Letters

Local Voices: Elected officials lack money, political support to combat rising seas

Some politicians predict long-term solution will be a ‘managed retreat’ from state’s coastal communities

By Jim Carroll

With not much state or federal assistance available, Florida communities have been left to pay most of the costs to defend their t

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Local Voices: Can a president control flooding by executive order?

After Eta’s deluges, Floridians looking for all the help they can get

ABOVE: North Atlantic Drive looked more like a lake than a road on Hypoluxo Island after Tropical Storm Eta blew through Nov. 8-9. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
BELOW: Boca Raton re

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Local Voices: Town budget serves well-considered purposes

Towns, cities and counties across Florida recently wrapped up their fiscal year 2020 budgets. Highland Beach passed its own budget on Sept. 19 by a 4-1 vote, with myself, Commissioner Evalyn David and Mayor Rhoda Zelniker and Vice Mayor Greg Babij su

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Local Voices: Staying true to Delray’s vibe

By Shelly Petrolia

“Florida’s New Sweet Spot” is how the Wall Street Journal described Delray Beach in a headline. The article went on to describe three perfect days in our city, noting it had been transformed and “now has a distinctly different vibe

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Local Voices: Prison time helped McCarty change view on restoring felon voting rights

Former County Commissioner Mary McCarty was first in line to register to vote on Jan. 8. Rich Pollack / The Coastal Star

By Mary McCarty

On Jan. 8, 2019, my life had come full circle. It was 10 years to the day that I had resigned in disgrace from 21

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Local Voices: Public records law changes were misguided

    This legislative session demonstrated a political will to reform the Florida’s Public Records Act. However, that will was misguided in both SB 1220 and HB 1021.
    Those bills targeted the attorney’s fees provision of Chapter 119 and attempted to

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Local Voices: Careful public records safeguards needed

  Two days after the Florida Legislature completed the 2016 session, a Sun Sentinel editorial headlined “Open government under attack,” indirectly referred to a failed bill that attempted to address abuse of the Public Records Act by a cottage indust

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Local Voices: Make developer earn concessions from city

I have followed with interest the planned development around the Mizner on the Green site in Boca Raton, where the owner, El Ad National Properties, has proposed to replace this outdated 244-unit project and reportedly seek discretionary height incre

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Local Voices: Higher manatee count simply means we have more to protect

Florida’s manatees are at a crossroads. Well, actually, the agencies that protect manatees are at a crossroads, and manatees themselves are in the crosshairs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is busy working behind closed doors deciding whether to d

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Local Voices: Monofilament fishing line perilous for pelicans

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

    Fishing is an important part of the Florida lifestyle as well as its economy. In spite of the obvious benefits, this leisure-time activity, on occasion, can lead to problems for birds and other wil

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Local Voices: Blood in the water

 

As the editor of Florida Sport Fishing magazine, I’ll be the first to admit there’s nothing wrong with the sustainable harvest of fresh seafood to feed family and friends. However, it is imperative that recreational anglers respect the ocean and it

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Local Voices: Costs outweigh savings in proposed fire-rescue change

  What kind of city do you want to live in?  Do you want a first-rate, full-service city that provides the full range of municipal services, or would you settle for a second-class city where some services are provided by other government entities ove

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