Loïc Autret at his Delray Beach bakery.
A delicate French peach tart on an almond cream bed,

finished with lightly toasted almonds and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

    At Loïc Autret’s French bakery in Delray Beach, the baker displays pastries, breads and sandwiches as works of art. He elevates his croissants in baskets. He wants the customers to see the various colors of the pastries that indicate they are handmade.
    Presentation matters, he insists. His breads and pastries need to look as good as they taste.
    “People love food in Delray,” he said, when asked why he wanted to sell at the city’s GreenMarket.
    “I set up my booth so that the customer sees what I see,” he said. It is why he takes time with his displays, a skill he honed while working at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach.
    One Saturday morning at the market, he looked out to see 60 people in line and started to cry. To him, that line validated his bakery business.
    Autret even created his own hairstyle with shaved sides and a curlicue on the top that he calls “Loïc Style.” He wants people to focus on him and not the scars from an accident in Cambodia when he was 20 and in the French Army. About 15 years ago, his hair stylist began highlighting the curlicue.
    More than 10 years ago, Autret switched careers. He was a paratrooper in the French Army when he fell in love with an American woman who lived in Florida. He studied French baking and pastry making at the Ecole de Gregoire Ferrandi, the French school of the culinary arts, before moving to Florida and marrying the woman of his dreams.
    His bakery, opened in March, sits south of Plastridge Insurance and straddles Northeast Fifth and Sixth avenues with parking on each side.
    He and his business partner, Christian Backenstrass, have 10 employees and sell variations of croissants including Belgian chocolate and almond cream along with French fruit tarts, baguettes, specialty breads —including Kalamata olive loaves — and sandwiches on baguettes.
    Through a glass wall, Autret can be seen putting on the finishing touches on his “52 Shades of Loïc” with exploding dark chocolate inside and topped with white chocolate drops that melt on the hot cookie.
    “Dark chocolate is an aphrodisiac,” he said.
    The bakery has a selection of high-top tables for in-store dining and an array of outside tables for al fresco eating when the weather cooperates.
    Coffee and teas are also served. Its Marie-Antoinette Tea is brewed using a French press. Autret said water is heated to a near-boil and a French press is used to show the black Ceylon tea leaves, apple pieces and rose petals floating, as if “in an aquarium.”
    Backenstrass said he met Autret at the GreenMarket and their kids attend Spanish River Christian School in Boca Raton. He knew Autret was an authentic French baker after tasting his croissants.

Loïc Autret French Bakery, 814 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, www.loicautretbakery.com, 266-3516; also at the Delray Summer GreenMarket, eastern part of the Tennis Center parking lot, 201 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, through September. During winter months, Loïc Autret has booths at the Delray Beach and Boca Raton green markets.

The east view of the proposed iPic theater complex. The area at lower left is where a ‘living wall’

has been proposed to soften the street level view of the building.

Rendering provided

By Jane Smith

    City commissioners smoothed the way for the iPic luxury movie theater to open in downtown Delray Beach when a majority voted for it in August.
    The proposed iPic project had changed somewhat since July when the city’s seven-man Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously against the increased height and 5-2 against a movie theater at that location, between Southeast Fourth and Fifth avenues along Atlantic Avenue, and against an alley abandonment included in the plans.
    The changes:
    • Moved the valet circulation to within the project, instead of onto the side streets that connect with Atlantic Avenue;
    • Offered to create a living wall, measuring 30 feet high by 70 feet wide, to soften the street level view of the theater building on Southeast Fifth Avenue, known as southbound Federal Highway;
    • Increased the open space to 3,550 feet.
    About 12:30 a.m. in the wee hours of Aug. 19, the commission voted 3-2 to reverse the P&Z board’s recommendation. The chamber still held half of its audience, even though the commission had to vote at 11 p.m. and then again at midnight to extend the meeting.
    iPic chief Hamid Hashemi attended the meeting where his company used a mobile screen to show a movie clip and renderings of the proposed project.
    The $53 million project combines eight movie auditoriums with 529 seats on the ground floor, 42,900 square feet of office space in two levels, 7,500 square feet of retail along Southeast Fourth Avenue and a three-level parking garage.
    Mayor Cary Glickstein voted for the conditional uses — allowing a theater in the downtown and increasing its height to nearly 60 feet — and for abandoning the north-south alley that was part of the original requests sought by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency.
    “If not iPic then what? Under both our old and new land development regulations the property could be developed to a size and intensity larger than what iPic proposed,” he explained a few days after the meeting. “Most citizens wanted exactly what was being proposed — a downtown movie theater and office space for jobs.”  
    He also liked that the movie theater would give residents something to do that didn’t involve a restaurant, boutique or bar. He said changing the land price now — or other changes to the CRA’s request that some consider flawed — would present “significant reputational risk to a city, or any organization, for changing the rules or moving the goalposts.”
    After midnight, when trying to explain his vote, he said, “I wish my dad was still around. He was such a great resource on what has happened in other places.” Successful cities adapt and capitalize on the opportunities presented, he said.
    The project’s land use attorney, Bonnie Miskel, gave commissioners a 10-page memorandum of law just before they began their discussion.
    A few days after the vote Glickstein said that “Ms. Miskel’s memorandum was relevant, but was largely codified in the staff analysis that supported the application based on an accurate application of our imperfect rules.”
    He also wanted to see the project’s size decreased. He asked the iPic developer “to let some air out of the tires for us,” but he did not give specifics.
    In addition, he made a requirement that the design can’t be changed once the project goes out for bid; he wants to see the building keep its stainless steel skin that was proposed.  
    For public parking spaces, the mayor wants to see a net-net so that the project would offer the same number of public spaces that will be lost. He directed the city’s planning director to determine that count before the project has its site plan review.
    Commissioner Mitch Katz, who voted to allow a movie theater downtown but against the height increase and alley abandonment, asked whether residents could have access to the roof space so that they could go up there and have a picnic to watch the sunset. The iPic team readily agreed.
    Katz asked whether the city can secure the majority of the property taxes generated by the finished project, instead of having the bulk of it go to the CRA.
    The mayor said, “I’ve asked the city attorney to look into lowering the portion across the CRA district that goes to the CRA. … Yes, I fully support that.”
    Vice Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who cast three votes against the project, filed a complaint on Aug. 21 with the county Inspector General about the alley abandonment vote.
    “I wanted to follow the city ordinances, but we did not do that,” she said a week after the vote. “I expect that if it comes back that we need to get an outside legal opinion and can be done in time, the commission will take a vote on that.”
    The iPic project has to go through four more reviews before it can break ground.

Gulf Stream residents Bernard and Stephanie Molyneux are expanding their

ACP Home Interiors/Antiques & Country Pine business on Oct. 1 with a new, 8,000-square-foot store

at 850 N. Dixie Highway in Boca Raton.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Christine Davis

    Gulf Stream residents Bernard and Stephanie Molyneux plan to expand their business, ACP Home Interiors/Antiques & Country Pine. Their new 8,000-square-foot store is slated to open Oct. 1 at 850 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton.
    “I grew up in Boca Raton, and my husband opened his first store in Boca. We are coming full circle,” Stephanie Molyneux said. The couple sells European-inspired, coastal-chic furniture as well as industrial-style furniture.
    They also have a boutique at 2050 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, as well as a warehouse open to the public in Deerfield Beach. “We offer something a little different in each store, so it’s exciting to visit each location,” she said.
                                
    Hate to go grocery shopping? Well, download an app that will arrange Publix Super Markets deliveries, and you don’t have to go anymore. In mid-August, Shipt, a Birmingham, Ala.-based startup, deployed a beta version of its same-day grocery delivery services across South Florida (including Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lake Worth, Lantana, Manalapan and Ocean Ridge).
    Customers can download the app or go to www.shipt.com to sign up for a membership to begin shopping and scheduling deliveries. They can join the app in its beta version for $49 and get one year free of delivery charges on orders over $35. Any items sold by Publix can be included in the order.
    Shipt, which is not affiliated with or endorsed by Publix, launched a beta test in Tampa early August, and also has rolled out in Birmingham, Dallas and Nashville.
                                
    The Boca Raton Whole Foods Market’s “Donate Your Dime” program aims to help find a cure for people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. To participate, bring in your own shopping bag and you’ll have a choice of receiving 10 cents back or donating the dime to a selected charity. “Donate Your Dime” chooses a different charity each quarter, and now through Oct. 1, funds will go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.
                                
    Sixty-two physicians on the medical staff at Boca Raton Regional Hospital were listed as “Top Doctors” by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a research firm specializing in providing consumers with information about the nation’s best doctors and hospitals. These doctors accounted for more than half of the 116 doctors represented among the 13 hospitals in Palm Beach County.

This year’s list includes: David J. Applebaum, Plastic Surgery; Michael S. Aronsohn, Otolaryngology; Thomas C. Bartzokis, Interventional Cardiology; Albert Begas, Hematology & Oncology; Marc Bergman, Orthopedic Surgery; Brian A. Bernick, Obstetrics & Gynecology; Rafael C. Cabrera, Plastic Surgery; Julio V. Cardenas, Infectious Disease; Attica C. Chang, Dermatology; Paul Christakis, Pediatrics; Frank D. Cirisano, Gynecologic & Oncology; Andrea S. Colton, Dermatology; Joseph A. Colletta, Breast Surgery; Richard A. Conlen, Obstetrics & Gynecology; Bradley S. Douglas, Obstetrics & Gynecology; Merrill H. Epstein, Psychiatry; Lawrence M. Fiedler, Gastroenterology; Alan I. Freedman, Urology; Stuart A. Friedman, Allergy & Immunology; Michael A. Gleiber, Spine Surgery; Howard B. Goldman, Ophthalmology; David A. Gross, Psychiatry; Donald F. Heiman, Infectious Disease; James G. Houle, Otolaryngology; Stuart H. Isaacson, Neurology; Jared A. Jaffe, Nephrology; Robert Johr, Dermatology; Mitchell S. Karl, Cardiology; Cristina F. Keusch, Plastic Surgery; Alan J. Koletsky, Hematology & Oncology; Michael J. Krebsbach, Hand Surgery; Jan W. Kronish, Ophthalmology; Seba Krumholtz, Internal Medicine; Ira L. Lazar, Nephrology; David I. Levenson, Endocrinology; David I. Levey, Internal Medicine; Felice Levine, Internal Medicine; Richard A. Levine, Geriatric Medicine; Sara S. Levine, Pediatrics; Mark R. Licht, Urology; Jeffrey I. Miller, Urology; Robyn M. Moncrief, Breast Surgery; Vito C. Proscia, Gastroenterology; Mitchell K. Rauch, Urology; Harold Richter, Hematology & Oncology; Rolando F. Rodriguez, Endocrinology; Steven I. Rosenfeld, Ophthalmology; Mark H. Rubenstein, Interventional Cardiology; Joshua H. Rubin, Gastroenterology; Michael A. Schaffer, Neuro-Ophthalmology; Jordan B. Schwartzberg, Dermatology; Jonathan I. Seckler, Interventional Cardiology; Ernesto I. Segal, Retina-Vitreous Surgery; Stephen J. Servoss, Interventional Cardiology; Neil S. Shachter, Cardiology; Jane D. Skelton, Hematology & Oncology; David A. Snyder, Ophthalmology; John M. Strasswimmer, Dermatology; Mark H. Weiner, Ophthalmology; Jerry R. Wexler, Pediatrics; Mark H. Widick, Otolaryngology; Kurt L. Wiese, Infectious Disease.
                               
    Delray Medical Center broke ground on its new 120,000-square-foot, four-story patient tower and five-level parking garage, slated to open in early 2017. The $79.4 million expansion will include the addition of 96 private patient rooms, cardiovascular clinic, expanded endoscopy suites and a helipad with direct elevator access to the emergency department.
                                
    Bethesda Health now offers the MAKO robotic-assisted Partial Knee Resurfacing System and Total Hip Replacement procedure, using the RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System. The RIO system enables accurate alignment and placement of implants. The MAKO treatment is less invasive than traditional total knee surgery, and offers more accurate cup placement and accurate leg length restoration.
    Bethesda Health Inc. is a health care organization with two not-for-profit hospitals, Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach and Bethesda Hospital West.
                                
    Some announcements from the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority: Tri-Rail now offers a free shuttle to Palm Beach International Airport from every train that stops at the West Palm Beach station.
    Tri-Rail recently introduced its first bike car, a specially equipped Bombardier trailer car, and currently, nine coach cars are being retrofitted with bike racks so that there will be a bike car available on every train. Bicycle lockers are available at all stations with the exception of Pompano Beach and Miami.
Two new well-manicured pet-relief areas have been added on the east and west ends of the Palm Beach International Airport terminal outside the baggage claim, and the airport provides complimentary waste bags so owners can pick up after their pets.
                                
    For a healthier vacation, Kimpton’s Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa offers guests opportunities to unwind, rev up and detox at scheduled times throughout the day now through Sept. 24. Its “Morning Boosters” feature complimentary coffee and tea along with Kombucha shots and healthy bites. “Afternoon Iced Tea” in the lobby includes a glass of passion fruit mango tea, garnished with orange Jell-O cubes. Its Kimpton’s signature “Wine Hour” in the evening has a mental wellness twist with sangria and a complimentary evening snack.
    Also, hotel guests who mention the Summer of Wellness secret password “farmers market” on the property will score additional complimentary surprises and delights. The resort is at 2842 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach. For information, call 540-6440.
                                
    Crane’s Beach House Boutique Hotel & Luxury Villas will host its Sept. 17 Thursday Fun-Raiser for the Plumosa School of the Arts. The food will be from Papa’s Tapas. Open to the public, the event will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the hotel’s Tiki Bar. Admission, which comes with one free drink ticket, is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Crane’s is at 82 Gleason St. in Delray Beach.
                                
    Heroes Sports Bar & Grill, 224 N. Third St., Lantana, celebrated its grand opening mid-August.
                                
    FLAVOR Palm Beach is back for its eighth September, offering foodies the chance to experience dishes from discounted prix fixe menus at more than 50 Palm Beach County restaurants. They will showcase three-course lunches for $20 and dinners from $30. The Palm Beach County Food Bank will receive a benefit for reservations made through www.FlavorPB.com, and each new UBER rider using the code Flavor2015 will get a free ride and earn the Food Bank $5. For a full list of participating restaurants and menus, visit www.FlavorPB.com. Reservations are suggested.  
                                
    The Palm Beach Poetry Festival will host the Fifth Annual 100K Poets and Musicians for Change poetry reading at the Bottega Wine Bar at 3 p.m. Sept. 26. A global happening, this free event will take place at the same time in more than 800 venues in 115 countries. Poets are invited to read and perform their work or a poem by another poet that promotes social, political, environmental sustainability, and change. Between poetry readings, guest musicians are invited to play songs for peace. Participants and attendees must be at least 21 years old. The wine bar is at 4455 Lyons Road,  No. 102, in Coconut Creek.
                                
    When it comes to showing the public an awesome time, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach events take the prize(s). The proof? A total of 13 SUNsational awards from The Florida Festivals & Events Association for Delray Beach and four awards for Boynton Beach. The Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative received four awards; Festival Management Group received six awards; the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce picked up two; and the Delray Beach Center for the Arts walked away with one. The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency received four SUNsational awards.
                                
    The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce Business Expo & Member Mixer will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 16, at the Boynton Beach Mall, 801 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach. The Business Expo is free and open to the public.
    Also, the chamber will host its annual Porges Cup Golf Tournament at Quail Ridge Country Club on Oct. 2. Registration and lunch are at 11:30 a.m. followed by shotgun start at 12:45 p.m. A ticket costs $150 for a single player and $550 for a foursome. The country club is at 3715 Golf Road, Boynton Beach. For information, call the chamber at 732-9501.
                                
    Almost 50 Palm Beach County companies made this year’s Inc. 500|5000 list. Eight companies made it to the top 500: Fresh Meal Plan, TouchSuite, EverBright Media, Real Strategic, BurgerFi, Ronnie Coleman Signature Series, Modernizing Medicine and MobileHelp. In the top 5000 are included Tint World, Boca Beauty Academy and The Learning Experience.

A rendering of the spec home at 6125 N. Ocean Blvd. in Ocean Ridge, which is on the market for $18.95 million.

Rendering provided

    Corcoran agents Randy Ely and Nicholas Malinosky just listed a new oceanfront house at 6125 N. Ocean Blvd., Ocean Ridge, for $18.95 million.

    “This is the first spec house in the estate section of Ocean Ridge where a property for a new development has not been available until now,” Ely said. By estate section, he’s referring to this property and a half-dozen of its neighbors, each with a single-family home on 400-foot-deep, direct-oceanfront lots.
    This house, which is slated to be completed in 14 months, will be built by Mark Timothy Inc. (principal Mark Pulte), designed by Affinity Architects with interior designs by Marc Michaels.
    According to the deed recorded July 7, 6125 North Ocean Boulevard LLC bought the property from Sherry Monroe Broadhead, an individual and trustee, for $5.5 million. Mark Timothy Inc. is listed as the authorized agent for 6125 North Ocean Boulevard LLC.
                                
    VRM Companies’ St. George at Delray Beach development, on North Federal Highway one block north of George Bush Boulevard in Delray Beach, went to market in late February, and was sold out by July. Designed by Richard Jones and engineered by Schnars Engineering, the project comprises 38 two-story Bermuda-style townhouses. Featuring two floor plans, the 2,400-square-foot units have three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms, two-car garages and loft areas.
    The project broke ground a month ago and will be completed in about a year. Prices ranged from the low $400,000s to $600,000, with the Corcoran Group handling the sales. A big plus: Each unit will have a two-car garage and driveway, said Corcoran agent Cameron Sydenham.
    “Compared to other urban developments where guest parking is a nightmare, St. George has no parking issues. It’s also low density, with only a total of 38 units spread out over three acres.”
    The majority of the buyers will be local residents, he predicted.
                                
    Because of the Florida Clerks’ significant budget deficit of $22.4 million for the current fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Palm Beach County Clerk’s Office’s courtside budget was cut $2.6 million. To accommodate the shortfall, 41 full-time and 16 part-time positions were cut, and the Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens branch offices will be closed to the public on Sept. 4 and 18.
                                
    Boca Raton resident Scott Gregory has been appointed as the director of operations for the South Florida Wildlife Center. Gregory most recently served as director of the Great Bend Zoo in Great Bend, Kan. Before that, he was the wildlife director at Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers.
                                
    Waste Management Public Affairs Manager Teresa Chandler won the PRSA Sunshine Radiance Award in the newsletter category for Waste Management. These awards recognize outstanding strategic public relations programs by Florida practitioners or organizations highlighting campaigns that demonstrate excellence in research, planning, implementation and evaluation.


Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

Amanda Pamas, 23, of Delray Beach hangs from silks

during a class held by Lucy Nguyen at Sunshine Circus Arts in Delray Beach.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Sierra Lewis, 17, taking a summer break from Idaho, hangs from silks during a class

given by Lucy Nguyen at Sunshine Circus Arts in Delray Beach.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Nguyen prepares student Carol Kane, of Boynton Beach,

to soar on yellow silk.

By Lona O’Connor

    Two young British ice skaters are practicing on aerial silks under Lucy Nguyen’s supervision.
    Mia Drury, 13, who already spent six months at circus school in Sarasota, is completely at ease.
    Her friend Morgan Swales, 16, takes a little while to get the hang of hanging upside down, supported  by little else than the end of a long strip of aerial silk fabric wrapped strategically around her foot and leg. But she is soon gliding, too, arms outstretched like a ballerina.
    The bright red and yellow silks are used by people practicing aerial dance, a hybrid form of gymnastics and dance, made world-famous by Cirque du Soleil.

    The silks are affixed to the very high ceiling of the Delray Beach warehouse located just west of I-95 where Nguyen, who says she is over 40, runs Sunshine Circus Arts. The girls shimmy up the silks, high over the thick mat that covers the floor. They seem to float upside down or sideways, adding yoga-like twists and splits that are as beautiful to look at as they are difficult to achieve.
Making aerial dance look effortless takes months of developing strength and flexibility. (Aerial dance is different from aerial yoga, which also uses silks to assist with poses.)
    Karen Drury explains that working on aerial silks adds upper-body and core strength, making it excellent cross-training for her daughter, who, with her brother Henry, is already a British champion pairs skater.
    It’s not necessary to be an elite athlete to benefit from aerial dance. Some people who practice aerial dance, like Carol Datura Riot, 33, have no aspirations to join Cirque du Soleil — and a distaste for heights.
    “I did gymnastics in high school, and I have been wanting to do silks,” said Riot, of Boynton Beach, who makes costumes and accessories for devotees of superheroes, gothic and anime characters. “It works on every part of your body.”
    She arranges herself in a full split as handily as the two teens did. After she finishes her silks routine, she discreetly takes several very deep breaths. She is philosophical about working alongside young elite-level athletes.
    “You know they’re going to outperform you on every level,” she says, climbing the silks again.
    As for heights, she just doesn’t look down.
    Some take aerial dance to the heights of performance, twirling off bridges and sheer mountain faces.
    There is even a job market for those who are adept at aerial dance, especially if they have gymnastics or other athletic backgrounds.
    At Florida State University, Nguyen performed as many as eight shows a week with the FSU circus troupe. She also has worked at the South Florida Fair and has been part of the background entertainment at parties and fundraisers.
    “You’re being pretty for an hour, you’re part of the ambiance,” said Nguyen. “There are even people who do aerial bartending, upside down, pouring drinks.”
    For those not too faint of heart for aerial dance, the physical benefits are many.
    “You use your legs, you keep your body strong and tight,” said Nguyen, who studied circus arts at FSU and teaches adults, children and families. “It’s fun, so you don’t realize you’re building your strength up. I lift myself, climb, do flips and twists. It’s not as mindless as other types of exercise. But it definitely takes a lot of energy. You have to be able to think and do and still breathe.
    “You can come in cold, depending on how strong you are and how active you’ve been,” said Nguyen. “I have some ladies in their 40s and 50s who do it. It can be frustrating and hard. Like anything new, it depends on how you stick to it.”
    The key is the development of upper-body strength.
    “I suggest that people who have never hung by their hands or their legs should start by doing pull-ups at the local park,” said Nguyen.
    She starts out new students with the silks arranged like a hammock.
    “You stand in it, you lean back in it, you feel your body weight in the hammock and get used to the hand grip,” said Nguyen. “Then we work on one-leg lifts, straddle, basic rollup, different positions, to feel how challenging it is.”

For a class schedule, visit www.sunshinecircusarts.com.

Members of Sunshine Circus Arts will perform during the Carousel Carnival at Pompano Citi Centre, southwest corner of Copans Road at U.S. 1. The carnival runs 6-9 p.m. Sept. 18. For information, call  (954) 943-4683.

Dr. Mary Gardner, co-founder of Lap of Love,

checks the heartbeat of a client’s cat.

Photo courtesy Lap of Love

By Arden Moore

    The only downside I see in adopting dogs or cats is that their lifespans are far too short. Because they live, on average, only into their teens, I remind myself to embrace each day that I am fortunate to be with my senior dogs, Chipper and Cleo, and my young orange tabby, Casey.
    Like many of you, I pray that they enjoy long, full lives and when the time is right, I will be able to say goodbye and give them a loving send-off. But often when a pet becomes gravely ill, we feel powerless. We struggle with whether or not to extend expensive medical care or to have the pet euthanized in a veterinary clinic. No matter what decision we make, we find ourselves second-guessing ourselves whether we made the right call at the right time for our four-legged companion.
    Fortunately, there is a new ally to help us and our dying pets — pet hospice care. This veterinary medical specialty focuses on two missions: to provide comforting veterinary care for terminally ill or geriatric pets, and to address the emotional needs of pet parents and counsel them on what to expect.
    A pair of veterinarians, Dr. Mary Gardner and Dr. Dani McVety, co-founded Lap of Love in 2010. This Florida-based company has grown to provide pet hospice care now in nearly two dozen states.
    “The most important message I can tell people who have pets who are old or struggling with a medical condition is to not give up,” says Gardner. “All too often, I see pets for a euthanasia who would have greatly benefited from hospice care. There are many medications we can provide to our pets that can make their final months more enjoyable, most of which are not expensive.”
    She adds, “Veterinary hospice provides pets comfort, pain relief, anxiety relief and the love they need during the final stage of their life. Hospice provides owners the tools to manage their pets not only medically and physically, but also emotionally. Most importantly, we help owners plan for the goodbye.”

Gizmo (above) is a 14-year-old Lhasa Apso suffering from arthritis who has only limited use

of his remaining eye. Cabo (below) was euthanized in the presence of many friends.

Photos courtesy Melissa Crowe and Danielle Angel

    Melissa Crowe of Boca Raton fell instantly in love the day she adopted an 8-week-old Lhasa Apso pup, Gizmo. When Gizmo was about 9, Crowe was bedridden with two broken legs from a motorcycle accident.
    “Gizmo never left my side and when I was in a wheelchair, he rode in my lap,” she recalls. “That dog knew I was in pain and he was my angel. He knew his job was to be by side.”
    Gizmo is now 14 and coping with arthritis and a very limited use of one eye (the other was surgically removed due to a detached retina condition). Crowe knows Gizmo is nearing the end of his life and heard about Lap of Love from a friend who used the pet hospice care services for her 19-year-old cat.
    “Pet hospice care, to me, is a better option than just euthanizing in a veterinary clinic,” says Crowe. “This is huge for people who care about their pets. My grandma lived to be 102 and had hospice care. To me, I regard people in the hospice field as angels. They make something so difficult so much better.”
    Danielle Angel agrees. This Boca Raton resident credits the Lap of Love hospice care for helping her through the recent passing of her Yorkshire terrier named Cabo.
    “I went to adopt a Yorkie puppy from a breeder and before I entered her house, I heard cries and found Cabo in her trash can,” recalls Angel. “I confronted the breeder and she told me that that’s what you do with sick puppies. I rescued Cabo and took him immediately to a veterinary clinic. From day 1, we have had an amazing bond.”
    According to Angel, Cabo was born with an intestinal malabsorption disorder and saw many specialists during his 11½ years. As his health faded, Angel took her brother’s advice and sought pet hospice care.
    “I did not want Cabo to suffer and I wanted to be able to say goodbye to him in my own home where he felt safe,” she says.
    Dr. Laura Allison of Lap of Love paid many visits to Cabo and Angel and performed the at-home euthanasia on Cabo, who was surrounded by friends.
    “Dr. Laura was so loving and caring and we were able to have enough time for everyone to pay their respects to Cabo,” says Angel. “I know I saved him from that trash can years ago, but he also saved me and blessed my life with so much love. The care, attention and thoughtfulness I received from Lap of Love and Dr. Laura is immeasurable.”
    And so is the power of love unleashed by our pets.
The fee varies, depending on the type of service: in-home hospice, in-home euthanasia or phone consults.  It can be $200 for an in-person consultation /veterinary visit. Call to find what the fees will be for your specific requests/services.
    To learn more about Lap of Love’s services, visit www.lapoflove.com.

Arden Moore, founder of www.FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on www.Pet Life Radio.com.  Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.

The new Bon Samaritan Episcopal Church

in Bondeau, Haiti, is finally large enough for the town.

Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine
    The South Florida Haiti Project, a nonprofit outreach ministry based in South Florida, joined in the dedication of a newly built Episcopal church in Bondeau, Haiti, on July 12. The new Bon Samaritan Episcopal Church is now the largest Episcopal church in Haiti.
    The Rev. Andrew Sherman, president of South Florida Haiti Project and rector of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton, said the need for a church was clear. Services had been held in a classroom large enough for about 75 people. The problem? More than 350 people wanted to attend. Many would stand or sit outside.
    At the dedication, the children of Bondeau played music on refurbished instruments they received from SFHP through a United Thanks Offering Grant. The grant money purchased 55 instruments and will pay the salary of a music teacher at the church school for one year.
    SFHP was formed in 2010 to advance St. Gregory’s work in Haiti. Its partners include St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach, the Chapel of St. Andrew in Boca Raton, St. Andrew’s Schools in Boca Raton, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Tequesta, the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Palm City, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Palmetto Bay and many others. For more information, call 212-8104 or 445-5440.

Avenue Church anniversary
    The Avenue Church, which meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at the Delray Beach Community Center, 50 NW First Ave., Delray Beach, will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Sept. 27 with a special sermon of gratitude followed by a good old-fashioned potluck feast.
    Pastor Casey Cleveland said when the church started, it had a core of about nine people. That jumped quickly to 25 within a few weeks, and now the church has more than 115 core members and lots of other congregants who haven’t made a commitment yet.
    “Our church has a real family feel,” Cleveland said by phone. “We’re a neighborhood church and we’re proud to be part of Delray Beach. The city has been very welcoming to us.”
    The church has a varied demographic, Cleveland said. “You can find a CEO, a doctor, a homeless person and teenager sitting together. We meet in a gymnasium and I think that helps people get in the right frame of mind.” Cleveland says.     People dress casually, in jeans or shorts. “We’re an unpolished church for unpolished people,” Cleveland said.
    The anniversary service and potluck begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 27, at Delray Beach Community Center. If your last name begins with A-H, bring a dessert. I-P bring drinks. Q-Z bring a side dish. The main dish is provided.
    For more information, call 927-4000 or email info@theavechurch.com.

Rector search continues
    St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Delray Beach continues its search for a rector.
    The website offered an update: “Although many members of the rector search committee are out of town for the season and others are frequently traveling, the committee has continued to move forward without delay.”
    It had been conducting interviews via Skype, but Bishop Coadjutor Peter Eaton cautioned the committee not to “settle for a good enough candidate. St. Paul’s is in the enviable position of being able to carry on as long as necessary to find a great rector.”
    The Rev. David Knight has been serving as the interim rector since Sept. 1, 2013, and he’ll continue to serve until a permanent rector is found.  
    Michael Armstrong and Kristen Murtaugh, who spoke for the rector search committee, also said, “Please be assured that although we are in the ‘quiet phase’ of the search process, the search is very active and is proceeding well.”
    Have questions? Email: rectorsearchstpauls@gmail.com.

Interfaith Café: Atonement
    The Interfaith Café will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. The Interfaith Cafe promotes interfaith dialogue, awareness, and understanding by uniting people of different faiths in conversation. September’s topic is Atonement in Our Faith Traditions.
    Coffee, tea and light desserts are served. A donation of $5 is requested to defray expenses. For information, call Pablo at 901-3467.

Welcome, Kelly Williams
    Kelly Williams joined First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton in June as the new associate director of music. Williams’ responsibilities will be directing the music ministry on the west campus and working with the pastor in worship planning, directing the choir and playing the organ and piano for the services.
    Williams plans to start a children’s choir in September with children from both campuses. First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton has campuses at 625 NE Mizner Blvd., and 9087 Glades Road. For information, call 395-1244;  www.fumcbocaraton.org ;

New synagogue
    Congregation Beit Kulam will be holding High Holy Days services at The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.
    Rabbi Joan Cubell, formerly at Temple Beth Shira, will lead. She’s the first female to be ordained as Rabbi with s’micha (rabbinical ordination) from Tifereth Israel Rabbinical Yeshiva in its 60-year history. She is also the first woman to be accepted as a member of the American Council of Rabbis.
    As she looked for a venue, Cubell knew she didn’t want a high school.
    “I didn’t want the venue to be too big,” she said. “Or too impersonal.” Beit Kulam means The House of Everyone and the rabbi wants people to feel comfortable. The Wick Theatre proved a great compromise. “It’s gorgeous and intimate. And I believe in supporting local businesses.”
    Community support and outreach are part of the congregation’s core message. “There are a lot of unaffiliated Jewish families in our area and I want to reach out to them.”
    At the services, you can expect a lot of music. Cubell’s team, Cantor Geniene Miller and music and choir director Cantor Jennifer Werby, holds services that “are very participatory, very warm, highly spiritual and very welcoming. Everyone feels like they are part of the family.”
    Rosh Hashanah services will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13, and 10 a.m. Sept. 14. Yom Kippur services will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 (Kol Nidre) and 10 a.m. Sept. 23 (with Yizkor).
    A Break the Fast meal will be served at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23. Free children’s Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services are also offered.
    Tickets are $125 for members, $140 for nonmembers, and $50 for students and children.
    Break the Fast meal tickets are $40-$50. For tickets and information, call 995-2333.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.

Team Nailed It caught this 71.6-pound wahoo trolling in 300 feet of water north of Boynton Inlet

to walk away with the heaviest overall fish prize in this year’s Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament.

The 21st annual Gerretson tournament, on Aug. 8, was based at Deck 84 restaurant in Delray Beach.

From left are Nailed It team members Shannon Huner, Eric Schroeder, Steve Bunch and Capt. Ed Rose.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    A team of anglers fishing in the Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament brought to the scales what is possibly the largest tournament fish of the season so far in Palm Beach County: a 71.6-pound wahoo.
    Team Nailed It, led by Ed Rose of Boca Raton, caught the huge wahoo by trolling a bonito strip rigged behind a purple Ilander lure in 300 feet off the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa (north of Boynton Inlet).
    Team member Steve Bunch of Lantana said they caught the wahoo around 11:30 a.m. and said it was their only bite of the tournament.
The Nailed It team donated 10 percent of their $8,000 winnings ($800) back to the Gerretson tournament, which benefits youth causes in the Delray Beach area.
    The Hold Please team won the dolphin division with a 24.6-pound mahi mahi caught on a live goggle-eye fished under floating debris in about 900 feet of water south of Boynton Inlet.
    Team Emijess, led by T.J. Andrews of Delray Beach, won the “Mark’s Trifecta” prize for catching all three species of fish in the tournament — kingfish, dolphin and wahoo.
    The Emijess anglers also caught the heaviest kingfish, 25.8 pounds.
    Tucker Sheehan, 11, of Boynton Beach won the junior angler division with the 10.6-pound kingfish he caught while fishing with his dad, Capt. Chip Sheehan, on Chip’s Ahoy.
    This year’s tournament attracted 42 boats and was based at the Deck 84 restaurant in Delray Beach.

The boater’s ditch bag, used for near-shore ocean fishing

on a 23-foot boat, includes, from left, light sticks, emergency rations, a whistle,

drinking water, cord for tethering people together, a hand-held VHF radio,

a personal locator beacon, a strobe light and a flashlight. The floating yellow ditch bag

also contains sunscreen and a basic first-aid kit.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    The disappearance of two boys who ran a 19-foot boat into the ocean off Jupiter in July reminds everyone who operates a boat on the ocean of a simple fact: the need to be prepared to survive and call for help if the boat fails.
    Family members said the 14-year-old boys, Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, were avid fishermen and experienced boaters. They were last seen at fuel docks near Jupiter Inlet the morning of July 24. The Coast Guard found their capsized boat two days later, drifting off Volusia County.
    An extensive search followed, but the teens have not been found.
    It’s not clear what safety equipment the boys had on their boat. But it’s fair to say that if they’d had access to drinking water,  life jackets and a satellite beacon when the boat capsized, the boys would have had a far greater chance of being rescued.
    How prepared should boaters be to roam the vast Atlantic waters off South Florida? To some degree, it depends on how far they’re planning to venture from land and the type of boat they’re running.
    But generally speaking, boaters headed into the ocean off Palm Beach County — where the Gulf Stream current typically flows north at walking speed — should carry some type of floating emergency kit, best known as a ditch bag, that can be grabbed as quickly as life jackets.
    What should a boater’s ditch bag contain?
    Ted Sensenbrenner, assistant director of boating safety for the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, said boaters should think of three things when assembling an emergency bag: being heard, being seen and being aware (in a clear state of mind).
    Here’s a list of ditch-bag items suggested by Sensenbrenner based on those three principles:
    • A cellphone in a waterproof bag.
    • A hand-held VHF radio, kept charged and ready to use, allows you to reach other boaters in your area (and could enable you to reach the Coast Guard if you were close enough to shore). Every other boater on the water, within range, can hear a mayday distress call if his boat’s VHF radio is tuned to Channel 16. A boater who is already on the water might respond well before the Coast Guard begins a search.
    • A satellite beacon. Personal locator beacons, or PLBs, can be purchased for about $250. Prices for EPIRBs (emergency position-indicating radio beacons) start at about $450. Once activated, the beacon sends a boater’s identifying information and location through a network of satellites and ground stations, alerting the U.S. Mission Control Center in Maryland, to begin the rescue process. Satellite beacons must be registered with NOAA and maintained to be effective.
(Note: BoatUS rents EPIRBs and PLBs for those planning boat trips such as a Bahamas crossing. Prices start at $45 a week. Go to www.Boatus.org and click on “equipment rentals.”)
    • Signal devices, including flares designed for day and nighttime use, strobe lights that can be attached to life jackets, a waterproof flashlight and a signal mirror.
    • Drinking water, along with food bars and/or sealed emergency rations. A basic first-aid kit and prescription medications needed by those on board also are recommended.
    “You can’t really come up with a rescue plan unless you’ve nourished your body and your brain,” Sensenbrenner said.
    Ditch bags should be clearly labeled and kept in an easy-to-reach place. A well-stocked ditch bag is worthless if it goes down with the boat. Everyone on board should be made aware of the location of life jackets and the ditch bag before getting underway.
    For the bag itself, choose a bright color that could be spotted easily from the air if you were adrift in the ocean. Bags designed for boating emergencies are often yellow, trimmed with reflective tape and have pockets for radios, flashlights, satellite beacons and other emergency gear.
    Don’t be overwhelmed by the cost and time needed to assemble a ditch bag. A basic emergency boating bag is better than none at all, but Sensenbrenner said a personal locator beacon, or PLB, “should be part of a serious boater’s gear.”
    Capt. Nick Cardella of Boca Raton-based Nick C Fishing Charters said he carries a ditch bag when he’s headed offshore to fish for dolphin or swordfish on his 28-foot Bluewater.
    “It really is something you should carry on the boat,” he said. “Storms come up fast.”
    For longer trips, such as crossings to the Bahamas, consider a life raft. Life rafts can be rented for those who plan to use them only a few times a year. They inflate automatically and are typically stocked with survival gear.
    Capt. Geno Pratt, who operates the 51-foot Geno IV charter boat based at Boynton Harbor Marina, carries an eight-man life raft and an EPIRB that activates automatically on trips to the Bahamas.
    “Make sure you have good life jackets and an EPIRB,” Pratt said. “That will save you.”

Just say ‘wahoo!’
    David Belzer caught a 42-pound, 1-ounce wahoo July 25 by simply drifting a dead sardine at night on the Living on Island Time drift boat.
    Capt. Max Parker said Belzer was drifting the sardine on a pair of 5/0 hooks and about 5 feet of 50-pound-test monofilament leader, which could have easily been severed by the toothy wahoo.
    The Island Time was drifting in 160 feet of water off Delray Beach when the wahoo struck around 9 p.m.

September events
    Sept. 1: Snook season opens and remains open through Dec. 14. A Florida saltwater fishing license and a snook permit (unless exempt) are required. Daily bag limit: one snook. To be legal to keep, snook must measure between 28 and 32 inches in total length. Different rules apply to snook taken on the state’s west coast and the Florida Keys. Details: www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational.
    Sept. 19: X Generation 440 Challenge fishing tournament for kingfish, dolphin and wahoo. Includes $500 prize for heaviest cobia, mutton or yellowtail snapper and bonito or blackfin tuna. Based at Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo. Captain’s meeting 5-8 p.m. Sept. 18 at Palm Beach Yacht Center. Entry fee $250. Details: 577-0706 or www.xgeneration440.com.
    Sept. 19: Volunteers needed for the Coastal Cleanup. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at most locations, including Spanish River Park and South Inlet Park in Boca Raton; the Sandoway House Nature Center in Delray Beach; Ocean Inlet Park in Ocean Ridge; and Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach. Details: www.keeppbcbeautiful.org.
    Sept. 24: CCA/Florida’s South Palm Beach County Chapter holds its fifth annual banquet and auction, 6 p.m., Benvenuto restaurant, 1730 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Tickets: $100 per person. Corporate tables for 10 guests $1,500. Call Matthew Behm, 644-2788 or email: mbehm@ccaflorida.org.
    Sept. 26: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 54, 8 a.m. at the Coast Guard Auxiliary building (next to the boat ramps) at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, Boynton Beach. Fee $40. Call Ron Cuneo, 389-1850.

George Culver holds spiny lobsters he bagged while diving during the last day of the mini season July 30

on the Delta’s Splash dive boat based at Boynton Harbor Marina. The Two Georges restaurant at the marina

is named for Culver’s late father and grandfather, who also operated drift fishing boats bearing the same name.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

Tip of the month
    Dive for spiny lobster. Boat traffic often dwindles with the opening of school and the sometimes-stormy weather associated with the peak of the hurricane season. Late summer storms can stir the lobsters around, sometimes causing them to line up and walk along the bottom, looking for new places to hide.
     A quick recap of the rules: A lobster’s head section must measure at least 3 inches to be legal to keep. No egg-bearing lobster may be taken. The daily bag limit is six. A saltwater fishing license and lobster permit are required unless exempt. The season remains open through March 31.
    Boats supporting divers or snorkelers should fly a red-and-white dive flag (at least 20 by 24 inches), and divers in the water should tow a float-mounted dive flag or a float displaying the dive-flag emblem.
    Boat operators must stay at least 300 feet away from dive flags/floats in open water and at least 100 feet away in inlets, channels and rivers. Those approaching closer should do so at idle speed.
    No boat? Try looking for lobster under rocky ledges or around wrecks accessible from the beach, but don’t forget to tow a float-mounted dive flag while you’re searching.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

Volunteers plant mangroves on a small island built to improve water quality and habitat as part

of the Grassy Flats restoration project. They planted about 450 small mangroves and 4,000 sprigs of Spartina grass.

The two Grassy Flats islands are near the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

Miss Cathy (Cathy Hazard) sings a song about zoo animals at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton.

At left are Isla Chorzelewski, 2, and her mother, Alison.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

     The experts at Kindermusik International — which has 5,000 teachers worldwide — say it’s never too early to benefit from music ediucation.
    Over three decades, Kindermusik educators in the U.S. have taught more than 1.5 million students (some as young as 8 weeks old).
    One of the local Kindermusik teachers is  Cathy Hazard. She has been working with children for more than 20 years and teaching Kindermusik techniques to kids ages 2 months to 4 years in Boca Raton and Delray Beach for more than 10.
    Hazard is a Kindermusik “maestro,” the organization’s word for a top performer.
    Parents are partners in their child’s education, and the parents learn as much as the kids do in the beginning.
    Mom or Dad, or Grandma or, in some cases, the nanny, take the techniques, the rhythms and rhymes, home with them to practice together — which strengthens the parent-child bond, Hazard said.
    Studies proving the relationship between music education and improved verbal and reading abilities, spatio-temporal reasoning, even the ability to raise IQ have been widely performed over the last decade. They came to the same conclusion: Learning music helps students academically.
    A study published in December 2014, by Dr. James Hudziak at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, found music education also provides tremendous benefits to children’s emotional and behavioral maturation. “What we found was the more a child trained on an instrument,” Hudziak told The Washington Post, “it accelerated cortical organization in attention skill, anxiety management and emotional control.”
    So, less anxiety, better concentration and fewer mood swings.

    Growing up, Hazard, 59, and her family were all musically inclined and loved singing together so much people compared them to the von Trapp family.
    Hazard was naturally good at building businesses and she hopscotched through a few careers before an epiphany 10 years ago.
“I kind of lost my smile climbing the corporate ladder,” Hazard said.  “I needed to do something different.”
    She had a friend who had a Gymboree franchise and she needed help. Hazard took over its music program and found she loved it. She liked being silly and playing with babies and coaching stressed moms in connecting with their kids through music. When the company changed hands, Hazard struck out on her own. Kindermusik seemed like a good fit, and it was.
    Now Hazard, who lives in Boca Raton, teaches nine 45-minute classes each week at either Sugar Sand Park on Military Trail or Patch Reef Park on Yamato Road. The symbiotic relationship with the parks system helps raise the visibility of both groups. “We have an amicable relationship,” Hazard said.
    A 12-week session costs from $204 to $255, plus a materials fee of $50 to $75, so it’s not insignificant.
    Jennie Kreger of Boca Raton enrolled son Charlie, now 4, in Miss Cathy’s class when he was a baby. Now Charlie has moved on to preschool and Kreger has been bringing her daughter Annie, now 2, since she was 6 months old. Kreger had seen the positive effects of the program on her niece and nephew and wanted to give her own children the same opportunities.
    “It’s amazing how quickly they pick up the songs,” she said. Annie knows all the words and motions to I’m a Little Tea Pot. “Miss Cathy has a way of engaging even infants. She’s very encouraging to parents, and she grows the class at each child’s pace, to match the child’s ability.
    “Another thing that was really important to me,” Kreger said, “was she was very liberal about makeups. Kids get sick. Things come up. She got that.”
    Maybe because she was a mom herself. Hazard raised three kids (they’re 40, 37 and 35 now) and has five grandchildren. But she’s become a part of many of the families she taught.
    “My belief is I am their very first teacher,” she said. “It’s my duty to make sure they feel loved, respected, nurtured and heard.”
She sees her role as a sort of bonus grandmother. “We work on core skills,” she said. Things that can be measured or quantified, like colors and letters and body parts.
    The best part, Hazard said, is when a mom comes in and says, “You’re not going to believe what my kid did!”
    “That makes my heart sing,” Hazard said.
    Susan Pavao of Boca Raton also teaches for Kindermusik, but her kids are a little older, from 18 months to 3 years old.
    “I average approximately 125-150 students per session and I have three sessions per year and I have been teaching for more than 13 years.” She also teaches music in Hebrew school to grades K through 3 as well as private guitar and piano lessons.
    “Some of my families are on their third or fourth child with me. I have a lot of repeat families.” Pavao’s oldest student is 16 now and he started in music with her at 12 months.

    “When children fall in love with music, it’s something they have their whole lives,” Pavao said.

A powered parachute flies above a sunset yoga class taught by Jessica Om on July 19 at Atlantic Dunes Park

in Delray Beach. Om has been teaching the Sunday class since 2010. She recently added a Wednesday class.

The classes meet 5:30-7:30 p.m. A $10-$15 donation is suggested.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Three centenarians were honored at  The Fountains in Boca Raton on July 27. Fountains employees posed

with the ladies, front row, (l -r) Anne Greenberg, who turned 101 on March 13; Margaret W. Fuller,

who turned 109 on July 2; and Dorothy Furci who turned 102 on June 27.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steven J. Smith

    Living to be 100 or more means a big birthday bash, a lot of candles to blow out and an onslaught of people asking you to share your secrets to longevity.
    Three women who live at The Fountains nursing and rehabilitation center in Boca Raton can relate.
    Margaret Fuller, 109, Dorothy Furci, 102, and Anne Greenberg,101, were recently honored with a special combined birthday celebration at the home.
    In 1906, the year Margaret Fuller was born, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47, the average wage was 22 cents an hour and a dozen eggs cost just 4 cents. Fuller lived an active life, working as a teacher and even appeared on the stage, in a play called The Dark Tower.
    Born in Chicago, she moved to Boca Raton many years ago from Washington, D.C., and has been a resident of The Fountains since 2011. She married George Milan Fuller in September of 1929. He died in 1967. The couple has one son, William Henry Fuller, who revealed the secret to his mother’s prolonged existence.
    “She said the key to her longevity was she had a drink of expensive vodka nightly,” he said.
    Dorothy Furci, born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1913, was an only child and pursued a career as a bookkeeper and office manager. She has two stepchildren, Marie and Francis. Particular about her impeccable appearance, she developed an enviable reputation for dressing meticulously. The secret to her enduring legacy? Eating well and avoiding excess.
 “And always treat others with kindness,” she said.
    Anne Greenberg was born in Amsterdam, N.Y., in 1914, at the beginning of World War I. She attended Hebrew school as a young girl and later worked as an insurance sales agent. Her three sisters and one brother are deceased, but she has two children, Sydell and Stewart. She has lived at The Fountains 10 years.
    She said her secret to living a long life was in remaining faithful with her doctors’ appointments and staying focused on maintaining her health. She also recommends taking time out to smell the roses.
    “My favorite time of the year is the spring, because I enjoy looking at the flowers and listening to the birds,” she said.
    Kathy Marciante, The Fountains administrator, expressed her admiration and gratitude for having three residents that have reached such impressive milestones.
    “It is our privilege to have Margaret, Anne and Dorothy as part of our Fountains family,” Marciante said. “It is important to us to celebrate their birthdays and their long lives with their loved ones and friends.

    The no-kill Tri-County Animal Rescue of Boca Raton will soon be able to expand the shelter at 21287 Boca Rio Road.
    City officials on July 28 unanimously approved an amended lease agreement that will allow the organization to use an additional 5-acre parcel for the construction of a 9,000-square-foot isolation center and veterinarian clinic. The property was originally designated as a bird sanctuary and passive park when the city operated an animal shelter at the site.
    The amended lease agreement adds the parcel to the Tri-County Animal Rescue lease agreement.
    “I think this is wonderful,” said Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie, noting that Tri-County is embarking on a capital campaign to raise money for the addition.
    Tri-County Animal Rescue of Boca Raton leases the property where it is located from Boca Raton for an annual fee of $1, according to Suzi Goldsmith, the organization’s CEO.
    The additional parcel will make Tri-County Animal Rescue the largest regional 100 percent no-kill shelter that operates on 100 percent donations, according to a memo from Boca Raton City Manager Leif Ahnell.

— Sallie James

Wendy Friswell, 54, is executive director of Spirit of Giving. She lives

in Boca Raton with her husband, David, her daughter, Michelle, and her son, Ryan.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lucy Lazaroni

    For Wendy Friswell, giving is like breathing.
    Ask her a question about how to help a nonprofit, how to help a young person with a learning disability apply for college, where to donate clothes (she gives hers to women released from prison) and she will have a resourceful and loving answer for you in no time.
    “If you have an organization called Spirit of Giving you kind of open yourself to the world,” says Friswell, who took over as executive director of the Boca-based nonprofit last summer. “You can’t downsize that!”  
    Spirit of Giving unites more than 60 nonprofit organizations with a focus on children and families in southern Palm Beach County. Spirit of Giving members share resources and knowledge in monthly meetings that are open to the public and with Friswell’s lead, work with local businesses, community partners and engaged citizens to create change in Palm Beach County and beyond.
    “It’s a huge umbrella but we manage to do it with laughter,” Friswell says.  
    Friswell, who didn’t learn to read and write until she was 15, is solutions oriented and if she doesn’t know the full answer to a question she will direct you to a generous someone in the profit or nonprofit community who does.
    “My ability to navigate, to connect people to resources, is my way of giving back. It is my most commonsense input,” Friswell says. “I pull from my commonsense kit. That’s what makes me who I am.”
    Friswell grew up in Trinidad and when her mother left to come to America when she was 8, she basically raised herself, finding her own food, clothing and shelter, until her mother came back when she was 15.  
    “I sort of raised myself,” Friswell says. “Everyone was struggling, so no one stepped up to take the leadership role of parent. I navigated for myself.”
    In high school, Friswell had to play catch-up.
    “I loved school. I never missed a day. I couldn’t see why kids would drop out. I was addicted to school,” she remembers.
    At 18, she fell in love with dancing.
    “I discovered I had built-in rhythm.  Dance found me. Dance turned out to be my therapy for everything,” Friswell remembers.  
    And because her standardized test scores weren’t high enough for her to attend the university she wanted to as a freshman, she began her higher education career at a college for performing arts as a dancer and transferred to Temple University later on.
    Dancing gave her strong muscles and a lean figure so she entered beauty pageants and competitions, winning them to earn money for college.   
    “There’s always a way when you quiet your mind and don’t let anxiety take over. You can figure out the roadwork and find solutions. I don’t wallow. I always look for a way out,” she says.
    Friswell went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Temple and a master’s degree in recreation management from Florida International University. And she encouraged her mother, who had worked as a housekeeper in Philadelphia and as a nurse’s aide, to earn her high school equivalency diploma.    
    “My mom was never in a financial situation to support me,” Friswell explains.
“My mom was a single mom and she worked hard, very hard. She worked as a CNA. Her biggest accomplishment was getting her GED.  I wanted to break the cycle in reverse. I had to let her see in her time that she deserved an education.”  
    Prior to joining the Spirit of Giving, Friswell worked as a director at the American Association of Caregiving Youth, executive director of Twin Palms Center for the Disabled, director of the YMCA and park service officer and grant administrator for Dade County’s Parks and Recreation Department.
    As executive director of Spirit of Giving, Friswell is a passionate proponent of education for everyone, but especially the underserved youth in South Florida.  
    “Education is the key to changing everything in a person’s life. That’s why my No. 1 priority is to get you to school, to get you to learn. I don’t care how you learn. Everyone can learn. Everyone has ability. Everyone has strength. Everyone can pay it forward. And now it makes sense what I do.”  
    The Spirit of Giving’s annual Back to School Bash provides a backpack full of school supplies, a new pair of shoes and free health checkups for high-need children and their chaperones.  
    This invitation-only event will be held Aug. 8 at Village Academy in Delray Beach.  
    But there is a year-round need for donations and volunteers for the nonprofits providing services to high-need youths, including the growing number of foster children and homeless children in Palm Beach County.
    “People can still contribute. The Back to School Bash is a one-day event and the 60 nonprofits we work with, there’s a year-round need. What you give is still getting to the child,” Friswell says.  
    Spirit of Giving also offers volunteer training and matches for people interested in giving back to their community.
    “There are all kinds of needs and everyone has a talent,” Friswell says. “Share your talent. Touch someone else’s life with your talent.”

For Back to School Bash sponsorships, donations or volunteer training at the Spirit of Giving, call 385-0144 or visit spiritofgivingnetwork.com.

By Rich Pollack

    Rules governing the Boca Raton Airport Authority could soon be a bit more relaxed if bylaw changes hammered out last month receive final approval.
    In a meeting that had the potential to be contentious, Boca Raton Airport Authority members worked collaboratively to make significant changes to the board’s bylaws, which some members — as well as City Council members — had claimed were too restrictive.  
    The bylaws became a focus of the authority last month after one of two new members to the authority, Boca Raton Vice Mayor Robert Weinroth, recommended a series of changes that he said would improve communications with the public and the Boca Raton City Council.
    “There was a degree of formality in the bylaws that this new board found a little bit stifling to its processes,” Clara Bennett, the airport authority’s executive director, said.
    In a meeting that lasted more than three hours, authority members weeded out some of that formality and agreed that some rules addressing how members represent themselves on behalf of the governing body would be best pulled from the bylaws and placed in a less binding document.
    What specifically that document would be or what it would be called was not determined, but the focus seemed to be taking some of the teeth out of the bylaws while asking each member to act responsibly when representing the board.
    “It is the difference between a mandate and a guideline,” said board member Cheryl Budd.
    During the discussions, authority members agreed that they each have a duty to act professionally when representing the board and that overly restrictive bylaws aren’t necessary.
    “We shouldn’t feel constrained,” Weinroth said. “We have to trust the people on the board to act responsibly.”
    One section of the bylaws that was the topic of much discussion — and much change — dealt with rules requiring authority members to notify the executive director when they spoke to a member of the public regarding an item that was on the authority’s agenda or could possibly be on a future agenda. The executive director is required to keep a log that is classified as public record and open to public inspection.
    In an effort to balance transparency with open communication, the authority members agreed to work on language to be presented at the next meeting that would publicly identify conversations with professional lobbyists without limiting conversations with the public.
    Board members also have proposed changes to a section of the bylaws that required them to notify the executive director when they are invited to speak on behalf of the authority and submit any remarks they plan to make so they can be reviewed for accuracy and completeness.
    “I don’t think we should have to ask permission,” Weinroth said.
    During the meeting, Weinroth suggested the board change references within the bylaws that give authority to the chairman to make decisions or represent the board as a whole. “The common theme is that all seven of us are equal,” he said.
    The bylaws will be discussed again when the board meets on Aug. 19.

    Boca Raton’s proposed tax rate for the upcoming year will be discussed during the Aug. 11 City Council meeting, said Mike Woika, assistant city manager.
    The current tax rate held the line, at $3.71 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2014, slightly lower than the previous rate of $3.72 per $1,000 of assessed value due to a slight decrease in debt service.
— Sallie James

By Rich Pollack

    In the market for a used fire truck for special events or as your latest home and garden accessory?
    Highland Beach might have a deal for you.
    Town commissioners last month gave town officials the green light to send the town’s used ladder truck off to Tampa, where it will be auctioned to the highest bidder.
    But before you break out your checkbook, here’s something you should know: The 104-foot-long ladder truck is 20 years old and, well, not in the best of shape.
    In fact, during the last five years the truck has been broken down and out of service 43 percent of the time, almost half as long as it’s been working.
    Still, the auction house in Tampa handling the public sale of the truck says the aging fire apparatus could end up selling for $35,000 to $50,000.
    Not all of that money, however, would go to the town since the auction house takes a percentage of the sale price and will also be reimbursed for towing the truck to Tampa.
    For years, Highland Beach town leaders have been wrestling with what to do with the aging fire truck as well as with an aging rescue vehicle it owns.
    The town, which has its own fire station but has a contract with Delray Beach Fire-Rescue for staffing, considered repairing the ladder truck, but it was determined that the cost of $32,000 for repairs to a fire truck built in 1994 was not financially prudent.
    Delray Beach has been providing Highland Beach with a fire truck while the truck has been out of service and town commissioners look for a long-term solution.
    “We have a fire truck in the fire house right now and we’ll always have a fire truck available,” Town Manager Beverly Brown said. “We’re negotiating with Delray for a contract that would include leasing a new fire truck and a rescue vehicle.”
    The town is also exploring other options, including leasing equipment from other area departments. Complicating the process is Delray Beach’s continued consideration of contracting with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue for service in the future.
    Commissioners have also discussed the possibility of purchasing a new ladder truck, although the estimated cost of between $900,000 and $950,000 has made that option less attractive.
    Buying a new truck would need voter approval since the town requires a referendum on any expenses over $350,000. Voters in 2010 rejected the proposed purchase of a new truck, which then was expected to cost about $810,000.
    The town’s contract with Delray Beach Fire-Rescue for staffing of the fire station and equipment goes through 2017.

By Sallie James

    They say three times is a charm. But in the case of Chabad of East Boca Raton, it was actually more.
    After four hours of lengthy discussion, City Council members late July 28 voted 5-0 in favor of the ambitious beachside orthodox synagogue. The project was up for reconsideration because two appeals challenging the Planning and Zoning Board’s site plan approval had been filed by unhappy neighborhood groups.
    “We are very appreciative and very elated that the Council affirmed its previous approval. We look forward to moving forward from here,” said a smiling Rabbi Ruvi New, as he clasped hands with joyous congregants.
    Council members voted to affirm the previously approved site plan with a modification to ensure the project has adequate handicap parking. The synagogue is planned for 770 E. Palmetto Park Road.
    “In Jewish law, when something occurs three times it sets a precedent,” New said. “We were confident that the precedent would stand.”

   Both appeals claimed the Planning and Zoning Board’s approval of the synagogue’s site plan had been done without careful consideration of all the facts.
    New concedes the fierce opposition to the project has been much more than he ever expected.
    “Obviously it’s a more scenic route than we anticipated,” New said. “The point is, we are on a route and we do have a destination and we are going to get there, God willing.”
    Residents who live in the neighborhoods on the barrier island near the proposed synagogue say it is too ambitious, will draw too much traffic and create parking issues on the 0.84-acre piece of property.
    “This is absolutely tearing my neighborhood apart,” said resident Linda Sheridan, who lives nearby at 710 Marble Way, and supports the project. “I am just very saddened by this. I keep hearing the term injurious. Prolonging this is actually injurious.”
Proponents have claimed the property is perfect for the proposed 18,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art synagogue and world-class, interactive Israel museum and believe the project will increase nearby property values.
    However, an attorney speaking on behalf of one of the groups of homeowners opposed to the synagogue said too many questions had been raised about the project’s compliance with city code to move forward. He urged Council members to send the project back to the Planning and Zoning Board for clarification.
    “We are not going to solve it by people getting up and saying, ‘I am in favor,’ or ‘I object.’ The question is what is right,” said Attorney Arthur C. Koski. “I urge you to just step back, look at things with a clear eye and ask yourself is this project in its current form appropriately sited at this location.”
    He warned, “Act prudently. It is of no harm to send this back to the Planning and Zoning board. This is irreversible.”
The project last came before the city on May 27 when Council members voted 4-1 to allow the synagogue’s height to exceed by 20 inches a maximum allowed height of 30 feet.
    Opponents insist that such a facility is too intense of a use for the site and will drive extra traffic into an already congested area that is also critically affected by the ups and downs of the Palmetto Park Road drawbridge. The height of 40 feet, 8 inches will be intrusive, they claim.
    One appeal claimed the city rendered its decision based on “improper and erroneous interpretations” of the city code that were made “arbitrarily and without reasonable analysis” of requests by residents who live near the project.
    Many homeowners worry that the city’s approval of the project’s increased height will set a precedent for future even taller developments, which could ruin the ambiance of the area.
    A second appeal, filed by Royal Palm Real Estate Holdings LLC, Royal Palm Properties LLC and David W. Roberts, claimed similar issues.
    The proposed synagogue is slated to have a 156-seat sanctuary, a basement parking area with 56 spaces and a 25-space ground-level lot. In addition, the project would have a social hall and a high-tech Israel museum.
    The path to approval has been a contentious back-and-forth that has gone on for months.
    A site plan for the project was first recommended for approval by the city’s Planning and Zoning Board on March 19.
But after City Council members reviewed the plans on April 14, they sent the project back to the Planning and Zoning Board with questions about how the square footage was calculated.
    The Planning and Zoning Board reconsidered the project on May 7 after receiving clarifications to the technical questions, and again recommended approval, sending it back to the City Council a second time. Council members approved the higher-than-normal height on May 27, and were then faced with the two appeals.

By Rich Pollack
    The town of Highland Beach is not giving up on its efforts to get boaters on the Intracoastal Waterway to slow down and create less wake — at least not yet.  
    For more than a decade, residents living along the Intracoastal have been complaining that wakes from fast-moving boats are damaging seawalls and creating dangerous situations for swimmers and other boaters.
    In response, town officials led by Commissioner Lou Stern, have been writing to and talking to representatives of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for about six years. They have discovered, however, that there is little that can be done to transform the three-mile stretch of the waterway bordering Highland Beach into a slow-speed zone.
    Now, at the urging of the Beaches and Shores Committee, the town will once again speed up its efforts to get boaters to slow down. Those efforts could include letters to state legislators urging them to change statutes, as well as moving forward with plans to install signs on the waterway notifying boaters that they’re responsible for their own wakes.
    In a letter to the commission, Beaches and Shores Chairwoman Elyse Riesa asked that the town send a letter to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission asking for a no-wake or slow-speed zone.
    But during a meeting last month, Stern and other members of the commission said that their efforts in the past have had little impact and said that the stretch of the Intracoastal bordering the town does not meet criteria — specifically outlined by state statute — for a slow-speed zone.
    “Until the laws are changed, there’s not much we can do,” Stern said later. “Can we change the laws? I don’t know.”
    Both Riesa and Beaches and Shores Committee Vice Chairman Ira Oaklander urged the commission to keep pressing despite being turned down in the past.
    “Why can’t we start thinking positively?” Riesa said.
    Following the meeting, Stern wrote to Dawn Griffin, a planning manager with the wildlife commission’s boating and waterways section, who reiterated that the town can’t take action to change current speed limits of 25 mph and 30 mph on the waterway without legislative action.
    She said, however, that the town could put information signs along the waterway that would have to be installed following very specific regulations — and have to be done at the town’s expense. The sign, by statute, can only say “You Are Responsible for Your Wake.”
    Scott Calleson, a biologist with the wildlife commission’s manatee program, said that slow speeds can be mandated in areas designated as manatee protection zones, but there would have to be documented evidence that manatees are frequently seen in the area and that boat speeds are causing harm.
    He said the area of the waterway bordering Highland Beach currently doesn’t meet those criteria, but added that plans are to do a review of manatee protection zones in Palm Beach County within the next three to five years.
    Calleson said that a slow-speed zone can also be established in an area with a high number of vehicle accidents, but Stern said the area bordering the town doesn’t meet those criteria either.
    “Wake damage to shoreline property isn’t a criteria for a slow-speed zone,” Calleson said.
    Stern said he and Oaklander will meet in the near future to determine the next steps in the town’s efforts to reduce wakes and at the same time will be exploring the possibility of posting signs.
    Commissioner Rhoda Zelniker, who supports the Beaches and Shores Committee’s efforts, said she hopes the town will continue to pursue the issue. “I think we shouldn’t give up,” she said.

Highland Beach
Proposed tax rate: $4.59 per $1,000 of taxable value*
2014-15 tax rate: $4.64 per $1,000 of taxable value
Change in property value: 7.9 percent increase
Total budget (operating and capital): $11.5 million
Public hearings: 5:01 p.m. Sept. 10 and Sept. 24 at Town Hall
*Includes operating and debt service tax rates.

By Jane Smith

    The iPic movie theater team reached for the stars before the Delray Beach Planning and Zoning Board meeting.
    To be allowed to build a luxury theater in the city’s downtown, the team used robo calls, TV spots, email blasts and Facebook and Twitter posts. Representatives stood outside City Hall just before that meeting to hand out royal purple T-shirts that read: “I pick iPic.”
    The commission chamber was standing room only with board members looking out to a sea of people dotted with folks wearing the T-shirts. Even iPic’s land use attorney, Bonnie Miskel, wore one over her navy blue suit during her presentation.
    Despite the strong showing, board members denied the three key items that iPic requested to build an eight-screen theater complex on 1.59 acres that used to house the city library, a parking lot and the Chamber of Commerce offices.
    The advisory board denied all three of the iPic requests: abandoning an alley, increasing the height from 48 to 59.5 feet and using the site as a theater.
    The height denial was unanimous. The alley abandonment and theater use were denied on 5-2 votes, with Chairman Robin Bird and board member Jay Jacobson voting for both.
    The city’s planning staff supported the project. Some board members liked the concept of theater in downtown Delray Beach, but they thought it wasn’t a good fit on the small site.  
    “They are trying to put 10 pounds of something into a 5-pound bag,” said board member Christopher Davey.
    The iPic complex is “too massive for the property,” said speaker Bruce Gimmy, who owns The Trouser Shop on Atlantic Avenue.
The next step for iPic is to pitch the City Commission on Aug. 18.
    Miskel described the iPic movie experience as a boutique cinema with a home theater environment with blankets and pillows available. The seats that recline fully have wait service where the patron pushes a button and the server appears.  The theater’s peak season is the summertime, opposite of the city’s winter season, she said.
    Karen Granger, president and CEO of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, spoke in support of iPic.

    “We are really thrilled at the chamber because of the jobs this project brings to Delray Beach,” she said. “Not only the movie theater jobs, but the jobs associated with having the headquarters for iPic right here in our downtown.”
    The company, based in Boca Raton, operates iPic movie theaters in 11 cities.
    The Delray Beach iPic would feature 528 stadium-style seats that need 30-foot ceilings. The complex would have 42,660 square feet of office space on the top two floors, 7,986 square feet of retail along Southeast Fourth Avenue and a 320-car parking garage with 72 spaces for the public.
    The iPic owners are asking for 4,832 square feet of alley, but Miskel pointed out that the CRA’s request for proposals always required companies to make use of the alley. She also pointed out that the iPic owners are conveying or granting easements to the city for 6,301 square feet to widen two alleys. “The give is greater than the take,” she said.
    One speaker, Robert George, who owns nearby properties, objected to the alley giveaway. The alley was dedicated in July 1896 by the Model Land Co. and W.S. Linton to the city for use as a public roadway, he said. Closing that section of the alley would impair access of public safety vehicles, delivery trucks and customer vehicles, he said.
    Traffic circulation was an issue to some board members. Valet drop-off would occur inside the complex, just off Atlantic Avenue. Those cars would be stacked on the parking garage’s top floor and retrieved by a valet who would then exit the garage and do a series of right turns onto Southeast Fourth Avenue and Atlantic before returning into the complex.
    Some board members noted that the light at the Southeast Fourth Avenue intersection with Atlantic is geared to keep traffic moving on Atlantic and that cars can become gridlocked on Southeast Fourth Avenue.
    In addition, movie-goers would likely drop off passengers on Federal Highway, just south of Atlantic Avenue, where they could enter because they purchased tickets online, Gulf Stream resident Robert Ganger said. He also is president of the Florida Coalition for Preservation, dedicated to preserving quality of life for coastal residents.
    Miskel’s answer: The iPic owners would hire an off-duty police officer to keep traffic moving.