will also receive a CPR skills practice DVD, a student workbook, pocket masks and latex gloves.

Healthcare providers can also enroll in a skill-intensive one-day session that runs the third Wednesday of every month. The two classes run from 6 to 10 p.m. on both days.

Residents and professionals must pre-register one week in advance. The Heartsaver AED course runs $40 and the Healthcare Provider class is $65.

For more information, call 954-435-6531, or visit www.ppines.com/fire.

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Newsweek magazine recently dubbed two Pembroke Pines schools among the top high schools across the United States.

The weekly newsmag ranked Broward public school Flanagan High and Pembroke Pines Charter High School 104th and 111th, respectively, across the state and 875th and 974th, respectively, across the nation.

The high schools join nine other district schools recognized in Broward based on data gathered during the 2007-08 school year. Newsweek’s list was compiled by adding up the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests taken by students at a school divided by the number of seniors graduating the same year.

In total, 133 schools from Florida were also recognized.

For more information, call 754-321-2300, or visit www.browardschools.com.

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Pembroke Pines seniors intent on staying healthy this summer won’t need to search far for a reliable source of help.

The Southwest Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave., is dispatching handfuls of medical professionals to dish the curative know-how on remaining chipper and active this summer.

Every Tuesday beginning July 28 through August, the senior retreat is hosting free health education classes for center members.

On July 28, center nurse Pauline Cooper will discuss the “Importance of Drinking Water. On Aug. 4, Memorial Healthcare specialist tackles “Early Breast Detection and the Importance of a Mammography.” “Aging Eye Concerns” follows on August 11 courtesy of Rand Eye Institute representative Dr. Berman.

On Aug. 18, Betty Rosse from Broward County Elderly and Vets addressed “Staying Healthy: Your Physical Health.”

All classes run from 10 to 11 a.m. and are available to seniors 55 and older. For more information, call 954-450-6888.

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One Pines library is ensuring those student summer reading lists are that less expensive.

That’s because South Regional/Broward College Library is running miniature book fairs through September on the final Saturday of each month.

The library at 7400 Pines Blvd. is clogging its lobby and multipurpose room with endless racks of discount literature – from classic favorites to modern page-turners – from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning July 25.

The sales run as dirt-cheap as $1 for hardcovers and 10 cents for paperbacks.

For more information about pricing and rack locations, call 954-201-8825, or visit www.broward.org.

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The Pembroke Pines Theater of the Performing Arts is mining the depths of the South Pacific for its next play.

Running now through Aug. 9, the theater at 17195 Sheridan St. is staging the World War II-era naval epic “Mister Roberts” Fridays and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.

A former Tony award-winning Broadway smash, this maritime adventure concerns a Lieutenant naval officer who defends his crew against his commanding officer aboard a cargo ship.

Tickets run $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $13 for children, but the theater’s offering discount promotions for WWII veterans and servicemen throughout the play’s run.

For more information, call 954-437-4884, or visit www.pptopa.com.

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The Force is strong this weekend at Regal Westfork Cinema 13 in Pembroke Pines.

That’s because the theater at 15977 Pines Blvd. is rolling out a two-day medley of kid-friendly special events and prize giveaways to promote the box office premiere of the CGI-animated flick “G-Force.”

On July 25 and 26, children can spin a prize wheel to land movie posters, free tickets, coupons for local eateries and a live guinea pig. From 1 to 3 p.m., moviegoers can pet trained dogs from the Humane Society and learn martial arts techniques courtesy of a local Kung-Fu academy.

For the younger crowd, the theater is dishing out coloring and puzzle games plus a storytime session inside the cinema’s Birthday room from 4 to 5 p.m. For animal-lovers, there’s also a live guinea pig petting station from 2 to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 954-430-2566.

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Several new community service posts are aiming to relieve Pembroke Pines residents of all that summer boredom.

In all, six volunteer advisory board openings are available for the taking through June 20. The jobs, which are unpaid, typically meet once or twice monthly and function as staff who advise city commissioners with special projects and agenda items.

The vacant volunteer gigs offered include one Board of Adjustment regular member from District 1, two alternate members to serve on the Discipline Review Board, an alternate member and two regular members from Districts 1 and 3, respectively, to sit on the Economic Development Board and one Green City Advisory Board member from District 2.

Applications will be accepted until 6 p.m. For more information, call 954-435-6501, or visit www.ppines.com.

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The season’s arrived again for more doorbusters at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center.

The two-day flea market and craft show aims offer bargain-chasers a crack at inexpensive buys for collectibles and houseware like Depression glass, baseball cards and rare record albums.

The air-conditioned assembly will feature more than 100 vendors packing every square inch of the Center at 301 NW 103rd Ave. The treasure hunt runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 18 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 19.

If all that deal-seeking builds an appetite, the center is also offering snacks and lunches.

For more information, call Diana Lederman at 954-450-6960 or 954-450-6888.

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The city of Pembroke Pines is planning to host a meeting to discuss a citywide efficiency study July 16 at City Commission chambers, 10100 Pines Blvd.

The Citywide Efficiency Study Evaluation Committee is convening at City Hall from 10 to 11 a.m. to address how Pembroke Pines can improve the organization and efficiency of day-to-day operations to help trim costs.

For more information about the meeting, call 954-435-6501, or visit www.ppines.com.

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Pembroke Pines residents eager for a sanctuary of classical music amid the summer doldrums needn’t look far: compositions by Bach, Vivaldi, Copland and Brahms will take center stage at Susan B. Katz Theater of the Performing Arts, 17189 Sheridan St.

Summerfest 2009, hosted by Symphony of the Americas and European orchestra Remenyi Ed Hungarian Chamber Orchestra is a free 90-minute tribute to classical composers like Hungarian Gyorgy Organ and a premiere or new works by Cuban Alfredo Munar.

Performances are punctuated by the music of Rachmaninoff and David Popper, and features cellist Endre Balog and the music of Wieniawski. These pieces are arranged and performed by concertmaster and soloist Laszlo Pap and maestro James Brooks-Bruzzese.

The 18th annual Summerfest runs 7 to 8:30 p.m. July 9. VIP tickets include a post-concert reception with visiting artists and can be purchased by calling 954-986-5027, or by visiting www.ppines.com.

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The 2016 Summer Olympics should be hosted in Chicago and nowhere else.

That was the subject behind a recent rally inside Walter C. Young Middle School's auditorium that called more than 300 Pembroke Pines summer campers, city Mayor Frank Ortis and world champion Olympic figure skater Todd Eldredge.

Dubbed the Olympic Day Go USA Rally, the hour-long assembly sought to celebrate Olympic values and ideals like health, fitness and sportsmanship. Representatives from United States Olympic Committee collected video and pictures of children competing in relay races and agility trials, which will later be packaged into a presentation for the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC is slated to choose the Olympic host country on Oct. 2, said event organizer Kathleen Kuebler.

“Chicago wants the Olympic games in 2016 and the mayor wants to put in a grassroots effort to show kids focused on fitness,” Kuebler said. “Showing Olympic spirit can only help our chances of being the host country.”

Restless campers from Pines Recreation Center, TownGate Recreation Center, Rose G. Price Park and Academic Village huddled inside the auditorium, flashing “Chicago 2016” and “Go USA” signs in support of the bid.

“How many of you would like to see the Olympics in the U.S.?” Ortis shouted over the microphone to the audience of children. “We deserve it in Chicago, don’t we?”

Organizers later screened a video featuring a patriotic slideshow of Olympians competing in sports. The rally wrapped after Ortis passed a symbolic baton to A.J. Masella of Pembroke Pines, a 12-year-old camper.

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PHOTO: Top right: More than 300 summer camp children turned out for the Olympic Day Go USA Rally, a rally designed to drum up support for the 2016 Olympics in Chicago. Bottom left: Mayor Frank Ortis passes a symbolic baton to A.J. Masella, 12, of Pembroke Pines.
PHOTO/Phillip Valys

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Pembroke Pines Charter Elementary West School now has the medal to prove its high education standards.

That’s because the campus at 1680 SW 184th Ave. recently received a Gold Seal of Excellence during a ceremony at Pines Charter High School, 17195 Sheridan St., by The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools, a state association dedicated to recognizing quality charters.

Earlier this year, the West Charter was subjected to a quality standards review process targeting daily operations like parent involvement, staff retention, financial management, governing board performance and student academic achievement.

With the plaudit, the campus is now responsible for acting as mentor to other public and charter schools in Florida.

For more information about the recognition, call 305-216-6208.

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The Pembroke Pines Fire Department raced against the clock recently to save passengers trapped aboard a wrecked watercraft.

The rescue call, however, wasn’t exactly life-threatening: the boating accident was staged and the injured passengers stranded at sea were all mannequins, not humans.

That’s because 10 local Fire Department teams suited up recently for the 2009 Broward Invitational, a competition pitting paramedic versus paramedic in mock rescue scenarios that simulate real-life accidents.

Contenders raced against a 15-minute clock to assess the condition of patients, recognize their medical needs and provide prompt appropriate treatment, said Pines Fire Department spokesman Shawn Hallich.

The boating accident rescue scenario netted the Pines Fire Department first-place honors in the annual Chief Michael Haygood Advanced Life Support Competition during the Broward Invitational, its second trophy in three years.

The Department also pocketed a Smart Airway Award for being the team that most accurately identified and treated a particularly difficult patient with airway problems.

For more information, call 954-435-6531, or visit www.ppines.com.

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PHOTO: From left: Pembroke Pines Fire Department Captain Marcel Rodriguez, Lieutenant Scott Gunn, Paramedic Rolando Hernandez and Lieutenant Moises Martinez pose with their Smart Airway Award won during the 2009 Broward Invitational.
Submitted Photo

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One former Pembroke Pines resident is raking in the community service awards.

Pines native Edgard Duque, a recent graduate from New York-based University of Rochester, pocketed a Bachelor of Arts in financial economics, a minor in German plus a handful of campus awards.

Involved in numerous campus activities and programs, Duque first won the Francis Price Award for student leaders who achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher and demonstrate dependability, citizenship, enthusiasm and college community support.

He also received the Kodak Young Leaders Scholar Award for community service, leadership and academic excellence and an Alice DeSimone Student Life Award, handed to students that display dedication, enthusiasm, collaboration, positive role modeling and contributions to co-curricular life on campus.

Before graduating, Duque served as a member to Rochester’s Modern Languages Undergraduate Council and the Catholic Newman Steering Committee.

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Red, white and blue will streak the skies over Pines Recreation Center this Independence Day.

That’s because the city of Pembroke Pines is having its Independence Day Celebration July 4 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. inside the park for what’s historically one of the highest-attended events all year.

After gates open at 6 p.m., families can bring their blankets and lawn chairs and settle down to live musical entertainment by Magic City, kid activities like hula-hooping contests, game booths for prizes and inflatable bounce houses.

Hungrier visitors can nosh on corn dogs, funnel cakes hot dogs, hamburgers and grilled chicken food booths are offering before squatting down for a fireworks show at 9 p.m.
For more information, call 954-435-6525, or visit www.ppines.com.

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Aspiring young actors in training now have a chance to test their theater chops.

That’s because the Susan B. Katz Theater of the Performing Arts is having a Fantasy Theater Factory camp for children, grades three to five, July 6 through July 31 at the ArtsPark, 17189 Sheridan St.

The four-week session, which runs Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, tackles the art of creative storytelling, vocal techniques, improvisation, playwrighting, and brushes upon movement, staging and creating characters from scratch.

By the conclusion of camp, they will perform a play on July 30 they wrote and produced over the previous four weeks. The cost to join is $380 per child for the session itself and $490 per child for all-day extended daycare from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Call the Fletcher Art Center, 7900 Johnson St., at 954-986-5027, or visit www.ppines.com.

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