Observerwww.observernewspaperonline.com Since1962 DeerfieldPublishing,Inc.©2017

Volume 55 • No. 34August 24, 2017

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& Businesses in• Deerfield Beach• Lighthouse Point • Hillsboro Beach• Pompano Beach• Boca Raton

Of Interest

NewHCAHeadmasterpage 10

Also InsideSports ................................3 Opinion ..............................6Dining & Entertainment ......7Nautical ..............................8Back to School .............9-11Religion ...........................12Happenings .....................13Classified .........................14

Newlook,St.Ambrosepage 9

OkinawaSunkpage 8

Paintingstaycationpage 2

“With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.”

Proverbs 11:9

By Rachel GalvinOn Aug. 12, Deerfield

Park Elementary welcomed the community for their carnival, an event to mark a very special achievement – jumping from a “D” to a “B” as a school, not an easy feat.

This year holds much promise. Can the school not only maintain that “B,” but actually jump again to an “A?” Principal Jocelyn Reid certainly hopes for that.

She talked to The Observer on the first day of school about the grade change.

“Last year, we were only four points away from a “C,” she said, adding, “[To help kids,] we always do Saturday tutorials, but this year we implemented them for longer. [We tutored in

PrincipalReid&AssistantPrincipalRuckerwith2nd&3rdgraders-Xavier,Noah,Brianna&Kemiyah.

Deerfield Park ready for a super school year

class too]. We have a new math program. We also increased student incentives.”

This year’s theme is Super Heroes with “super educators making a difference.” Teachers got new shirts to commemorate this. There is a lot of new staff this year as some teachers have moved away. But the new teach-ers, said Reid, are new to the school, but actually are veteran teachers.

“I am excited about the year,” said Assistant Principal Donna Rucker, who asked teachers to set the tone. “The students were asked to choose a super-hero to live up to. If I decide to be superman, I learn those characteristics of Superman. Stay away from kryptonite, the pitfalls in life, always [gravitate toward] the sun, be happy at all

times. All we ask is that the kids give their full potential.”

She said one of the teach-ers dressed up as a superhe-ro, “Super A,” to encourage the kids to go for the “A.”

She added, “Once we get kids excited about learning and they realize it is fun, not always assessments, [they do well]. We encourage them. It doesn’t matter what level they are. I have students who were at level two and one who jumped to a level three in Science. You need a three or more to pass.”

She said, “Parents were excited. They were so glad to release their kids back to us.”

The next event for Deer-field Park will be its open house on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.

Well, it’s hard to believe; but summer is over. No more summer vacations. No more summer camp. It’s time to hit the books. More than 270,000 students and 15,000 teachers in Broward County came back to class

Class is in sessionon Monday, Aug. 21. It was a momentous day, too, because it marked the day of the long-awaited eclipse. Unfortunately for the students, the county decided to have students stay inside during the phe-nomenon for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Robert Runcie paid a visit to several schools beginning with an early morning bus ride, greeting students and the district bus operators first thing.

“I am excited to welcome our students and families to the new school year,” said Runcie. “Across our great district there are incredible learning opportunities ahead, with all of our innovative schools offering high-quality programs and educational experiences for students.”

See the video on his tour of schools, as well as plenty of important information for parents on http://broward-schools.com. Did you know that Superintendent Runcie has a podcast? It is also on the website.

SuperintendentRunciewithSchoolBoardMemberDr.RosalindOsgood(farright)andPTA/PTSArepresentativesonfirstday.

By Diane EmeottMayor Bill Ganz began

the first meeting back after a summer hiatus for Deerfield City Commission by calling for a Moment of Silence for resident Joan Maurice, who passed away Aug. 9.

“Since 1991, Joan Mau-rice has been a resident of Deerfield Beach. She was a founding member of West Deerfield Community Alli-ance (WDCA); President of Waterford Home Owners As-sociation; served on Deerfield Code Enforcement Board, the Ethics Committee and Fire-fighters Pension Board; and was a member of Deerfield Cultural Committee and SW 10 Street Community Over-sight Advisory Team (COAT). For all who knew her and loved her, we appreciate everything she has done,” Ganz said on Aug. 15.

Other items discussed at a commission meeting included Hillsboro Technology Center, Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds and Pioneer Grove.

•The next commission meet-ing on Sept. 5 will bring a presentation by the city’s Chief Financial Officer Hugh Dunkley on the Fiscal Year 2018 recommended Budget. First hearing on the Budget will be that night, with a second hearing on Sept. 19. (The FY 2018 Budget was required by law to be transmitted to com-missioners by Aug. 15.)

Butters awardAlso at the Aug. 15 com-

mission meeting, Malcolm Butters of Butters Construc-

More from DB Commission — on Budget; Hillsboro Technology

Center, Bonds & Pioneer Grove

MalcomButters(centerright)isrecognizedbyDeerfieldcommission.tion received a Certificate of Recognition from Deerfield commission for receiving the “2017 Corporate Sponsor Award” from Florida Rec-reation & Park Association (FRPA).

Ganz said it was “a great pleasure to do this”— to read and present a proclamation to someone “who recently gifted to the city the beautiful new Hillsboro Community Center.”

In a separate business item, Deerfield commission grant-ed unanimous site plan ap-proval to Butters to construct two, single-story industrial buildings totaling 275,144 sq. ft. on about 16.36 acres in the Hillsboro Technology Center Planned Industrial Develop-ment (PID). The item came before the commission as a quasi-judicial public hearing. The property is located at 350 to 400 Hillsboro Technology Center Dr., and is part of a 74.42-acre parcel described as Parcel A.

Deerfield Director of Plan-ning & Development Ser-vices Eric Power told the commission he had no pres-entation regarding this item.

“It does meet all code and related requirements,” he added.

In a July 21 memoran-dum from Power to City Manager Burgess Hanson, Power explained that this [latest] request concerns the construction of two new buildings — Buildings E & F — within Hillsboro Tech-nology Center.

See Commission, pg. 13

Didyouseetheeclipse?ThisdeerinfrontofCityHallinDeerfielddid.Thanks,BillMunzenmaier,forsharingthisphoto.