The students in Ms. Oyer's social studies classes at Boca Raton Middle School continue to show that they have learned the true meaning of civic involvement. As you may recall, Ms. Oyer's classes actively participated in the effort to fight the cancellation of the television show "Jericho" by writing protest letters to CBS and bringing in spare change to help purchase advertisements in Variety.

Not content with stopping there, Ms. Oyer and the students learned of a program where DVD's of "Jericho" are sent to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Staten Island Program For Our Homefront purchased and shipped 100 DVD's of "Jericho" season one last year. Ms. Oyer's students raised $440.27 which will buy 20 DVD's of "Jericho" season two for the soldiers and Ms. Oyer contributed to make it 21 DVDs. Currently, the program has raised enough to purchase 67 DVD's, making Ms. Oyer's classes a major contributor.

Many of the students have friends and family who either were or are in the military. The students all stressed that they want the servicemen and women to have something to entertain them. As noted by Ashley Cope, "My uncle is thinking of going to war and I want to support people like I would support my uncle." Billy Tobener concurred noting that his uncle was in Iraq and said "it was boring and there was nothing to watch on television." Julian Parks summed it up by stating that he "wanted the troops to not just think about war."

The students raised the money through a variety of means, including enlisting their parents assistance and picking up spare change found on the school floors. Bobby Kron raised the most money and said he did chores to raise his contribution.

The DVD's donated by Ms. Oyer's classes will be sent as soon as the second season is released in mid-June. They will contain a personal message for the troops noting that the DVD's were purchased by the students and will provide address information for the soldiers to respond to.

As the school year is winding to a close, it is clear that these students have learned valuable lessons in civics and philanthropy that will create a lasting legacy. Their donations, which coincide with Memorial Day, highlight for all of us the need to support our troops and be active participants in the local, national and global level. If you would like more information about the DVD donations or the students involvement with "Jericho" go to http://www.jerichorangers4ourtroops.com/ or http://www.Jericho4kids.com .

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Now that primary season is concluding, South Florida is back on the political radar. John McCain, the Republican nominee, and Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, the Democratic contenders, are all campaigning in South Florida.

Hillary Clinton started her visit with stops at two bastions of staunch supporters, Century Village, Boca Raton and Sunrise Lakes. She completed her swoop through with an evening program open to the public at the University of Miami. John McCain appeared at a private fundraiser in Ft. Lauderdale and held a town hall style meeting in Miami. Barak Obama is starting his visit with a town hall style meeting at Congregation B'nai Torah in Boca Raton and an evening fundraiser at the Diplomat Hotel. He is concluding with a rally open to the public at Bank Atlantic Center.

The appearance of the candidates is a welcome opportunity for South Floridians to learn more about their positions. Because of the Florida legislator's decision to move up the primary, South Floridians never had the chance to see the Democratic contenders. Seeing the candidates in person is a more complete view than just catching the sound bites or the reviews from the nightly talking heads.

The town hall style meetings have afforded South Floridians the chance to question candidates on issues that matter both locally, nationally and globally. Even if you do not get a chance to see the candidates in person, there is more complete news coverage of their speeches providing everyone with a fuller picture of the individuals running for President.

Once again, it appears that Florida will be a pivotal state in the presidential election. This will probably be the first of many visits by the candidates. Now is a great opportunity to listen to the candidates and hear what they have to say on issues that matter to you. Let's all take advantage of being in the political driver's seat and enjoy being in the positive political spotlight for a change.

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1. Enjoy every minute of your graduation festivities. Live in the moment. There are very few opportunities in life for closure, which makes graduation a unique experience. Enjoy this chance to savor completing a significant task. Do not focus on what is coming next; there will be plenty of opportunities for that later.

2. Resolve to respect the principles of karma. Even if you think the Golden Rule is trite, remember that your actions lead to reactions that could adversely affect you later. Try not to do anything spiteful, malicious or inadvertently stupid as what goes around does eventually come back around.

3. Do not smoke. If you do smoke, quit immediately. There is no question that smoking is one of the most harmful things you can do to your body.

4. Even if you think you are invincible, take care of yourself. Watch your weight and try and exercise. Try not to do anything that has irreversible deleterious effects.

5. Register to vote. Be part of the civic process and go willingly when called for jury duty. Serving on a jury is a great honor and one that you may actually find that you enjoy. Be an active member of whatever community you live in wherever you live.

6. Always remember to give back. Serve as a volunteer or donate money to your favorite cause. You will receive much more than you give once you discover the benefits of helping others.

7. Remember that no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, including you. Do not beat yourself up over the past and instead learn from it and move forward. Forgive others for their errors.

Congratulations to you and your family on this wonderful occasion! Now go party - SAFELY.

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Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11th and brunch is an ideal way to start the day. Pick your favorite spot or enjoy brunch at one of the following establishments.

Carmen's Top of the Bridge - Open from 11:00 until 3:00 in the Bridge Hotel this is Boca's most picturesque spot for a traditional Sunday brunch. While enjoying views of Lake Boca Raton, you can gorge on the buffet which includes shrimp, oysters, omelets, antipasto, a carving station and deserts. The price is $36.95 per person and includes a champagne cocktail or mimosa.

Max's Grill - Check out the street life in Mizner Park and enjoy the brunch menu from 11:30 until 3:00. Max's serves the regular lunch menu and supplements it with a la carte items such as smoked salmon, omelets, quiche, french toast, corned beef hash and crab benedict. Max's describes itself as a modern American bistro and is well situated for post brunch window shopping.

Abe and Louie's - As befits this well known steak house, several of its Sunday brunch selections include the house specialty. Steak and eggs and even steak benedict are offered. Rounding out the a la carte menu are the tradition omelets, pancakes and french toast. Served from 11:30 through 3:30, lunch items including salads and steaks are also available.

Grand Lux Cafe - Conveniently located in the Town Center Mall this restaurant offers a weekend breakfast from 11:00 until 2:00. The menu features omelets, egg dishes, pancakes, french toast and waffles. Try the fried chicken and waffles for a southern breakfast option.

If you prefer a traditional breakfast restaurant, check out Tom Sawyer's or First Watch. Bagel Works, Toojays and Flakowitz are great for bagels and lox as well as eggs. Alternatively, breakfast in bed is always a welcome treat. Whatever choice you make, take the time to tell your mother how much she means to you and have a Happy Mother's Day.

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The recent sighting and photos of an individual in the Aventura Mall who resembles the Town Center Mall killer is a welcome breakthrough. It has been over one year since the death of Randi Gorenberg and almost five months since the deaths of the Bochicchios. This appears to be the first real lead that the police have.

The tip was called in to Crime Stoppers by someone who must have seen the reward posters, which highlights the importance of maintaining publicity about the case. Now that the matter is back in the news, the police need to step up their efforts to identify this possible perpetrator. Hopefully the public and police can use the new photographs to find this individual.

The best possible Mother's Day gift the woman of South Florida could receive would be to know that the party responsible for the murder of the Bochicchios has been apprehended.

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