West Boca Trump Rally: Observations & Photos

This article was written by Michelle Cirino Yarris, a friend of West Boca News who volunteered to go the rally for us since we could not attend. This was at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in South County Regional Park.
I went to a Donald Trump Rally. This shocked a lot of people. I have been pretty vocal about the fact I am not a Trump supporter. However, the event was a 15-minute bike ride from our house at the local county park. I probably would have gone to see most any candidate at that point.
The real reason I went is due to all comments I have seen on social media on the Trump supporters. The racist, hateful, uneducated Trump supporter. What I found was a very diverse crowd of people. First time 18-year-old voters to 80-year-old people with walkers and everything in between. I saw people I knew who were businessmen, a doctor, a teacher. Educated people. I saw people of every color. Not just a handful either. There were many legal immigrants. One young man had a sign that he made that said “Immigrants for Trump”, another had one that said “Hispanics love Trump.”
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Talking to a group of young men (barely at 18), I asked why they supported Trump. Their responses were two fold. First, one told me that they are tired of all the handouts to every group. Nothing is free. Someone has to pay for it. I kid you not – an 18-year-old boy said this to me. His friends all agreed. The second most concerning issue to this group was ISIS. They are concerned for the future of our country, our world. They don’t understand why we have such an open border policy in a time when we know people are streaming in with the intent to harm our country.
The conversation that shocked me and surprised me the most was from a young man from Virginia, who knew all about the voting patterns in his state. He was 18. I would guess most adults have no idea about voting patterns and counties.
All in all, I was very surprised at the crowd. Maybe it is Boca, or maybe we are only seeing a small piece of what really is going on.
This isn’t an endorsement of Trump in any way, but a closer look at his supporters. There is a very large silent group who is afraid to come out and vocally support their candidate for fear of repercussions. Which is not the American way. Those we do hear from, who are very loud, are not representative of what I saw at the Trump rally.
Whatever your view, whoever your candidate, let your voice be heard and vote!
Voting in Palm Beach County is on Tuesday March 15, 2016 in Florida from 7am to 7pm.
Local photographer Johnnie Butters also volunteered to take photos for us. He had a media pass which may have helped him get in early but severely constrained his movement and ability to get photos. Here are some of our favorite photos from his collection.

An early shot showing off the Sunset Cove amphitheater with the crowd just starting to grow
An early shot showing off the Sunset Cove amphitheater with the crowd just starting to grow

Photo showing off a Trump supporter but mainly we like this one because of the "bokeh" (a photographer thing) and the background hinting at the gorgeous view westbound from Sunset Cove.
Photo showing off a Trump supporter but mainly we like this one because of the “bokeh” (a photographer thing) and the background hinting at the gorgeous view westbound from Sunset Cove.

We just like this one.
We just like this one.

You can see all of the photos he shared with us on his Facebook post to our page or on his website.
Also we saw this photo from a regular reader known as “Boca Rat” in our comments and he said we could use it in this article. We love both how it captures the size of the crowd and also that view to the west.
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Trump Ruins Black Man's Sunset in West Boca

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Michael Rance loves living in West Boca and is an avid reader of West Boca News – and commenter. We learned from Mr. Rance that the upcoming Donald Trump event in South County Regional Park has a darker side. It’s ruining the sunset.
Rance takes photographs of the gorgeous sunsets in the park as part of his regular routine.
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And now his daily sunset ritual is being disrupted by thousands of Trump supporters filling the park in and around Sunset Cove Amphitheater, obviously named for its great views. Rance is concerned not only with the supporters, but with Trump’s “hate and bigotry.”

I watch sunset at sunset cove almost every day now my Sunday is f##### up because of this piece of trash

Rance really does take a lot of photos and he shares them on his BlackXeres Instagram account. He has over 1000 followers and a typical sunset photo will get dozens of likes from them, often over 100. Here’s an example:
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And this is what Rance’s sunset will look like this evening:
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On the bright side, Mr. Rance’s routine should return to normal on Monday.
This message was not paid for by Marco Rubio nor any PACs affiliated with any candidates or party officials. If you’re angry at this article you are in serious need of a sense of humor. Thanks to Mr. Rance for playing along.

Eagle Scout Helps Daggerwing

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From Palm Beach County Parks:
Local Eagle Scout Bobby Bronchick chose Daggerwing Nature Center as the location for his final Eagle Scout community service project. Bobby built four butterfly houses, a bench, and a new garbage bin. One of the butterfly houses features a see-through panel for use as an educational tool.
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Bobby’s project has benefited the nature center by adding elements that beautify the butterfly garden and educational enhancements for visitors. The butterfly garden and nature trails are open daily, sunrise to sunset. The exhibit building is open Wednesday-Friday, 1-4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
We think Bobby is a West Boca High student, punter on the Bulls football team, and he might like cheerleaders.
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If anyone has an Eagle Scout photo of Bobby, please send it to [email protected]. We’d love to add that to this article.

Olympic Heights Grad Passes Away in Jet Ski Accident

Joel Deleon in a 2014 photo
Joel Deleon in a 2014 photo

Many West Boca residents are mourning the passing of Joel Deleon, who died yesterday in a Jet Ski accident in South County Regional Park. Mr. Deleon was a graduate of Olympic Heights High School.
We were alerted to the incident by a tweet from Fire Rescue:
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Fire Rescue subsequently tweeted that the missing person had been found, but there were no further official statements.
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There were a number of comments from readers, including comments identifying Mr. Deleon (tagging his Facebook page) and that he had passed away.
Mr. Deleon’s Facebook page is now flooded with messages from friends. We can see dozens of them and it’s likely that there are many more we can’t see due to user privacy settings.
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One friend posted this picture:
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Another used this as a platform for advice, though we don’t know whether or not Mr. Deleon was wearing a life jacket:
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There is also a gathering planned for tonight, posted as a Facebook event and already with dozens of people going.
And there are so many more. Here are just a few:
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From West Boca News, we wish comfort to the Deleon family in this difficult time. Rest in peace Mr. Deleon.
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West Boca This Weekend

Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 9.06.41 AMScreen Shot 2015-02-10 at 9.07.15 AMListen to a free concert by The Turnstiles on February 13th at The Shops at Boca Center. The Billy Joel Tribute band will play from 7 to 9 p.m.
Attend the Jazz and Love Valentine’s Day Concert on February 14th at Mizner Park Amphitheater. The Concert features award-winning artists Boney James, Kirk Whalum, Pieces of a Dream and Shelea Frazier. The concert runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Purchase tickets online at http://jazzandloveconcert.eventbrite.com or by calling 954-527-6968. Tickets start at $75.
rivernorthEnjoy the dramatic choreography of River North Dance Chicago on February 14th at 7:30 p.m. and February 15th at 4:00 p.m. at the Wold Performing Arts Center. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased online or by calling 561-237-9000.
Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 9.50.40 AMTry a free Qi Gong class on February 14th at 9:00 a.m. at Daggerwing Nature Center. Qi Gong is a form of Tai Chi that improves flexibility, balance, muscle tone, energy and mental well being. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/WestBocaTaiChi or call 561-419-5403.
Learn whether its “Animal Fact or Fiction” on Febrary 14th at 1 p.m. at Daggerwing Nature Center. This naturalist program is for all ages and costs $3 per person. For Reservations call 561-629-8760.
Stop by the West Boca Library for a Valentine’s Day Celebration. There will be a special story time for ages 3 and up at 10:30 a.m. At 2:30 p.m., grades 6 and up can explore zentangle, a doodle based art. Preregister by calling 470-1600.
motownersSee The Motowners on February 13th at The Meatball Room. The performance starts at 8 p.m. The Meatball Room is located in Regency Court.
cruisenightCruise on over to Packy’s Sports Grill on February 14th at 4:30 p.m. Stroll through the parking lot and enjoy classic cars to new cars, DJ, and refreshments. Trophies awarded for best of show.
artssparkBring your kids to Arts Spark on February 15th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sugar Sand Park. This interactive festival of arts includes hands-on workshops, demonstrations, crafts, performances and more. The $10 all day wristband can be purchased the day of the event at the Community Center.
Check out the award winning Jewish A Cappella Group Six13 on February 15th at 3 p.m. The concert, featuring cantorial peformances by Lori Shapiro, Michelle Auslander Cohen, Stephanie Shore and Sarah Freudenberger, starts at 3 p.m. General admission tickets are $18. Call 561-241-8118 for more information. Or visit tbeboca.org.

Go to the “Music for Love” Concert on February 15th at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The concert by the Florida Intergenerational Orchestra starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for children and adults over 12. Call 561-482-8206 for more information. See our previous post.