We will always remember your sacrifices

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TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!

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On April 11th, the City will hold it's 17th Annual Easter Egg Hunt for children from 1 to 8 at the Seacrest Soccer Complex, 2505 N. Seacrest Blvd., Delray Beach.

8:00 a.m. - Visit the Easter Bunny
8:30 a.m. - Hunt Starts
8:45 a.m. - Kindermusik Concert in the Park

Children are asked to bring their Easter Baskets. Over 10,000 Easter Eggs filled with candy and special prizes.

Volunteers needed to help stuff Easter Eggs with Candy:
April 6th and 7th
Community Center, 50 NW 1st Ave
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

For more information, call Danielle Beardsley at (561) 243-7277 or email Danielle at Beardsleyd@mydelraybeach.com

Sponsored by:
Delray Citizens for Delray Police/Kids and Cops
Delray Beach Parks and Recreation
Delray Beach Sunrise Kiwanis Club
Delray Beach Fire Local 2928
Delray Firefighter Benevolent Fund

Prizes Sponsored by:
Boomers!
South Florida Science Museum
Barrel O’ Monkeys
Kindermusik
Lion Country Safari
Chuck E. Cheese
and more!

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Now that I have your attention, here are some of the best deals in town to buy something special for your sweetheart. All of them are moderately priced.

For lingerie - Victoria's Secret

For candy - Hoffman's Chocolates

For a romantic dinner - Sazio's on the Avenue in Delray

For flowers - no web site Roses, $10 dozen
Nursery Outlet - plants & produce
13863 Military Trail (slightly north of The Boys Market on the west side of the road.)
Delray Beach
561.499.3774

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Merry Christmas. Turn up the volume. This starts out a little slow - but it's great.

Happpy Hanukkah. Keep that volume turned up. Kosha Boy is a take off on Solja Boy and very funny.

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Happy Birthday America



4th July happenings in Delray

* 8 to noon - Sand-sculpting contest - Call 561.279.1380 X17 for participant fee
A1A and Atlantic Ave.

* 10 a.m. Flag raising ceremony
A1A and Atlantic Ave.

* 2:30 - 5:30 p.m. Sweet Justice Regaee Band - Free
A1A and Atlantic Ave.

* 3 p.m. Decorate for Patriotic Bike and Scooter Parade - Free
4 p.m. - Bike and Scooter Parade
Veteran's Park.

* 4 - 8 p.m., Wild One 100-foot inflatable obstacle course - Free
A1A and Atlantic Ave.

* 5:30 - 9 p.m. Son of Man Concert and dance - Free
A1A and Atlantic Ave.

* 9 p.m. - Fireworks - Free
On the beach.

Traffic prohibited on Atlantic Ave. from 2 p.m. from 6th Ave. to A1A. Park west of the Intracoastal Waterway.

For more information call 561.279.1380, Ext. 17.

Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful

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Happy Father's Day!

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Happy Memorial Day

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Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up

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For 4,000 years folks have been celebrating the new year making New Year's the oldest holiday on the books.

And since 153 BC, people have been making resolutions...breaking them since then too I reckon.

I read somewhere returning farm tools was a biggie back in 153. Hmmmm. Wonder what kind of farm tools that would have been?

In 2008, I don't have to tell you what is the most common resolution because you know. Losing weight is followed by:

* Quit smoking

* Stick to a budget

* Spend more time with family and friends

* Find a better job

* Exercise more

* Be a better person

Some think resolutions are silly. I think they are optimistic.

Regardless whether you've made a bunch of them or are perfectly content...

I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

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For the Drexler family of Delray Beach, Christmas is the most special and busiest time of the year. Whether it is decorating the house, shopping or going to one of their children's many sporting events, December is crammed with activity.


Front Row: Art, Rob, Debbie, and Koo
Back Row: Riley and Chloe

In addition to the holidays, December is also Art's birthday. This year he turned 15 and all he really wants for Christmas is his driver's permit. Although he's growing up, he still manages to get into the spirit. "I like the food at Christmas," he says.

Eleven-year old Chloe likes to shop and wrap gifts. "I like to make cookies and write a letter to Santa," she says. She loves the music and the lights and everything about the season.

Riley's favorite part of Christmas is buying gifts for his family. The 12-year old says, "I also like being out of school and watching football."

In what has become a tradition, every year Art builds a large manager he builds out of wood. It is lighted, filled with statues of the holy family and sits in the front yard.

Riley makes an advent wreath that remains on the kitchen table throughout the month. Every Sunday the family lights one of the four candles in the wreath.

Chloe arranges the manger inside the home. It is prominently displayed in their family room. Chloe says on Christmas Eve they place baby Jesus in his bed.

Another Drexler tradition is celebrating St. Nick's Day. This year it fell on Dec. 5th.
On St. Nick Eve the children leave their shoes outside the front door. When they wake up, their shoes are filled with candy and small gifts.

Debbie says because most of their family lives in the Midwest, it is usually just the five of them on Christmas.

They go to Mass on Christmas Eve and when they return home, the children are allowed to open one gift.

Once everyone is up on Christmas morning, they open their gifts. "The kids are always waiting for me to get out of bed," Rob says. Even Koo has a gift under the tree he says.

Later that morning the other neighborhood kids eventually wander over. Everyone has something new they're eager to show to the others.

Christmas afternoon the family often goes to the beach. In the evening they have a festive dinner.

The day after Christmas it's back to normal and Debbie says, "It makes me a little sad to see Christmas end. The air of expectation is over."

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here are eight easy ways to practice random acts of kindness.

* Visit a nursing home and ask who seldom has visitors. Visit with him or her.

* Invite a stranger to step in front of you at the grocery store or a coffee shop.

* Call a friend or family member you haven't spoken with for a long time.

* See how many times you can say “thank you” and “you're welcome” in one day.

* Smile – at everyone.

* Give a genuine compliment to someone who has made you angry in the past.

* Pull up your neighbor's trash cans up to the house or deliver their newspaper to the
front door.

* When seated at a crowded restaurant, invite a stranger to sit at your table and strike up
a conversation.

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How much time do you spend decorating the front yard for the holidays?

Then ask yourself - how much time do you get to enjoy it ? Chances are not much.

This year try something a little different. Decorate the backyard too.

This trend is increasing for obvious reasons. Homeowners get to enjoy the fruits of their labor all month long.

Designers say when decking out the backyard to keep in mind that less is more.

Flashing lights, brilliant colors and dancing elves may look great to drive up to but looking at them all night long might become a distraction.

Start slow and light up a couple of trees or try a couple of lighted animals. If you have a pool, that's a great place to start. A colorful fountain is inexpensive and very festive.

Maybe this will become a new tradition for you. One everyone in the family can enjoy.

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Happy Hanukkah

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Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights lasts for eight days. The Barry family of Delray Beach share how they celebrate this beloved holiday.

Front Row: Lisa, Kevin, Emerson and Dylan Barry
Back Row: Jeffrey and Lorraine Goldstein
and Nancy and John Cannella

For the next week every night as the sun goes down, the Barry's will be lighting the menorah and saying their prayers.

“We’re a non-traditional, traditional Jewish family,” Lisa says as a broad smile covers her face.

Traditional because they celebrate all of the Jewish holidays. Non-traditional because they do it with a “Barry twist.” Lisa is Jewish and Kevin is Protestant.

“I grew up in a neighborhood where half the kids were Jewish and the other half were Catholic. I was protestant,” Kevin says. So he always thought of the holidays rather than just Christmas or just Hanukkah.

On the first night of Hanukkah, Lisa’s parents, Jeffrey and Lorraine, and Kevin’s mother, Nancy, and his stepfather, John, gathered at the Barry’s.

One of the Barry’s family traditions is that all of the family always gets together for holidays. At Christmas Nancy says everyone will be at her house.

For dinner that first night, the family ate homemade pizza.

Lorraine says that’s because on Tuesday night when everyone - the aunts and uncles and cousins get together - the food will be traditional. Roast chicken, potato latkes and don’t forget the jelly doughnuts.

There will tons and tons of toys for the kids Lorraine says. “Hanukkah is for the children,” she says.

Four-year old Emerson clutching a bag of gold coins (made of chocolate) says they are one of his favorite things about Hanukkah.

Dylan, 7, wearing a mustache from his new spy kit says, “I like the toys.”

Lisa says later in the season they’ll put up a Christmas tree that will glow with traditional Christmas decorations. "And a few Hanukkah lights," she says.

“Seeing the boys say their prayers is my favorite part of Hanukkah,” she says.

Kevin says sharing the holidays has never been a problem for the two of them because, “We believe in each other,” he said.

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Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and traditions. Two Delray Beach families share how they celebrate the holiday.

For the Killough’s, Thanksgiving day starts early.

Paula dashes to the gym before the sun rises while chef extraordinaire Kevin prepares the big bird for the grill.

Later the pair will set the table, cook the rest of the meal, entertain their company and still manage to watch the Macy’s Christmas parade.

Since the couple began hosting Thanksgiving 10-years ago, the Connecticut transplants have always had an open door policy. Anyone is welcome to come. “The more the merrier,” Paula says.

Kevin says one of the highlights of the long weekend is spending it with his parents, Marilyn and William Killough.

His parents always fly down to spend the holiday with them. “Mom’s birthday is in November and we will celebrate it one night,” he says.

When Paula, Kevin, his parents and their guests sit down to dinner, they will feast on butternut squash soup, cranberry sauce (Marilyn’s specialty,) champagne, pumpkin pie – and don’t forget the turkey and stuffing.

As an acknowledgment to their southern lifestyle Kevin says, “We may add a sweet potato dish.”

Even Brutis, their 6-year old rescue cocker gets in to the holiday. Every year “Bruti” watches the dog show snuggled on the couch between Paula and Kevin.

Before day ends, the penguins that have been packed away in the attic will once again glow festively in their front yard. And the holidays will have officially begun at the Killough’s.

But thanks to their American friends, it wasn’t long before the twosome knew all about turkey day.

This year the couple and their three children, Chelsea, 12, Caroline, 5, and Cathleen, 2, will celebrate Thanksgiving at home.

"We like to stay home and relax," Cathy says.

Grandma Mildred (Mildred Mana-ay, Cathy’s mother) will be there too.

For the girls, watching the Macy’s Christmas parade is a priority.

Chelsea would love to go to New York to watch the parade. And someday she hopes to have a snowy Thanksgiving.

The Valenzuela dinner will be a blend of American and Philippine favorites.

Joeven will tackle the turkey. “I think I might deep fry it this year. I heard it’s really good,” he said. Later he’ll catch some football games.

Cathy prepares the side dishes. She’ll make stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberries and noodles - a favorite in the Philippines.

And this year she’s starting a new tradition. She’ll make her first apple pie (from scratch.)

Mildred will add her specialty to the feast - egg rolls.

The Valenzuela’s think Thanksgiving is the best American holiday. Caroline and Cathleen boisterously agree.

Thanksgiving reminds the adults in the family of Fiesta in the Philippines. Each Philippine city has a patron saint. On that saint’s birthday, residents go to Mass. Later they eat a big meal with friends and family.

"Thanksgiving is more special than the other holidays because everyone celebrates regardless of race or religion," Mildred says.

The family will eat Thanksgiving dinner midafternoon. After the cleanup Cathy said, "We'll need to get out of the house for a while."

So they’ll wrap up the day with a walk on the beach.

On Friday they will buy their Christmas tree and start another new tradition – a real tree.

Once the tree is up, Cathy and Joeven can just kick and relax. “The girls take over now,” she says with a big smile on her face.

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