South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 27

i NWS Monday, March 19, 2001 3B LOCAL Rain's just a drop in bucket tions could see a couple of more inches of rain by Tuesday morning, he said. That also could include thunderstorms. What cheered Warner most is that Central Florida, part of the watershed for Lake Okeechobee, got more rain than South Florida. "That is definitely a positive situation, because what it will do is help to replenish the lake." Digest Staff reports A I Fatally shot victim driven to police A shooting victim was driven by car to the Lauderhill Police Department at 1980 NW56th Ave. about 1 1 :30 a.m.

on Sunday, spokeswoman Lucy Crockett said. The man was identified by the Broward Sheriffs Office as Michael Dolberry, 24, of 4733 NW 88th He was by Lauderhill Fire Rescue personnel to Broward General Medical Center, where he died. The Broward Sheriffs Office is investigating, Crockett said. Before Sunday's rainfall, Palm Beach County was 3.77 inches below normal for the year, said Warner's colleague, meteorologist Bill Locke. Miami-Dade County's deficit was 4.03 inches and Broward County was 4.08 inches below normal.

Jupiter in northern Palm Beach County had exactly one inch of rain by Sunday evening, according to South Florida Water Management District figures. Southern Palm Beach County received just a trace, while the area near Pahokee on Lake Okeechobee got almost one-half inch. The heaviest rain was in central Miami-Dade, where 1.21 inches fell. Fort Lauderdale record ed just less than one inch of rain, while Davie had slightly more than one inch. "Just about every lawn got a little drink today," Warner said.

A small-craft warning was posted Sunday morning from Jupiter to Deerfield Beach after a possible waterspout was sighted eight miles east of Delray Beach. People from Palm Beach County to the Keys are now permitted to water their lawns and wash cars at home two days a week, but that is expected to dwindle to one day a week after the March 27 Water Management District meeting. More rain is expected today and tonight, Warner said. Some loca Reporter Lauren Heist contributed to this report. Kellie Patrick can be reached at or 561-243-6629.

I A BAY Swimmers allowed to I return to water By KEN KAYE Staff writer MIAMI Three days after a broken pipeline allowed 1 1 mil- -lion gallons of untreated sewage to spill into Biscayne Bay, health 1 officials lifted swimming bans 1 and contamination warnings at nearby beaches on Sunday afternoon. "It's safe once again to swim in the bay and go to the beaches," said Sean McCrackine, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management. After running tests, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department still found elevated bacteria levels in two areas: at the mouth of the Miami River and just north of there in Key Biscayne. But officials said the sewage spill did not cause those problems. Rather, storm runoff from heavy rains over the weekend was responsible, McCrackine said.

OAKLAND PARK South Florida still a ways from ending drought By KELLIE PATRICK Staff writer The weekend's rain quenched the thirst of some South Florida lawns and dampened a few festivals, but didn't break the drought. "We're so far behind, it's going to take us at least getting part-way into the rainy season," said meteorologist Tom Warner of the National Weather Service in Miami. FAITHFUL Sunil Mooken, 16, of Davie, second from I gets his groove on with friends Phagwa festival on Sunday in Oakland Park. The event featured vegetarian food, chowtal music and tassa drumming. Staff photo Melissa Lyttle FUN: IZ left I some it the hw Winnifi 't VrH I -U 7.

-r 1 y.fs-.rCtl 1 rA. 1 '--J in ii fi tt i mniii A festival to dye for BROWARD COUNTY 1 i Benches to promote reporting of truancy The Broward Sheriffs Office truancy hotline soon will be advertised on 20 bus benches around the county. "'Residents are encouraged to call the line, 954-765-8941, when they see a youngster they suspect should be in school. The line is staffed on school days between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

About 10,730 truants were taken to the Juvenile Intervention Facility between September and March 14. Counselors interviewed the students and their parents to see whether social services were needed. 3 Truancy is often a symptom of a more serious problem at home, officials say. Hotline upgrades schools' security IcTo continue improving security, the Broward County School District has established a 24-hour safety hotline: 954-712-2282. t-The hotline is intended to provide another source of information for district officials about potentially dangerous situations.

All calls will be recorded, and Caller ID will identify where the incoming calls originate. For the past fewyears, school officials have stressed to students and staff that if they know or hear something, they should alert the proper authorities, be it a principal, a guidance counselor or a school resource officer. Officials would welcome an anonymous note on a teacher's desk. School officials say that remaining silent could allow a bad situation to worsen. DAVIE Jewish women explore their roles There will be a women's seder at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday at te David Posnack Jewish Community Center, 5850 Pine Island Road. jj The gathering will celebrate Passover and women's roles in jfewish history, including the IJxodus. For information call 954-434-0499, ext. 369. I SOUTH FLORIDA Food addicts offered help and support I Anyone interested in learning rtiore about food addictions or getting support can attend a public information night sponsored by Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous.

The event at 7 p.m. Sundaywill feature a question-ahd-answer session with speakers who have been in the pogram since its inception. It will be at the Science of Mind Center, 2 SW 12th Boca Raton. The group is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences and recovery efforts involving food addiction. For more information, call 361-968-1232.

Correction young people," said Indar Maharaj, the sponsor of Gyan Agni, a Hindu radio show and youth group that performed at Sunday's festival. "We especially want people to learn about the spiritual aspects of Hinduism." Maharaj works closely with Bhagwan Singh of Global Entertainment which produces radio shows featuring Indian music along with cultural and spiritual discussions Saturday mornings on WHSR, AM 980. "Hindus are in the distinct minority in this area, so we're trying to bring attention to our culture," Maharaj said. As young Hindus passed by, skin and clothes soaked in deep purple and red dye, Pandit Maharaj greeted Temple members who ground powdered dye into his scalp and face. "This festival is a great reliever of frustration and tension," Maharaj said.

"Everyone is equal here." Hindus break out colors to celebrate their faith. By PETER BERNARD Staff writer Judging by the deep purple and red blotches of dye on her clothing, 20-year-old Priya Sooknanan and her tiny dye-filled water pistol didn't fare well against the water-bazooka-toting crowd at Hindu temple Shiva Mandir's Phagwa festival on Sunday. "This is like a big water fight with color," Sooknanan said. "I've been celebrating this holiday since I was a little kid." About 1,500 Hindus from South Florida visited the Oakland Park temple to start a week of festivities that culminate with the Hindu New Year on March 25. The religious holiday Phagwa also celebrates the coming of spring.

"Thousands of years ago men came out after winter and smeared the juice of the flowers on each other in joy," said Pandit Ramsurat Maharaj, leader of Shiva Mandir. "It's the one day everyone from the Hindu community gets together to celebrate." Celebrants gleefully pounce on each other, rubbing baby powder and dye into each others' hair and shooting everyone with water dyed bright purple, red and green. Shiva Mandir's festival was also celebrated with vegetarian food, chowtal music, tassa drumming and Indian dancing. Maharaj started Sunday's festival with a solemn religious service. "We mark our foreheads to symbolize the third eye and pray for blessings and wisdom from Lord Krishna," Maharaj said.

The pandit, or Hindu priest, estimates that 150,000 Indians and Hindus live in Broward, many with diverse backgrounds. "About 50 percent come from the Caribbean," Maharaj said. "The rest come from India, Sri Lanka or are Americans who convert to Hinduism." Maharaj and other festival organizers cite the importance of supporting traditional Hindu and Indian culture. "We want to create an awareness and appreciation for our culture, especially for Elevated bacteria levels were found at the mouth of the Miami River and just north of there in Key Biscayne, but officials said storm runoff, not the sewage spill, caused those problems. Otherwise, Crandon Park, Bill Baggs State Park and other beaches on Key Biscayne were reopened, as were those on Vir- ginia Key.

While many people went to the beaches, only a few ventured into the water, Key Biscayne police said. On Thursday, a tugboat ruptured a 72-inch pipe, spewinga -brown fountain of raw sewage into Biscayne Bay. Normally, the pipe would carry sewage and storm runoff to the Central District Waste Water Treatment Plant. Crews stemmed the flow by diverting it to another line. The Water and Sewer Department has contacted a contractor to repair the pipe, spokesman Frank Calderon said.

However, work will not begin until the Florida Department for Environmental Protection conducts studies of the environ-' mental impact to ensure the repairs do not severely disrupt sea grasses in the natural habitat, said Alyce Robertson, assistant director of the environmental resources management department. Information from The Associated Press was used to supplement this report. treatment, according to Dr. Fred Wittlin, chief of the division of medical oncology at Memorial Regional Cancer Center in Hollywood, where Viscomi is a patient. Viscomi now receives weekly Nuprogen shots at Memorial Re-' gional Hospital to build up her white blood cells and boost her body's immune system.

She couples the treatment with a good physical routine and diet. Even as she anxiously awaits word of her prognosis, Viscomi would be hard-pressed to complain, preferring instead to focus on life's simple treasures. Exercising at the gym has given her more agility and energy to do some of her favorite things, such as gardening and spending time with her family. "I take things as they come," says Viscomi. "To see the birds, to plant the flowers I'm very grateful just to be here." Natasha Butler can be reached at nbutler(u or 954-385-7930.

Peter Bernard can be reached at or 954-356-4525. Cancer patient is 'grateful just to be here5 except go to the doctor and take care of myself. And I am, believe me. I am." Lymphomas, SECOND CHANCES STORIES OF HOPE cancerous cell clusters that occur in the body's lymph nodes or glands, account for 5 SELFHELP: Gertrude Viscomi exercises at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood. She works out and watches her diet, in addition to receiving medical treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Staff photo Robert Mayer dominal cavity, the tumor that was by then "the size of six large men's fists" obstructed the X-ray, Viscomi says. She was placed on the drug Cy-toxin, a form of chemotherapy, for one year, followed by the drug Ri-tuxan. The mass, though still present, is now substantially smaller. While all lymphomas are malignant by definition, most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas respond well to By NATASHA BUTLER Staff writer Whether Gertrude Viscomi is foolish or wise to have such a carefree attitude is a matter of speculation to everyone, including herself. But as the formidable Viscomi "Gerti" to her friends breezes into the Memorial Health Fitness Center in Hollywood, chatting with the familiar faces, there's no doubting the genuineness of her smile.

"I have always been an 'up' person, and I feel bad when I look around and see people that aren't," says the Hollywood woman, 68. "I mean, you know, I know I've got cancer," says Viscomi, who has undergone successful treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for the past two years. Today she will undergo what she hopes will be a final CAT scan to determine whether the cancer is gone. "But I don't let it burden me," Viscomi, who participated in the cancer recovery program at the center, says with a note of defiance. "There's nothing I can do about it percent of cancer cases in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md.

The lympathic system part of the body's immune system includes a network of tiny tubes that branch vessel-like into tissues throughout the body, making it possible for cancer to develop in any part of the body. Viscomi has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the stomach, a rare condition that affects seven out of 1 million Americans annually. The diagnosis in 1998 came at a crucial time for the Philadelphia native, who at the time was grappling with the death of a close friend. In the days following the funer- al, Viscomi found herself increasingly exhausted a common symptom of the cancer that she quickly attributed to grief and stress. But as the burgeoning cell mass continued to grow inside her, Viscomi also began experiencing gastrointestinal problems.

She decided to see a specialist. When doctors used a special X-ray procedure to examine her ab- I' A caption on a photo on Page 3JJ in Sunday's edition misstated the title of Chuck Malkus IV. He is a spokesman for the Seminole Okalee Village in Hollywood and president of Malkus Communications Group, a Fort Lauderdale public relations firm. I We regret the error. -1.