OUR VISIT TO CUBA! – December 2012                    By Earl Maucker

Vintage car

When you think of Cuba, many images come immediately to mind; Cigars, fine rum, the constant beat of Latin music and vintage American cars motoring down the streets of Havana.  For the more cynical among us, the vision may be of Communist Dictator Fidel Castro, beautiful Spanish architecture in near ruin, and a population desperate to seek a better life.    If you actually get a chance to travel to the island nation you will see all of that – and so much more.

If a visit to Cuba is on your bucket list – pack your bags.  You may have to wait a few months, but you can go legally and you can experience a cross section of life in Cuba guaranteed to top your expectations – and provide a better perspective of what life is actually like.    You may be horrified by the conditions in some areas, but you will also be in awe of its beauty and the spirit of its people.

Although the politically powerful Cuban Americans have continued to voice opposition, there has been a gradual relaxation of trade and travel restriction between Cuba and the USA over the past several years.  Restrictions for family members who want to visit relatives in Cuba have eased and even those without families in Cuba are being allowed to travel through a number of American tour companies which are offering U.S. government licensed “People to People” humanitarian and cultural tours to Havana and surrounding provinces.  There are nine cities in the U.S. that may soon offer flights to Cuba.  From Florida, there are frequent flights now available from Miami and Tampa.

Among the licensed groups offering tours is Friendly Planet Travel which operates out of Jenkintown, PA.  They offer two options – a five day trip which focuses mostly on Havana and surrounding communities and a longer eight-day version that includes travel to outlying provinces.  Both tours feature visits and interaction with school children and administrators, community centers, senior citizens groups, farming communities and other social centers where ideas, cultures, art, literature, medical knowledge and other areas of interest can be discussed and observed.

In early December my wife, Betsy and I, along with Lighthouse Point Mayor Fred Schorr and his wife Laraine; Steve and Nancy League; and Susan Motley and husband Ken Rubin, took advantage of such a tour offered by Friendly Planet called “Discover Havana:  A People to People Program.”

All of us understood that in a communist country like Cuba any tour would be strictly regulated by the Cuban authorities.  We would see primarily what they wanted us to see, and for the most part, go where they wanted us to go. From the U.S. side, the itinerary is closely monitored by the U.S. government.  For Friendly Planet to maintain their license agreement, they must ensure visitors are participating in the cultural exchanges rather than venturing to Cuba simply for entertainment and recreation.  While we were expected to participate in the pre-arranged tours and dinners, there was also a fair amount of free time to go off on our own.

We spent the majority of the first two days in Old Havana walking the ancient cobblestone streets.  You can’t help but be captured by its beauty and sense of history.  There were parks and plazas every few blocks and while many of the surrounding neighborhoods were in deplorable shape, we were all surprised at the amount of restoration going on throughout the old city.  Around every corner were splendid examples of 1700s Spanish Colonial architecture – treasures beyond belief.  On both sides of the Port of Havana there are buildings dating back to the 1500 and 1600s.

One of the delights of walking the streets is to see all the vintage American autos.  As far as we know, there hasn’t been a new American car in Cuba since the revolution in 1959.  As a result, there are many cars from the late 1940s to the late-1950s.  These cars maintain their original appearance – although many of the autos have been repainted and customized by salvaged parts.  Over the years, the Cubans have used any means possible to keep the vehicles running.  It’s safe to say there are very few original parts under the hood.  It’s interesting to note that as more American visitors come to Cuba, many are turning these antique cars into taxis as a lure to tourists.  As we walked the streets, many of the drivers would try to appeal to us to take pictures – for a price – or take a ride – again, for a price.

While in downtown Havana, we visited restaurants, both government run and private.  In a Communist nation like Cuba, most property and businesses are nationalized, or owned by the government.  Private ventures are rare.  Family owned restaurants – called paladars, are a fairly recent addition to the rare Cuban entrepreneurial scene.  They were allowed in the 1990s but on a very limited basis.  Some operated under the government radar.  However, now, there are more than 300 privately owned restaurants in Havana.  In the few we visited we found that the paladars were much more efficient and served better food than the government-run establishments.  It was a basic lesson in capitalism.  When there is motivation and opportunity, the product is superior.  Another rare sight we saw – were apartments and homes for sale.  This kind of transaction was prohibited until about a year ago.  Housing is either inherited or assigned by the government.

Speaking of commerce, we learned that 53% of all food is imported into Cuba.  And, you know which country is one of the largest importers?  It’s the U.S.  That’s right.  In spite of the Helms-Burton bill that prohibits trade with Cuba there are exemptions.  The largest trade partners with Cuba are Venezuela, China, Canada, Spain and then the U.S.  We got this information during an evening lecture from Jorge Mario Sanchez, a professor at the University in Cuba.  He also lectures at Harvard.  Sanchez said that tourism in Cuba is “a poison gift.”   He said the infrastructure to support intense tourism simply isn’t available and they want work strategically to protect the environment to prevent long-term damage.  He said issues between the U.S. and Cuba are very complex.  He believes talks will continue under the Obama administration but work to improve the relationship will be “work along the margins rather than a wholesale change in the law.”  Clearly there are many economic opportunities for the U.S. – especially in Florida if the issues that separate the two countries can be resolved.

In the meantime, we enjoyed what we could while we were there.  Our hotel was the famous Nacional Hotel.  This historic beauty was worth the price of admission itself.  Sitting on a bluff above the Havana harbor, the hotel was built in 1930 and designed by the architect who developed the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. One of its features is a bar area filled with old photos and historic references to the celebrities, athletes and political notables who visited over the years.  Pictures of movie stars like Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, James Cagney and Errol Flynn adorn the walls.  And there are athletes like boxer Rocky Marciano, and baseball great Stan Musial to name just a couple.  While the food wasn’t great at the hotel, the accommodations were adequate considering the hotel was built in the 30s and materials necessary for the upkeep are hard to come by.  The rooms were comfortable but the furniture, fixtures and overall appearance, a bit worn.

On our second day, we visited an elementary school in an Old Havana historic neighborhood.  We dropped off gifts to the school and visited with the school’s principal.  Of particular interest were the colorful drawings and quotes celebrating 1959 Revolution. The school was clean and orderly, but desperately needed supplies.    Then it was off to a senior citizens center.  Again, it appeared to be very well maintained, but we wondered how much of it was for show for tourists.  For instance, there were a number of treadmill machines set up in a row, but no plugs to accommodate electricity.  There was a daycare center set up on the top floor of the center and it was nice to see the elderly interact with the preschoolers.

We visited a neighborhood where the residents celebrated the African Cuban religion of Santeria which is quite common in Cuban culture.  We saw some street art and witnessed some vibrant music and dancing, which – to be honest – was a bit frightening for those of us unaccustomed to such intensity.

On our third day we had a real treat.  It started with a visit to Finac Vigia – the Cuban home of Ernest Hemmingway followed by a trip to nearby Cojimar, the fishing village that was the background for his Pulitzer Prize winning book, “The Old Man and the Sea.”  I had visited the home in a previous visit in the 1990s and the transformation to the home today was unbelievable.  In my previous trip, the home, his boat, Pinar, and the grounds in general were quite rundown.  During this visit, there were dozens of state workers restoring the site.  The grounds were well maintained and there was even a souvenir shop nearby.  The boat and boathouse had been rebuilt and the house cleaned, painted and organized.  We learned that Castro himself oversaw the restoration of Hemmingway’s boat.  All of this was another reminder of the importance of building tourism in Cuba.

We also stopped by a nearby a community known as Alamar where there are community gardens, called Organoponicos. Residents grow fruit, vegetables and herbs for their own use and they also sell the produce locally.  Farmers have very limited access to pesticides and fertilizers which is why organic farming has become popular.  They raise worms there to help fertilize the soil and plant a variety of flowers in each row of vegetables which we’re told help confuse insect pests.

That night, we headed back to Old Havana to one of the real highlights of the trip – listening to the famous Buena Vista Social Club featuring authentic old-style Cuban music.  There was lots of rum, lots of music and lots of fun.

On our fourth day we traveled to Pinar del Rio Province where we observed another type of farming and land conservation.  We visited Las Terrazas which was a former coffee plantation run by French settlers.  This province is the home to much of Cuba’s tobacco farming.  Las Terrazas was founded shortly after the Cuban Revolution as a kind of model community when a significant reforestation project began.  The area is now part of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve.  It is a very rural – but one of magnificent scenic beauty.  Cubans cannot just move here if they want.  They must have permission from the government and be assigned a house to live in.  If someone wants to move out, they can, but their home is reassigned to some other family.  The best meal of our trip was served outside on a patio overlooking the lush landscape and beautiful scenery.

On our way back from Las Terrazas we stopped at a home and neighborhood decorated by the self-proclaimed “Picasso of the Caribbean,” Jose Fuster.  This artist turned his own home and ultimately many houses in his neighborhood into artistic projects mostly using colorful ceramic tile.  One man’s art landscape is another’s nightmare.  Unique would be the best way to describe it.

On our final night we went to the famous Ambos Mundos Hotel for dinner.  This is the hotel where Hemingway lived in the 1930s and reportedly was the place he wrote “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”  Lots of rum – lots of music – you get the idea.

Not on our itinerary, but a must stop for anyone visiting Cuba is the Museum of the Revolution.  We went off on our own on the last morning before our flight back to the U.S.  As you would expect, the overthrow of U.S. backed president and military leader Fulgencio Batista by Fidel Castro is the source of great celebration.  The museum is housed in a beautiful building which was once the presidential palace – a grand structure of enormous importance and spectacular architecture.  Relics including arms, tanks, documents and photographs were on display.  The vessel Granma, which Castro used to ferry himself and his band revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba was on display in a separate building adjacent to the palace.

All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  If Cuba is one of those destinations that really is on that bucket list, we highly recommend you give it a try.  Once relations with Cuba are opened up, we suspect much of the charm of the Island will disappear as throngs of tourists descend on the nation pushing the infrastructure to the limit.

By Mayor Fred Schorr Photos by Debra Todd

GANGNAM STYLE DANCERS

The excitement grew as 5:00 pm rolled around on Saturday, April 6th. Seven tables were being set, some
wilder creations than others. But you could tell it was going to be a wild and colorful evening!

Sylvia Knight’s group did an outstanding job of table decorating and apropos costumes to coordinate with the
theme of “50 Shades of Gray” — not really sure who played the role of Christian, but there were many
contenders.

Just coincidentally: Sue Nelson’s table did a fantastic job
of foreseeing the next series of the best-selling E. L. James
books with their theme of “Shades of Gray Years Later.” All
their “Christians” looked incredibly well-preserved for their
age. On the menu was Sex on the Beach Cocktails and
Better than Sex Chocolate Pudding!

The final best use of theme was Kim Hill’s redneck group
called “Moonshiners and Hillbillies,” complete with a
moonshine still and a game of horseshoes played with
toilet seats.

The Best Food Theme was awarded to the Linda Bunn
group with a backyard barbeque called Road Kill on the
menu of exotic food items served.

Amy Patterson’s College Day’s Group was back for the
fourth year in a row, progressing from freshman year to
this year’s Spring Break. With this group, senior year and/or
graduation may still be a few years away. They all definitely
excelled in Jenga, Beer Pong, and Corn Hole. Are those
areas where they confer degrees?

Getting the award for Best Dance Moves— a large
group of over 30, practiced and dressed the part for
Gangnam Style dance entertainment throughout the
night, until they were advised that threats were levied
against the band if they played “Sexy Lady” one more time.
Earl Maucker was a standout performer!

Finally, a special award was given to the world Famous
Low Tides band and Joe Balistreri’s outstanding sound
system for providing the great dance music.

Dinner Under The Stars has been an annual April event
for the last seven years and is open to all LHP Residents.
Give John Trudel (Rec Director) a call at
954 784-3439 if interested in next year’s event.

Photos by Jon Frangipane and Marty Lee

SURVIVORS

Everyone was invited to John Knox Village on Sunday, April 7th for
a “Celebration of one community sharing life for 45 years.”

The weather cooperated, except for a few sprinkles, as invited
guests roamed the picturesque grounds and beautiful lake area.

As we strolled the grounds, music filled the air. Featured were four
stages of music entertainment, barbeque, hot dogs, snacks and
drinks. Many exhibits and displays of Village life included art displays,
local authors, kids zone, petting zoo, games and much more.
Tours of the facility were also available on request.

A Real Bonehead

“Keep your eye on the ball” sounds like good advice. Well, I did just that a few days ago when I was hit squarely between the eyes with a tennis ball coming at mock speed. My friend Howard seemed apologetic for the smashing blow, but why was he smiling the rest of the game?

A few years ago, while attempting to follow through with my swing as I hit the ball, I struck myself in the head above the right eyebrow with my own racquet, needing 8 stitches to close the wound. I have also broken my wrist playing tennis, when losing my balance going back for a lob.

Anyone but a real bonehead would continue this hopeless quest to become a top ten tennis player. And that’s just what my mother lovingly called me when teaching me to play the piano… a real bonehead.

From my piano bench, I could see my friends having fun playing in the back yard. But through the tears and the years I studied and voila, I eventually learned to play.

I don’t know if there’s a moral to this story, but in tomorrow’s game I’ll try to keep a closer eye on the ball.

2012 — Our Best Year!

My accounting system is very basic, so only at tax time do I really know the bottom line. Well, in spite of a slightly slow period during last summer, we picked up nicely the rest of the year.

Since our newly designed Lighthouse Point Magazine was published for the first time in June of last year, we’ve received nothing but high praise for the superb graphic design by Babs Kall and the magical photography by Debra Todd. Our writing staff continues to please those of all ages.

In the ten plus years we’ve proven to be the family magazine sitting on coffee tables, not only in Lighthouse Point, but also from Boca Raton to Fort Lauderdale. A well-deserved thank you also goes out to the great team at Printers Printer for their high quality production.

Casy A. turned 11 on April 7th

Jack turns 6 on May 7th

Angelo turns 3 on May 20th

By Robert Friedman   Photos by Jon Frangipane

Mayor & Auctioneer Lamar Fisher

The Exchange Club of Pompano Beach held its 56th Annual Gala Fundraising Dinner at The Lighthouse Point Yacht and Racquet Club Saturday evening, February 16th. Club President Robert Friedman was the evenings MC and presided smoothly over the crowded ballroom at the elegant event.

County Commissioner Chip La Marca introduced the Honorable Mayor of Pompano Beach, Lamar Fisher, as guest auctioneer. He was able to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the club’s charities that benefit disadvantaged and disabled children in Broward County.

The entertainment was provided by the outstanding Blues Brothers Tribute Band and had the attendees dancing well into the night. Members and guests bid on such live auction items as a three day hot pass into the pits at The Coca-Cola Net Zero 400 at Daytona Beach over the 4th of July abd included a 5-day stay at a beach house in New Smyrna Beach. There was also a celebrity chef event with The Reverend Jack Noble providing a gourmet dinner for eight, as well as a pair of fishing trips with local businessman Duran Brown.

Many more interesting items were auctioned as well as the bidding was very heated among friends. All in all it was a great evening for an even better cause.

By Jon Frangipane    Photos by Debra Todd

Jane & Chuck McLaughlin & friends

If you haven’t visited the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek recently, you are in for a wonderful surprise. The newly refurbished and upgraded establishment is a certainly a sight to behold.

Last month, photographer Debra Todd and I visited with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek President and Lighthouse Point resident, Steve Bonner. On this night, we witnessed the 2013 Bacon Fest, featuring area restaurants, and the Bacon Brothers and the Dan Band with almost 2500 in attendance. Hormel Foods supplied the bacon for the huge event.

Winners were: Kapow for Best Appetizer, Noodle Bar for Bacon and jalapeno ragoon with chimichurri sauce and shot of strawberry lemonade with bacon salt, Best Entrée was Gimme A Burger-Coffee for their infused bacon, wrapped with a coffee/brown sugar rub with thin sliced red onion and cheddar cheese, Best Dessert was Bacon bites and their Chocolate covered bacon with peanut butter.

Named the “Best Place to Gamble” by Broward-Palm Beach New Times, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek currently offers more than 2,300 of the latest and greatest slot machines including Las Vegas-style slots. Two of the most popular games are The Hangover and Leprechaun Gold. Some of the most popular progressive slot machine titles are Ghost Busters, Diamond Jackpots, Vegas Paradise, Monopoly Big Event, Wizard of Oz and Slingo Bonus. Denominations range from one cent to $100. As part of its recent $150 million expansion, the casino now offers a new non-smoking area for slot players.

The casino now offers 65 table games, including live blackjack, baccarat, and popular novelty games such as pai gow poker. It features 24/7 high stakes no-limit action in its Stax Poker Lounge, with a wide array of tournaments for all types of players. Live poker games include Texas Hold ’em, 7-Card Stud, and Omaha tournaments from $85 to more than $1,000.

We talked with Steve Bonner:

Q: The Seminole Casino is quite an undertaking. What would you say was the genesis for getting such a unique job?

Bonner: I took the job working the graveyard shifts installing machines in a casino in Colorado, so I could have some income while I looked for a real job. After a couple months, we got the casino open and they decided I did okay, so they put me in charge of this place called Bullwhackers. That was in 1992.

Q: How long were you employed there?

Bonner: I spent about 10 years at a couple different casinos in Colorado. I helped open some and helped remodeled some, as well.

Q: Where in Colorado would you find casinos back then?

Bonner: Casinos were in mountain gold-mining ghost towns. And I opened some of them. There were three ghost towns in the early 90’s they wanted to revive and make them tourist attractions, so they approved gaming in those towns. When I first moved to Colorado, there was no one else there who had any experience in gaming because there were no casinos at that time, so there was a lot of opportunity there.

Q: How did the Seminole Casino opportunity come about?

Bonner: I had worked with our current CEO Jim Allen in Colorado. Jim then worked at the Atlantis in the Bahamas for a while, and finally came to work for the Seminoles. He called me one day and said, “Are you ready to leave Colorado?” And I said, “I’m on the next plane!” I arrived here about the time they started construction on the Hard Rock casino in Hollywood. That was ten years ago, and I’ve been here ever since.

Q: How did you come to choose Lighthouse point as your home?

Bonner: When I moved here I wanted to be close to work and never in my wildest dreams thought I’d still be here ten years later, so this is great. And the kind of stability with the Seminole tribe is wonderful, and wonderful to work for. They’ve been over the top as far as being a great company, and it’s also a great family atmosphere. The tribe stays involved and well aware of what’s going on in the organization. But at the same time they let us do the very best we can for them and members of the tribe.

Q: Is your family here?

Bonner: Angie and I live together with our daughter, Elle. She’s five and we’ve been living in Lighthouse Point for five years.

Q: Do you see any familiar faces from the Lighthouse Point area taking advantage of this exciting facility?

Bonner: There’s a certain group of people from Lighthouse Point that do come over, even if it’s not for the gaming piece, but to partake of the new restaurants and concert venue. But there are still people unaware of this great casino right down the street.

Story by Rebecca Cerino Days Photos by Debra Todd

Linda Connelly

We couldn’t have painted a better day! The weather was spectacular once again…19 years and counting. Thanks mom! The date being early in mid-March, this great exposition seemed to bring in more foot traffic. It was a busy day for the artists with a consistent flow of admirers. We had several new artists this year and many returning favorites. Overall, the quality of art just gets better every year.

And as a special touch for the artists’ t-shirts this year, we featured my father’s artwork of The Painted Indian. There was live music on the patio, painting demonstrations and a the Yacht Club offered a lovely brunch. For the first time, the Lighthouse Point Cultural Committee was invited to display children’s art work. They held a contest with select age groups to illustrate “Why I love Lighthouse Point.”

The competition was the first of its kind. Angelina Days, Norma and Larry Cerino’s grand daughter, actually won first place in the 7-9 division, talent certainly runs in our family.

It was just an awesome day. I love seeing the community come together to mingle amongst the art and artists. A big thanks to to the LHP Yacht & Racquet Club for a wonderful venue and amazing brunch.

I am a people watcher. Especially when I’m alone, and especially when eating at a restaurant.

Recently, I had a quick bite at the California Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale. You see, it must be a quick bite because the music background is an incredible, mindless cacophony — I’ve heard this same noise at rush hour in the New York City subway.

But there are a few things I enjoy on the menu, and it’s a great place for people watching, so I employ earplugs to get through the ordeal.

What has changed in the people watching landscape are families whose children sit during a meal, hardly eating, their noses permanently stuck in their cell phones, or other electronic gadgets. Isn’t it sad enough that too few families ever sit down to dinner together at home anymore? The very saddest thing about this scenario is that conversation is at a minimum and the parents seem to be okay with the kids out of their hair, some even hardly talking to each other.

What I’m getting at is that technology can be such a phenomenal thing, and true it has changed the world for the better in many ways, but at the same time taking away and destroying basic intrinsic family values.

Television for decades has invaded the family structure, but now, as the never-ending outpouring of electronic gadgets continues, American families are becoming complete strangers to each other.

The mania for owning the latest cell phone, or some spinoff, has created a serious divide, denying families the ability to converse, exchange ideas and, most importantly, get to really know one another. Cell phone management should either become a family priority, or just simply watch your family become dysfunctional, more distant and impossible to communicate with.

A new book recently reviewed in the Wall Street Journal called “The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play and Much More,” written by Bruce Feiler has just been published. It gives great insight regarding the problems facing families today and ways to solve those problems.

Jon Frangipane, Editor/Publisher

Kirra

Lilianna

Thomas Oates

Sydney S.