Hillsboro Beach – Three events mark the start of the summer season here: A hazardous waste dropoff/blood drive, beach cleanup, and the first ever Music on the Green concert featuring well known local entertainers Jozay and Patti. The activities start April 27 at town hall, 1210 Hillsboro Mile, with...

After reading the article about the bee, or not to bee mural, I was taken aback about the very few who knew that Pompano Beach was once the pineapple capital of South Florida. I came to Pompano in 1958 from a dairy farm in upstate New York (Massena) and I am a life member of the Future Farmers of America.

Pompano Beach – As city officials work to create a new downtown, the city’s original is experiencing a rebirth. New businesses, including the Soulful Steep Teahouse and South Bar & Kitchen, have moved over the last year and more are planning to open their doors. Both also incorporate the history of the city, with a 100-year-old Banyan tree as the centerpiece of South Bar’s outdoor dining space, and The Soulful Steep Tea House operating in the same space as the Rose Tea Room in the 1920s, according to the Pompano Beach Historical Society.

Deerfield Beach – A 35 percent price increase and the fact July 4th fireworks will be shot from a barge this year will bring the cost of the annual beach celebration to $92,500. Zambelli Fireworks, which provides the show, informed the city of the “beyond normal” increase. And because...

Pompano Beach – One of the ideas to reduce gun violence here that came out of Sheriff Gregory Tony’s Town Hall last week is using nuisance abatement to address repeated reports of incidents at three stores: the Community Food Store on Northwest 27 Avenue, J-Mar Food Store on Powerline Road, and Rocket Fuel gas station on Northwest 15 Street.

Fort Lauderdale – Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is participating in a program to reduce the air potato vine, an invasive plant species which has become a nuisance. The plant, originally native to Africa and Asia, was introduced to North America intentionally in 1905 as a possible food crop. It quickly spread throughout the south growing to over 60 feet in length, blanketing trees and surrounding vegetation. In addition to the vine, the plant forms small aerial tubers, referred to as bulbils, which can reach nearly five inches in length and quickly sprout into new vines when they drop. Up to 200 of these potatoes are produced by each plant yearly.

Deerfield Beach – There was a time when the peninsular at Northeast 9 Avenue and 5 Street was lush with native vegetation. Today, Geoff West, a homeowner on Northeast 8 Avenue for 46 years, looks across his canal at a landscape stripped of all foliage. He had considered buying...

I will be giving a free seminar on mahi fishing at Bass Pro Shops, 200 Gulf Stream Way, on Saturday in Dania Beach from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Over a two-day span we have caught quite a few species of fish locally aboard the Lisa B out of Lighthouse Point. This is a great sign as we kick off meat fish season. During this time we see an influx of blackfin tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo and kingfish and the beauty is that you never really know what you are going to catch. Yes we do have slow days when the bite is just not very good but for the most part you have a chance at catching a trophy fish.

Fort Lauderdale – Dealing with a diagnosis of cancer can be difficult for anyone. And sometimes it’s a double-whammy for veterans who are diagnosed. Amanda Bridges, senior director of operations and business development for the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO) points to the fact that many veterans face service-related conditions, such as Agent Orange, and when faced with cancer, have to deal with a double diagnosis.

Pompano Beach – An ordinance to provide alternative public parking in exchange for height bonuses in the Downtown Overlay District passed the city commission on first reading April 9 with a 4-2 vote. Commissioners Alison Fournier and Beverly Perkins dissented. According to staff, in order to allow developers to...

Fort Lauderdale – On the city limits of Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach at McNab Road and Andrews Avenue, what’s left of the Pan American Estates Mobile Home Park is a collection of bulldozed trailers where homes once stood. The site was once home to over 200 residents...

Florida Power & Light (FPL) recently showcased its “smart trimming” technology, which the company claims helps make its tree maintenance efforts more efficient. In order to help maintain its infrastructure and prevent service interruptions caused by tree branches hitting power lines, one of the main causes of outages, FPL trims the trees and vegetation next to its lines.

Pompano Beach – The city commission has voted again on whether its city manager and internal auditor should receive 5 percent merit and 3 percent Cost of Living increases – this time after hearing from the public. City Attorney Mark Berman called allowing public discussion “the right thing to do.”

Los Lonely Boys performed Thursday at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale. [Photos by Rick Gilbert, Skyhook Entertainment]

State funding for a dozen infrastructure projects and a number of cultural grants for cities in northeast Broward await the governor’s signature. The appropriations total more than $7 million and would give a financial boost to the Dixie Highway project in Pompano Beach, drainage and bridge projects in Lighthouse Point, and a public safety building in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.

Lighthouse Point – Justin Schwantes and many of his neighbors are asking, “What’s going on with the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club?” Schwantes asked the city commission that question Tuesday and got a partial answer. Said Commission President Mike Long, “The financial liability is ready to go.”

Pompano Beach – Like Opera, Pompano Beach’s Sister Cities program is distinctly Italian. With the exception of Itajaí, Brazil, every partner city is in Italy: Termoli, Ercolano, Sorrento, and Ascoli Satriano. Greater Pompano Beach Sister Cities President Tony Phillips, who is half Italian and half Welsh, has been the driving force behind these Italian partnerships, but he wants to expand to other countries.

Pompano Beach – Baker Sabrina Courtemanche made it all the way to episode five of Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship before being eliminated during the April 1 episode. Courtemanche, who resides in Pompano Beach, competed alongside 11 other skilled bakers in the competition, battling for a chance to...

“Affordability” is the theme for this year’s Pompano Beach Seafood Festival, says festival manager Kyle Good. But let’s not forget the fabulous seafood and outstanding entertainment for this 38th annual event. Good said the long history of this festival featuring a mix of seafood, beverages, music and...

Deerfield Beach – The city’s free beach ride service that operates east of Federal Highway was stoutly defended at last week’s city commission meeting by a dozen loyal customers protesting the launch of Freebee, the city’s new free ride service. BeachRides USA franchise owner Ryan Morgan...