Marin Cilic Wins 2014 Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas Over Kevin Anderson in ATP 250 Thriller in Delray Beach

Marin Cilic’s tennis play at 2014 The Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas® was sizzling hot! Yellow smoke was literally billowing off of each serve, forehand and backhand winner, that Cilic hit on the blue hard Plexipave courts of Delray. Cilic outlasted 2012 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships winner Kevin Anderson, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (7-9) and a deciding 6-4, in a thrilling three-plus hour match to win the 2014 Delray Beach Open and according to the ATP Tour, $81,500 in prize money. Cilic also improved to no. 25 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Cilic was the seventh-seed in the tournament that featured 32 ATP players including John Isner, Tommy Haas, and Kei Nishikori, among other top-pro tennis players. To get to the finals, Cilic, of Croatia, bounced Germany’s Benjamin Becker in the first round, wild card Ryan Harrison 6-3, 6-4 in the second round, T. Gabashvilli 6-2, 6-3 in the third…and Big John Isner 7-6 (5), and 6-3 in the semi-finals. Fan favorite Isner, reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive year at the tourney. He was coming off of an ankle injury he suffered in Australia, and seemed to move very well on the Plexiplave once again in Delray. Throughout the tournament, Isner’s issue was his composure. The big guy, Isner is 6’9’’ often played far down in size compared to his competition, smacked tennis ball’s completely out of the stadium on Tuesday and Friday resulting in astonishingly, only warnings from the chair umpire. But, that’s understandable, because Big John Isner is fun to watch and likeable, and most likely if one of us had the chance to be the chair umpire, would have been awe of his athletic ability and probably not even issued the warnings. Isner though, struggled in the first set of each of his four matches played at the 2014 Delray Open. Isner came storming back in his first three matches at the tourney, often relying on a serve that pushed 138 M.P.H. but could only muster winning three games against Cilic in the semi’s. Eventual Champion Cilic built momentum over five straight days of play to take the Delray Beach crown, and is 18-4 in matches this year with two titles won. Bob and Mike Bryan won their third doubles title in the last six-years playing in the Delray tourney. The Bryan’s defeated F. Cermak and M. Elgin 6-2 and 6-3. Andy Roddick made his ATP Champions Tour debut for the American team and won three straight matches over Sweden’s Mats Wilander 6-3 and 6-3, Mikael Pernfors 6-3 and 6-2, and Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic 6-4 and 6-3. Prize money totaled $474,005 at The Delray Beach Open, a men’s pro-tennis ATP 250 tourney held yearly each February at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in beautiful Delray Beach, FL.

ADL Prohibits Plates, says "They Divide Floridians Over Religous Lines"

The Anti-Defamation League has picked a battle with the State of Florida over specialty license plates with images of “I Believe” and “Trinity.” Monika Levin, of the ADL sent out an email to media with the subject of: “ADL Urges Senate to Reject Religiously-Divisive License Plates” highlighted.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

The ADL, and Levin issued this statement out of their Boca Raton office: “Today, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) urged the Florida Senate to reject the inclusion of the “I Believe” and “Trinity” specialty license plates in SB642, “an act relating to license plates.” In a letter to the Florida Senate, ADL advised: These specialty license plates are patently exclusionary, divisive, and unconstitutional. Especially in these lean economic times, these license plates will cost the State and taxpayers needless litigation expenses. The “I Believe” and “Trinity” specialty license plates prominently display the fundamental symbols of the Christian faith: the cross and Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, respectively. Consequently, each plate sends the divisive and exclusive message that the State of Florida prefers Christianity over all the other diverse faiths within our state,” Levin said.

Andrew Rosenkranz, ADL Florida Regional Director, issued this statement: “After last year when the “I Believe” specialty license plate died in the Senate and a U.S. District Court found that a virtually identical plate from South Carolina was unconstitutional, we had hoped that in these difficult times the Senate would not again take up such divisive legislation. These two plates are only going to waste the Senate’s time, divide Floridians’ along religious lines, and cost the taxpayer an unnecessary litigation expenses,” Rosenkranz said.

Andrew Rosenkranz, ADL Florida Regional Director, and David Barkey, ADL Southern Area Counsel, are available to talk about this matter:
Andrew Rosenkranz: (954) 205-2269, David Barkey: (305) 205 – 8182, or
Monika Levin,ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE, Associate Regional Director | Florida Region. T: 561.988.2915 | F: 561.989.0712
mlevin@adl.org

What's a Mojo? Debuts!

A Mojo is a multimedia journalist that excels in reporting an accurate, creative yet thought-provoking article in online, and print form. Most Mojos produce between three-to-five stories, previews, or reports each day. Those stories are used immediately on news outlets websites to produce appealing content for city specific web-pages.

Here's an example from Sun-Sentinel.com

Please check out:
http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/delray_forum/
for more examples of Mojo's!

Mangrove Park opens two new boat ramps for public use

> Posted by DAve DiPino at 1:18 PM

Two new boat ramp slips at newly opened Mangrove Park will help alleviate busy Knowles Park, just north of Mangrove Park on South Federal Highway.

The city of Delray Beach announced today that Mangrove Park, 1211 S. Federal Highway is now open to the public.

“It’s now open for public use… We want to get the word out to the public so they can use this gem,” said Alberta Gaum-Rickard, city of Delray Beach Parks & Recreation project coordinator.

Mangrove Park, the newest park constructed in Delary Beach, also has staging docks, boat trailer, regular and handicapped parking spaces, benches, a bicycle rack, information stands and restrooms.

“A large area of the rectangular 4.46-acre park contains sea grass beds and mangrove forest, which will remain undisturbed as native wildlife habitat," Gaum-Rickard said. "Manatees, sea turtles and small tooth sawfish will be protected through the preservation of this valuable ecosystem."

Costs for the park project topped just over $2.6 million. According to Gaum-Rickard, the Palm Beach County Commission and the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) continue to show their support for the city of Delray Beach through grant funding. Palm Beach County awarded $1 million in grant money for the project, contingent upon a $1 million city funding match, and FIND presented a check to the city in the amount of $688,420. FIND will also lease this parcel of land to the city for the purpose and use as a public park.

For more information on Mangrove Park, call Gaum-Rickard at 561-243-7136.