One of the most popular and rare seashell shows in South Florida will be making its regular stop in Pompano Beach this weekend.

For the past 43 years the Broward Shell Club has organized its annual shell show featuring seashells on display and for sale from around the world. Every year the show grows in popularity and Nancy Galdo, chairwoman of the show, said this year’s show is no exception.

“It’s the only event of its kind in South Florida,” she said. “This is going to be the biggest one yet.”

Avid collectors or novices looking for any unique or rare shell will have plenty of options at the 44th annual Broward Shell Club shell show, as more than 5,000 shells from all around the world will be on display and for sale.

“The shells are literally the most beautiful shells you’ve ever seen in the world,” Galdo said.

Vendors from around the country, as well as local vendors will have booth setups for residents interested in collecting or learning more about seashells, with no admission or parking fees.

“It’s an educational event people can bring their family to,” Galdo said.

The shell show has become a signature event at the Emma Lou Olson Civic Center in Pompano Beach, which has hosted the event for more than 20 years, said Mary Bukstel, president of the club. She said the club constantly changes the exhibits and variation of vendors to keep things fresh.

“Collectors will be able to find fairly common to extremely rare shells,” Bukstel said.

To go along with the thousands of seashells on display, handcrafted shells, education shell books and seashell jewelry will also be on display and for sale. Galdo said certain shells would be selling for as low as five cents and as high as $500 or more.

“Dealers bring affordable shells of all price ranges,” Galdo said.

Seashell enthusiasts interested in joining the Broward Shell Club can also do so at the event, Bukstel said. The club is a nonprofit organization that promotes marine conservation and also encourages residents to join. Membership includes monthly programs and field trips.

“We’d love to have new members,” she said.

The shell show will be open from 12 to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Emma Lou Olson Civic Center, 1801 NE Sixth St. Call 305-467-4412.

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Creating random and odd-flavored sodas began as an experiment for Jeff Kaplan in his apartment more than 20 years later.

Today, the experimentation process is still ongoing, but what Kaplan has created thus far, he assures most people have never tried or even thought of.

As a result of years of soda experiments, Kaplan is now the owner and founder of Global Beverage Enterprises, which manufactures cucumber, jasmine, elderflower, rose, mavi tree bark soda flavors and a sparkling milk concoction out of his Pompano Beach warehouse.

“I’ve always been a head of the curve,” Kaplan said. “I think I have a niche I can get into.”

While Kaplan, an insurance adjuster from Tamarac, said there are many people like him trying to get into the beverage distribution industry, he said his use of “botanical” flavors such as Sweet Blossom and Mr. Q. Cumber make him unique in a copycat industry.

“No one’s really gotten into the flower genre of sodas,” he said. “The timing is perfect for this healthy drink.”

His most popular product is the Mr. Q. Cumber soda, which includes natural flower petal extracts and cucumber flavoring.

“Getting the cucumber taste was difficult,” he said. “The trick is to not be too strong or weak.”

Kaplan uses no artificial ingredients in his products, instead opting for flower extracts and cane sugar.

“Everything is natural,” he said.

Along with the cucumber and jasmine flower sodas, one of Kaplan’s most distinctive beverages is a hybrid of milk and soda, known as Cool Cow. The drink contains 6 percent milk, but also features carbonation.

“We kind of trick them,” he said.

Kaplan refers to Cool Cow as sparkling milk and said he hopes to distribute the beverage to Whole Foods Market.

“It’s a healthy alternative,” he said.

One fan of Kaplan’s creations is John Nese, owner of Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in California. Nese’s shop has been selling Kaplan’s products and Nese said once customers try the concoctions, they’re fascinated and amazed at the clean and crisp taste.

“The cucumber is absolutely fantastic,” Nese said. “It’s such an awakening for people to have a taste of something they’ve never tried before.”

With more than 20 years of mixing different formulas to create his unique beverages, Kaplan hopes to soon find an investor or a big enough distributor to help him take his drinks nationwide.

And if he doesn’t, Kaplan will continue experimenting out of his Pompano Beach warehouse to create that next concoction that could revolutionize the soda industry.

“It might fail, but let’s try it, at least,” he said. “It takes a lot of fortitude, but I believe it in so much, I’m willing to do it and hopefully, it takes off.”

For more information visit www.globalbeverageenterprises.com or to purhcase Kaplan's drinks visit www.sodapopstop.com.

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For residents looking to find a home for their horse, the Sands and Spurs Equestrian Park in Pompano Beach currently has six horse stalls available for rent.

The park, 1600 NE Fifth Ave. features 49 privately owned stalls, seven rings, eight grass paddocks, and is located on 12 acres of land near the Goodyear Blimp Base.

Currently, Pompano Beach owns six stalls that are available for monthly rent for $438.21 for residents and $533.29 for nonresidents. The fee includes water, electric and trash/waste pickup. There is also space available for horse trailer parking, for an additional $10.60 per month.

Call 954-786-4507.

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Rabbi David Hartley Mark, who was recently hired to be the new spiritual leader at Temple Sholom in Pompano Beach, will host a series of workshops to discuss God, Jewish Spirituality, the Universe and the individual's part in it.

Starting Feb. 4, Rabbi Mark will lead the discussion group that will cover a variety of topics over the next 10 weeks.
Topics include: do you believe in God? Does being Jewish require you to do so? Can you be spiritual and not be religious? Did the events in the Hebrew Bible really happen the way it says they did? What's all this business about the coming of Messiah? If God is everywhere, what is the importance of Israel as a spiritual center for Jews?

The discussions begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at Temple Sholom, 132 SE 11th Ave. Call 954-942-6410.

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Tabitha Philyaw, 16, a member of the Thomas D. Stephanis Boys & Girls Club in Pompano Beach, was recently selected as the winner of the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County’s ring tone contest.

Tabitha competed with other members of the club from around the county to see who could create the most unique and creative ring tone.

Tabitha’s ring tone featured a tribal beat mixed in with an urban and hip-hop feel. As part of the contest, Tabitha will get to compete with other members of the club from around the country.

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Residents interested in helping organize Pompano Beach’s seventh annual Relay for Life can attend a kickoff meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Pompano Citi Centre, 1955 N. Federal Highway.

During the meeting, preparations for the annual event will be discussed. The event has participants walking around a track for 18 hours to raise awareness and funds to benefit the American Cancer Society, a health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health concern.

For more information, call Alexis Dorrell at 954-564-0880 ext. 7536 or visit www.relayforlife.org/pompanobeachfl.

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The Broward County School Board has approved the 2009-2010 school calendar. Classes for the new school year will start Aug. 24 and conclude June 9, 2010.

Winter Break starts Dec. 21, with classes resuming Jan. 4. Spring Break begins March 29, with classes resuming April 6.

Additional holidays and days off in 2009 include Sept. 7, Sept. 28, Nov. 11, Nov. 26 and Nov. 27. In 2010, days off include Jan. 18, Feb. 15 and May 31.

Employee planning days during the school year are Oct. 23, Jan. 19, March 26 and May 28. The district also has six early release days scheduled for Sept. 24, Oct. 22, Jan. 15, March 25, April 22 and June 9.

Report card will be issued Nov. 12, Feb. 4, April 13 and June 25.

In case of hurricanes, there are also four hurricane make-up days: Jan. 15, Oct. 22, April 22 and March 25.

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To help keep residents up-to-date on city issues, Pompano Beach’s Public Information Office recently implemented an e-mail alert system: E-Alerts.

Upon signing up for the alerts, residents will be informed on boil water notices, major street closings, safety information, flooding, garbage pick-up changes, major events and emergency information.

Residents can sign-up by visiting the city’s Web site and clicking on the receive e-mail alerts icon. Residents will be asked to give their name and e-mail address, which will not be used for any other purpose. Participants can unsubscribe from the alerts at anytime.

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With the economy not doing so well, there is no doubt high school seniors should be on the lookout for more scholarships to attend college and the Ronald McDonald House Charities are currently seeking students to grant much needed financial aid to.

Applicants can apply for the Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources and the African-American Future Achievers programs. 20 scholarships will be awarded to selected seniors in 2009. Students selected will be based on academic success, financial need, community service, and individual qualities and strengths, which are required to be displayed in an essay.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 16. Interested applicants can learn more about the scholarships and apply at www.rmhc.org with “RMHC” being the password to apply.

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An 11-year member of the Thomas D. Stephanis Boys & Girls Club of Pompano Beach, Delvin Scott, 18, was recently selected as the club's 2009 Youth of the Year, for his volunteering and dedication to the club.

The award allows Scott, a Pompano Beach resident, a chance to win a $1,000 College Scholarship from the Readers Digest Foundation. Gregory Jones, the unit director for the Pompano facility, recently presented Scott with the award at the Pompano Beach Exchange Club Luncheon

Winners must make outstanding contributions to their school, community and Boys & Girls Club.
Scott is a four-year member of the Keystone Club, involved in athletics and volunteers at the club's annual Halloween Party, Christmas Dinner, Awards Dinner, sleepovers, and Pompano Beach's Seafood Festival.

For more information about the club call 954-941-2697.

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For residents interested in adding a little tap dancing into their evenings, Pompano Beach is now offering an evening adult tap dance class.

The classes last from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Mondays at the Emma Lou Olson Civic Center, 1801 NE Sixth St.

The classes began Jan. 5 and the cost is $7 per class plus a yearly registration fee of $5 for Pompano residents and $10 for nonresidents. For more information, call 954-786-4111.

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For the 20th time in its history, Pompano Beach has been acknowledged as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The city received the honor as a result of its dedication to community forestry.

In order to win the award, cities must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Pompano Beach will receive a flag with the program’s logo and a walnut plaque, as well as community signs with stickers indicating other years the city qualified for the honor.

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