SOUTH PALM BEACH — They say a cat has nine lives, but with all due respect to felines, any cat would have been happy to have lived the many lives of Robert “Bob” Welstein, who died on March 15 at the age of 96. Mr. Welstein lived many lives during those 96 years.
    He was born to Russian immigrant parents just two months after the end of World War 1 and grew up in Chicago’s Jewish West Side during the height of the Depression. As a young boy, he did everything from drive a horse-drawn wagon to being a cook at the Waveland Golf Course.
    When World War II broke out, Mr. Welstein enlisted in the Army Air Forces, where he served as a cryptographer. Upon his honorable discharge, his love of numbers led him to his first career, accounting. It was at that point that he made the decision that he would never work for anyone and always be his own boss.
    After almost two decades in accounting, Mr. Welstein purchased one of his accounts and became the owner of an industrial supply business in Chicago. While he knew nothing about the business when he bought it, he threw himself into his new endeavor with the same zeal that he had for life and turned it into a successful enterprise.
    It was during this phase of life that an event occurred which changed his entire outlook on living. On Jan. 17, 1968, his 49th birthday, Mr. Welstein suffered a massive coronary and was hospitalized for six weeks.
    At the time, his doctor advised him to put his affairs in order because of the serious nature of the heart attack. Instead, Mr. Welstein stopped smoking, started exercising, and began a wind-down of his business so that by the time he was 58, he retired to South Palm Beach.
    His years in South Florida gave his life new meaning and left a legacy that will not be forgotten, as he impacted the lives of many others.
    He developed interests in areas as diverse as opera, art, foreign film and climate science. He was a passionate believer in lifelong learning. Starting as a volunteer, Mr. Welstein eventually became the president of the Center for Lifetime Learning at Palm Beach State College, where he organized the lecture bureau.
    Not satisfied with just one job, he transferred the concept to the town of South Palm Beach and started what is now called The Robert Welstein Quest for Knowledge series. He booked all the speakers and ran the program up to the time of his death.
    His personal life was filled with family and friends. He was devoted to his wife, Eleanor, to whom he was married for 62 years. They traveled the world together and shared a love for the town of South Palm Beach.
    Later, he had a wonderful relationship with Eleanor Rubin of Boynton Beach. In addition, he was a regular at the Lake Worth Golf Club until he was well into his 80s and volunteered for numerous organizations including working with Palm Beach County as an election adviser.
    Robert Welstein is survived by his daughter Donna (Justice William Ehrcke), his son Harvey (Anne), his grandchildren Todd, Jaclyn (Grant), Alicia, and Dylan and his great grandson, Everett. He will be missed by many, but also celebrated for a life well-lived.
    A memorial was held March 18 at the Rubin Memorial Chapel in Boynton Beach. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to United Way of Palm Beach or the Jewish War Veterans.
— Obituary submitted by the family

By Jane Smith

    The fate of the old Boynton High School is on the front burner again. On March 17, an architectural consultant gave city commissioners three options for its Town Square: Renovate the high school, partially restore it and save its façade or demolish it.
Marcela Camblor-Cutsaimanis presented the revised plans for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.
    “It can be maintained as a lively center,” she said. “One that is tied into your main street of Ocean Avenue.”
    She suggested the city create a civic campus. The council’s plans also call for making private/public partnerships while maintaining the city’s tree canopy.
    Mayor Jerry Taylor thanked her for the presentation and said Town Square would be on an upcoming commission agenda.
    The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency paid the council $58,000 for a contract that included a May workshop, when about 50 Boynton Beach residents gathered to brainstorm ideas for the 17-acre Town Square.
    The four-block area, bounded by Boynton Beach Boulevard on the north and Seacrest Boulevard on the west, houses mainly municipal buildings: City Hall, library, old high school, police headquarters, a fire station, Kids Kingdom Playground, Schoolhouse Children’s Museum, Civic Center, Arts Center and shuffleboard courts.
    She told commissioners the next steps require a policy decision where they select an option or strategy, financial analysis of the redevelopment required, their goals or role they want to take, and then issuing a request for bids.
    In other action, city commissioners re-appointed former Mayor Woodrow Hay as a community member on the city’s CRA board.
The appointment was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner David Markel dissenting.

\Rinah Karson of Delray Beach holds her bicycle valet ticket that was distributed by Human Powered Delray.

Barbara and Norman Iverson, Delray Beach residents, load up their bikes with groceries from the farmer’s market.

Patrick Halliday and Jim Chard of Human Powered Delray set up on the southeast corner

of the Delray Beach GreenMarket and hand out valet tickets and little backpacks that people can use

to carry the things they bought at the market.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

    Seasonal resident Bill Bannon had just ridden his bike to Delray Beach’s GreenMarket when he discovered not only an abundance of bike rack space available but also free valet parking — for his bicycle.
    “I never heard of valet parking for a bicycle,” he said. “I thought it was a joke.”
    But valet parking for bicycles is serious business to the folks at Human Powered Delray — the nonprofit organization providing the service at the Saturday morning market since the season began in October.
    “People weren’t riding their bikes to the GreenMarket because there were only limited bike racks,” says Jim Chard, chairman of Human Powered Delray and strong advocate of seeing more pedestrians and bicycle riders in the city’s downtown area. “Many people didn’t even know there were bike racks.”
    Now, thanks to Human Powered Delray’s free bike valet service, riders don’t have to worry about finding a bike rack. They don’t even have to worry about locking their bikes.
    Instead, all they have to do is pull into a cordoned-off area at the southeast side of the market and check in with one of the attendants. Bicyclists can then pull their bikes into one of the vacant spots in bike racks provided by either the city or by Richwagen’s Bike & Sport.
    A valet ticket is placed on the seat and riders receive a card that gives them special consideration with some GreenMarkets vendors.
    In addition, Human Powered Delray provides bicyclists with a green cloth bag that doubles as a backpack to carry their purchases.
    The valet parking for bicycles program has become popular among many regulars who come to the market each week and don’t have to worry about finding a place where they can hitch their bicycle.
    “We have people from 4 years old to 84 years old ride their bicycle here,” says Chard, adding that about 75 percent of those who bike to the GreenMarket on Saturday are regular customers.
    For many of them, the valet parking offers a convenience that was not available before.
    “I love it,” says bicyclist Kim Layzell. “In the past, I would have to lock my bike to a tree. Now I don’t even have to lock it.”
Like many of the other bicyclists and the Human Powered Delray member, Layzell would like to see Delray Beach become more bicycle-friendly and safer for bike riders.
    “When we talk to people we often hear them say that they’re afraid to bike here,” Chard said.
    One goal of Human Powered Delray, Chard says, is to get more people riding their bikes and walking downtown. The group is also advocating for turning alleys in the city into bike and pedestrian pathways to make it safer for people on foot or on two wheels.
The  free bike valet service, Chard says, is one more way to help Human Powered Delray get its message out.
    This month, Human Powered Delray is teaming up with Max’s Social House for a four-week pilot Bike to Brunch program on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning on April 12.
    “I’m an avid cyclist and thought it would be great for biking enthusiasts to be able to bike to brunch, have a safe place to leave their bike and enjoy a leisurely brunch at Max’s Social House,” said Dennis Max, co-owner of Max’s Social House.
    Bicycle valet parking will be available for the Sunday brunch at no additional cost.
    Human Powered Delray will continue operating its valet service at the GreenMarket through May 9, when the  market closes for the summer.
    That’s good news for GreenMarket regular bikers like Rinah Karson.
    “I’m delighted that there’s valet parking for bicycles,” she  said. “This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever had my beautiful blue bicycle valet parked by like-minded people.”

By Jane Smith and Willie Howard

    Boynton Harbor Marina customers are paying $5 for parking on Fridays through Sundays, after its Community Redevelopment Agency board nixed negotiations with a landowner to provide free parking.
    CRA staff was negotiating with the landowner of 114 N. Federal Highway. He wanted the parcel to be resurfaced and striped for $39,000, to have lighting brought up to code for $84,000 and to secure a general liability policy of $25 million for $256,000. The total estimated costs were $379,000, said Michael Simon, assistant CRA director, at the board’s March 10 meeting.
    That high cost, he said, made staff recommend against pursuing temporary parking there.
    “I’d say we drop it,” said Mayor Jerry Taylor, who is chairman of the CRA board. The motion passed 6-1.
    Marina customers were able to park in the Marina Village parking garage for free until Feb. 13. The association that  owns the garage instituted the charge as a way to gain control over the facility.
    The CRA gave each of its tenants a parking pass to use. The agency has 122 spaces on the lower floors of the garage for public parking. Rights to those spaces stem from CRA’s purchase of the fuel dock property along the Intracoastal Waterway from the Marina Village developers.
    Marina Village residents use the upper floors of the garage. A gate separates public parking spaces on the lower two floors from those reserved for condo residents.
    In December, the condo board voted to approve the parking fee to stop speeding cars and “undesirable activity” in the garage. The fee originally was supposed to go into effect in January for Thursdays through Sundays and last until June 14.
    Vivian Brooks, the CRA’s executive director, said she had not heard of any complaints. “We offered the grassy lot next to our building for parking, but no one is using it,” she said in mid-March. “The charge is only from Friday through Sundays, so perhaps that is OK.”
    Some charter boat captains who lease slips at the marina are angry, saying the added parking fee drives customers away, while others don’t hear much about it from their clients.
    “It appears that most folks are not using the garage if they have to pay,” said Geno Pratt of the Geno IV charter boat. “Our business is way down since this all went into effect.”
    Chris Agardy, captain of the Great Day, said he has heard no complaints from clients who pay $525 for a half day of fishing on his boat.
    He tells customers to use the valet parking available near Two Georges restaurant, which costs them the price of a tip. But he said most of his customers still park in the garage, partly because it’s close to the marina entrance and is available earlier in the morning than valet parking.
    Wendy Garnsey of the Sea Mist III drift boat, which costs $40 a half day, said a few of her regular customers have complained about the $5 parking fee. But many other customers have not mentioned the parking fee, she said.
    Boynton Boat Rentals owner Marcello Juchem said he hasn’t heard any complaints about the weekend parking fee from his customers.
    “I like it,” Juchem said of the $5 fee. “That way it’s only customers who are using the parking and not the people who work here. The public needs parking.”
    In other action, the CRA board voted unanimously to have staff negotiate with Brang Construction to install lighting on East Ocean Avenue. Its bid of $349,906.25 was over the amount of $265,393 budgeted for design and construction of the lighting. About $40,000 was spent for the designing and permitting of the project.

Boynton Beach Mayor Jerry Taylor dedicates the Downtown Heritage Trail plaque in honor of Janet Hall,

a boat captain and co-founder of the Sea Mist fishing company, during a March 18 ceremony.

Standing with Taylor are Hall’s daughter, Judi Garnsey Andrews, Capt. Burt Garnsey and other members of the Garnsey family.

The view from the fuel docks at Boynton Harbor Marina shows the new harbormaster building,

which includes restrooms, a ship’s store and a dockmaster’s office.

Photos by Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    Boynton Beach city officials joined County Commissioner Steven Abrams and invited guests on March 18 to dedicate the Harbormaster building — an island-style building that houses the dockmaster’s office, a ship’s store and public restrooms at Boynton Harbor Marina.
    The $1.6 million building, completed in December, marks another phase in the renovation of the marina, which was purchased by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency in 2006.
    “The boaters love it,” Dockmaster Brian Smith said. “Business is starting to pick up now that they know we’re here.”
    With about 1,500 square feet of space, the sea-foam-colored Harbormaster building with white trim and a metal roof is surrounded by paver bricks and new landscaping. It stands in stark contrast to what used to occupy the property beside the fuel docks: a metal shipping container that served as a shelter for the dockmaster.
    New fuel pumps, to be installed later this spring, will complete the renovation and allow the city marina to supply fuel to larger boats, Smith said.
    “It’s first-class,” Capt. Bill McKissock of the Dolphin Sun dive boat said of the new building. “My customers are asking me to pick them up at the fuel docks.”
    Vivian Brooks, executive director of the CRA, said the next phase of marina redevelopment will create open space and a landscaped promenade parallel to the marina’s boat slips.
    Plans call for tearing down a two-story building near the Sea Mist III boat docks, but doing so will require permission of Palm Beach County commissioners because the county gave the CRA $2 million from a waterfront bond issue with the stipulation that renovations would not “materially alter” the marina.
    Also on March 18, the CRA dedicated a commemorative Downtown Heritage Trail plaque (located on the east side of the Harbormaster building) to the memory of Janet Hall, one of the first female boat captains in South Florida and co-founder of the Sea Mist drift fishing business that still operates at the marina.
    Hall died Sept. 16 at her home in Ocean Ridge. She was 96.
    The pioneering lady boat captain began her love affair with the ocean working as a “mermaid” for glass-bottom boat tour operators in Fort Lauderdale.
    After diving one day, she decided she would rather operate the boat than dive below it. The Coast Guard issued her captain’s license in 1940, family members said.
    Hall and her late husband, Wendall Hall, purchased what is now Boynton Harbor Marina in the 1950s and named it Sea Mist Marina.
    “My mom had an unusual love of the ocean, and she wanted to do whatever she could to bring tourists to Florida,” her daughter, Judi Andrews, said during the dedication ceremony.
    The commemorative plaque honoring the Halls is the 10th historical plaque on the city’s Downtown Heritage Trail.
Additional photographs and information about the Halls and their work on the water around Boynton Beach can be obtained by scanning the QR code on the right-hand side of the Heritage Trail plaque with a smartphone app

Dr. Acey Albert, primary care physician, at his office in Palm Beach.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Linda Haase

    When Dr. Acey Albert volunteers at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, he works in makeshift conditions: The medical tent is pitched on a pier and chaise lounges are transformed into exam tables.
    Here, at his medical office in Palm Beach, things are a bit more upscale. But, in keeping with the locale (it’s steps away from the Four Seasons and the Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa), there is a tropical flair — the artwork is colorful and the walls are awash in color.
    The practice, part of the Bethesda Health Physician Group, opened about a year ago. Albert, who has a medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, feels right at home in Palm Beach.
    “I know the Palm Beaches well,” says Albert, who was born in Miami and grew up in Jupiter (he even attended a debutante cotillion at The Breakers).     
    These days, the Jupiter High School grad spends lots of time on the island. He sees patients at his Ocean Boulevard office (when he gets to eat lunch out, he enjoys the restaurant at Palm Beach Par 3) then he usually runs on the island after work.
    Afterward, the 42-year-old heads for his hometown where he lives with his wife, Allison, and their 14-year-old daughter, Julia. Weekends are often spent outdoors, going to the beach or stand-up paddleboarding.
    Albert has been an athlete for years — he ran cross country at Jupiter High and at University of Florida, where he got a bachelor of science in exercise and sport sciences. He competed in the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon, among others.      
    Although he has the utmost respect — and awe — for those robust souls who endure Ironman events, he’s much more comfortable helping out in the medical arena.  
    “They are just amazing athletes and it is great energy to be around,” says Albert, who previously practiced with Kaiser Permanente in Denver, where he was the regional expert in the management of hypertension.
    Almost all of the Ironman participants come through the tent — for everything from dehydration to stitches (one was a 74-year-old contestant hit by a car who had to be cajoled to stop running and receive medical care), says Albert.
    In Palm Beach, Albert sees a diverse clientele, including patients who live just across the bridge. “There aren’t a lot of physicians here but there are a lot of patients who need care on the island,” he says.     
    His office prides itself on efficiency. “While we have a lovely waiting room it is often a lovely, empty waiting room. And it’s not because we aren’t busy. We do a good job of bringing patients back to the exam rooms quickly,” he quips. “This is a concierge level practice without the concierge fee.”

Dr. Acey Albert’s office is at 2875 S. Ocean Blvd., Suite 208, Palm Beach; 588-0411 or draceyalbert.com.

A right whale surfaces, arching her back and extending her head and fluke out of the water.

Photo provided by FWC

By Cheryl Blackerby

    Only about 500 North Atlantic right whales are left in the world. Fortunately for Floridians, these extremely rare behemoths not only migrate along the Florida coast, but also calve here.
    “This is the only known calving area,” said Barb Zoodsma, a marine mammal biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “It’s not like they’re going to go someplace else. This comes with a lot of responsibility.”
    The whales generally calve from December through March, but because of cold weather, they are lingering longer in Florida, she said. A recent air survey found a total of 47 whales including calves off the Florida coastline.
    The whales migrate from Miami to Canada, and calve between Florida and North Carolina. A mother and calf were spotted March 15 just offshore south of The Breakers in Palm Beach.
    U.S law requires people to stay 500 yards away from right whales. Fines are stiff, in the range of thousands of dollars. NOAA flew a banner over Florida beaches in March reminding people to stay away.
    The only real threat to right whales is people, Zoodsma said. And people have almost killed them into extinction.
    “They travel close to shore, within 100 yards of the beach or closer. They die from collisions with vessels and entanglement in fishing gear,” she said. “Boats as small as 33 feet are capable of killing calves.”
    Right whales got their name from whalers, who said they were the right whales to kill because their blubber contained large amounts of oil. They were easy to kill because they migrated close to shore and had a docile nature.
    By the mid-1700s, whalers, largely based in Massachusetts, had decimated the right whale population on the Atlantic coast. The whalers moved on to sperm whales, which had even more oil in their blubber. But the right whale population never recovered, and remain among the most endangered whales in the world.
    “We think the population is slowly increasing, but the challenge with a population as small as the North Atlantic right whale is that a even a small mortality rate can have huge implications,” Zoodsma said.
    Right whales can grow up to 55 feet long and weigh 55 tons, significantly larger than other coastal species such as humpbacks, grays or Bryde’s, but smaller than blues. A right whale calf weighs roughly 2,000 pounds when it’s born.
    Right whales are easy to identify, she said. “They are black, but some of them have white splotches on their ventral surfaces. They don’t have dorsal fins. They have sharply arching jaws and white patches on tops of their heads. The flippers are short and paddle-shaped. When they surface in cold weather, they have a V-shaped blow.”
    If you see a right whale, call 877-WHALE-HELP. Boaters are prohibited by U.S. law from operating vessels within 65 feet of right whales. If a whale is sighted, boaters should radio the Coast Guard via channel 16, reduce speed and slowly move away from the whale.

During a March 29 celebration held on the proposed site of the Harry and Celia Litwak Chabad Center,

Rabbi Ruvi New recognizes Irving Litwak (right) who donated $2.7 million for the property in his parents’ honor.

The sign in the background anticipates the new Chabad sharing the same street number, 770,

as the Eastern Parkway world headquarters of Chabad Lubavitch in Brooklyn.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

The north side of the Chabad complex faces Palmetto Park Road.

Rendering provided

Rabbi New dances in celebration with Chaim Shacham, Consul General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico,

on the proposed Palmetto Park Road site.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Sallie James

    A sprawling, two-story, state-of-the-art synagogue with an interactive Israel museum will become the first beachside house of worship in Boca Raton if City Council members approve the plans in mid-April.
    The proposal by the orthodox Chabad of East Boca to build an 18,000-square-foot facility at 770 E. Palmetto Park Road is not without controversy: Residents who live near the .84-acre site have voiced concern over parking, traffic patterns and the structure’s height, which is more than 10 feet over the normally allowed 30-foot height restriction.
    The city’s Planning and Zoning Board recommended the project for approval after a testy, four-hour March 19 meeting. During the public hearing, numerous residents blasted the city for considering a project that could dump extra traffic into an already congested area that is also affected by the ups and downs of the Palmetto Park Road drawbridge.
    On March 29, Boca residents were invited by Chabad to preview plans for the project at the site where it is proposed to be built.
    “This is the right fit,” said Rabbi Ruvi New, during the March 19 meeting. “We have put tremendous thought into creating something that is suitable for both residential and commercial residents of the community. I really believe once this is all said and done we will be good neighbors.”
    New said the Chabad’s membership is composed of about 75 families, of which 30 to 50 percent walk to worship services.
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 proposed facility would also have a social hall and the high-tech Israel museum.
    New, who started his congregation in the living room of his own house 15 years ago, said Chabad of East Boca has outgrown its current home at 120 NE First Ave., and desperately needs to move. The path to finding a new home has not been easy.
    In 2008, the Chabad’s plans to move into a 23,000-square-foot building near Mizner Park were scuttled after the City Council approved strict new parking requirements that the Chabad was unable to meet.

    The new beachside location, on the south side of Palmetto Park Road where the beloved La Vielle Maison restaurant once stood, includes a traffic pattern that deviates from standard city codes because it funnels traffic onto a residential street, and a height that is 10 feet, 8 inches higher than other buildings in the area.
    Homeowners who live in the neighborhood near the proposed project complained that the project is too big for the area, worried that it would create more gridlock in an already congested area, and wondered if the proposed parking was adequate for a facility slated to be home to a world-class museum.
    “It’s a beautiful building but it’s in the wrong place,” said Boca Raton resident Chris Fluehr, who lives in the Por La Mar neighborhood nearby and believes the facility will create untold congestion. “What I feel they are trying to do is bring a Trojan horse into our neighborhood. They are describing this one way, with a simple little sanctuary with 75 families, but in all their publications it is not only to be attracting people within the state, but nationally to My Israel (the museum).”
    Enid Weinberg, who lives on South Ocean Boulevard, already finds it difficult to get to her home on the east side of the bridge. With the added traffic from Chabad, she fears driving will only get worse, she said.
    “Now it’s going to be a total nightmare,” she told the Planning and Zoning Board.
    A proposed traffic plan for the Chabad would route worshippers onto the residential street of Southeast Olive Way, and only allow a left turn, directing them toward East Palmetto Park Road. Residents who live in the neighborhood directly south of the proposed synagogue predict that worshipers will be frustrated by traffic backups and instead turn right on East Olive Way — ignoring any posted signage barring right turns — and instead drive through their peaceful neighborhood.
    Resident Keith Nelson, who lives on Park Drive East, has lived in the surrounding neighborhood for 13 years and said it’s “nearly impossible” to make a left turn from East Olive Drive onto Palmetto Park Road. He takes an alternate route that involves four right turns on back roads to access westbound Palmetto Park Road.
    “It’s crazy. There is no way you are going to make that left,” Nelson said.
    But business owner Yaacov Heller, a sculptor who owns Gallery 22 International in Royal Palm Place, said he thinks the synagogue/museum project is a “wonderful thing.” He wasn’t concerned about traffic.
    “This will be a great opportunity for people to learn about Israel,” Heller said. “I think it is a marvelous idea. It can serve as a model for people all over the country to set something like this up in their synagogue.”
    Cheri Rosen, a Realtor who lives on South Ocean Drive, said property values in the area would skyrocket if the orthodox synagogue were built. The reason? Congregants want to live within walking distance of their place of worship.
    “The idea is that people need to live within walking distance of the synagogue,” she said. “They will pay anything to do that. Homes near the Boca Raton Synagogue on Montoya Circle have sold for almost double and triple of what similar homes in other areas were selling for,” she said.
    “The value of your home and the quality of your life will not in any way be undermined by Chabad,” she said.
Resident Ronald Rubin wondered if something less amenable might be built on the site if the synagogue is not approved. A restaurant on the site would generate even more traffic, Rubin said.
    “For me, it won’t interfere with anything I do. I can’t see it interfering with what most people do,” Rubin said.
    The Planning and Zoning Board voted 6-0 to recommend the City Council approve the project’s site plan with the following caveats:
    • Usage of the sanctuary, social hall and museum cannot be concurrent, and cannot be converted to another use without city approval.
    • To discourage right turns from East Olive Way, the turning radius must be increased and appropriate signage must be posted.
    • The facility’s dumpster must be covered.

Rendering provided

You can achieve Nirvana, but it comes with a price: $25 million.

Photo provided

By Christine Davis

    Nirvana can be yours if you can pony up the cash
    In case you didn’t know, “Nirvana” is located in Manalapan at 840 S. Ocean Blvd. And it’s for sale. Who would have thought?
Owner Krishna Tripuraneni, 56, who bought the estate in May 2009 for $3.6 million, gave it the name. On more than an acre, the ocean-to-Intracoastal 12,244-square-foot property comprises six bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, an outdoor meditation area and a Buddhist prayer room.
    True, Tripuraneni stands to make some money on this deal; asking price is $25 million (it’s offered by Senada Adzem, director of luxury sales with Douglas Elliman).
    But, pull the veils aside, and paradise is not all that it’s cut out to be. Tripuraneni, a Wellington-based doctor, pleaded guilty in December 2014 to filing fraudulent tax returns. In making restitution, he’s already paid $10 million, and still has to pay penalties.
Tripuraneni is scheduled to face sentencing on April 27 before U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles, where he’s looking at one to three years in prison, two years of supervised release, and fines of up to $100,000.
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    The Boca Chamber is preparing for the best Boca Chamber Festival Days ever. The goal of this monthlong event is to raise awareness and money for the chamber’s nonprofit members’ philanthropic efforts. Gearing up, the chamber has unveiled its new Festival Days logo. From more than 20 entries, the Chamber team selected a design created by Chad Paradise, a ninth-grader at the drafting and design academy, communications technology program, West Boca High School.
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    Winners of the 2015 Golden Chefs Challenge, benefiting the Golden Bell Education Foundation and held at The Shops at Boca Center in February, included Chef Francesco Carvelli and Chef Chris Degenova from DaVinci’s Boca Raton. They received first place trophies in two categories: Best Appetizer and Best Dessert. Chef Timothy Williamson of Joseph’s Classic Market was awarded first place for Best Entrée. Second place award winners were: Chef Robert Lee of Brio Tuscan Grille (entrée) and Chefs Luis Vega and Richard Ayala (appetizer). The Boca Chamber Education Foundation Inc., known as Golden Bell, is a nonprofit corporation created by the chamber’s board of directors for the purpose of supporting Boca Raton public schools.
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    The Gold Coast PR Council announced the winners of the 2015 Bernays Awards honoring local excellence in public relations and marketing. More than 80 public relations and media professionals attended the luncheon in January at Boca Dunes Golf & Country Club, with Andy Preston, the music director/assistant program director for 98.7 The Gater, and Amy Woods, philanthropy columnist for The Coastal Star, serving as co-emcees.
     The Bernays Award for Best Internal Communications was given to Kimberly Agnello from JM Family Enterprises. Julie Mullen received the 2015 Founders Award. The Best Marketing Materials award went to Andrea DiFonte from the office of the Palm Beach County Tax Collector. The Best Social Media Campaign award was given to Alex Bimonte from The Buzz Agency. On behalf of Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, Melissa Carter accepted this year’s PR Star Award. The Bernays Award for Best Special Event went to Bebe Novick-Brodigan, Marilyn Bauer, Victoria Van Dam and Dan Boudet from the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.
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    Recently, Santos Modern American Buffet & Sushi, at 3400 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, celebrated its opening with a unique ribbon cutting that included a “12-foot log” of sushi.
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    In March, staff, patients and friends of Advanced Dentistry South Florida celebrated the opening of the company’s new office at 15340 Jog Road, Suite 100, Delray Beach.
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    For 30 years, the law firm of Corbett, White and Davis, P.A., specializing in municipal and land-use law, has served local governments in Palm Beach County. Founded by Trela J. White in 1987, the firm represents a variety of villages, cities, towns and special districts throughout South Florida (Keith W. Davis serves as the general counsel for the town of Manalapan).
    But changes are taking place starting with a new website, branding structure and a new name, Corbett, White, Davis & Ashton, P.A.
    Jennifer G. Ashton, who joined the firm in August 2010, has become a shareholder. Ashton serves as the village attorney for the village of Royal Palm Beach and the assistant attorney for the town of Mangonia Park and the village of Tequesta. She also serves as the special magistrate for city of West Palm Beach code enforcement; and along with White, she serves as general counsel for the Palm Beach County League of Cities, Inc.  
    Also, John K. “Jack” Rice has joined the firm as an associate. Rice comes to the firm after spending almost three years with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County Inc. as attorney for the Fair Housing Project.
                                           ***
    If you and your friends want to lie down and roll over at some point on Tax Day, April 15, Eau Spa, Manalapan, has just the thing for you. Take $20 off of your Self-Centered Massage for each guest you bring with you that day, and eight guests equal a free massage for you, but they all must purchase a regular priced 60-minute massage, facial or body treatment. For information, call 540-4960.
                                           ***
    Personal Physician Care Community Center, a new senior community and enrichment center in Delray Beach, encourages improvements to the health and wellness of older adults.  It provides an array of programs, including Silver Sneakers Zumba Gold, Cardio Fit, Overeaters Anonymous, a walking club, bereavement workshop, healthy food shopping and cooking classes.
    “We are focused on using lifestyle intervention for the treatment, management and prevention of disease,” said Dr. James J. Cassidy, the center’s coordinator. “These interventions center on the individual’s nutrition, exercise habits, stress management, smoking cessation, understanding chronic disease, diabetes prevention, Alzheimer’s and bereavement support groups, spiritual support and a variety of other non-drug modalities.”
    The center is at 4800 Linton Blvd., Suite F-111, Delray Beach. For information, call 808-7743. 
                                           ***
    The Ultimate Playcation is being offered at Crane’s Beach House Boutique Hotel & Luxury Villas. Here’s an example of the fun stuff. This one is called, “Thrill Seeker’s Delight,” and includes selecting from a variety of activities that includes jet-skiing, paddleboarding, riding a mechanical bull, drift-fishing, exploring the Everglades, riding a motorcycle or a horse, swimming with a dolphin, taking a helicopter ride, running a marathon, getting a tattoo, or playing paint-ball. Or guests can learn how to surf, parasail, deep-sea fish, or scuba dive.
    Whatever guests want to do, the professional staff at Crane’s Beach House Hotel will do their best to fulfill all dreams. To book The Ultimate Playcation at Crane’s Beach House Boutique Hotel & Luxury Villas in Delray Beach, call 278-1700 or visit cranesbeachhouse.com.

INSET BELOW: Brad W. Cooke and Ryan Cooper

                                         
    Brad W. Cooke joined The Corcoran Group’s Delray Beach/Gulf Stream office, at 901 George Bush Blvd. A South Florida native with family roots from western New York where his grandfather owned and operated a successful real estate firm, Cooke has worked in commercial real estate, focusing on land speculation and development. He began his professional career in the insurance industry specializing in the surety bond markets, and he has degrees in international business and in management and marketing.
    Ryan Cooper, originally from Boca Raton, is now The Corcoran Group’s director of marketing and advertising for the South Florida region. In his previous affiliation for The Marketing Directors, a New York and Atlanta-based new luxury condominium sales and marketing firm, his  programs contributed to $40 million in 2013 company revenue.
                                           
    Mid-February, more than 160 runners took part in the third annual Barrier Free 5k, which benefited the Congress Avenue Barrier Free Park, 3111 S. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach. Volunteers and staff from the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, the city of Boynton Beach and Hunter’s Run Golf & Racquet Club joined to facilitate a smooth race.  
    At the finish line, though, the biggest winners are the children and adults who frequent Congress Avenue Barrier Free Park, where everyone, no matter the level of their abilities, can play safely. Because of what the park offers, it is gaining recognition, popularity, and new funding. A recent grant awarded by the Quantum Foundation afforded The Trust for Public Land to open a 17-station fitness zone with five areas designed to be handicap accessible.
                                           ***
    Delray Beach’s first stand-alone Chick-fil-A opened March 26 at 1800 S. Federal Highway. The business brought 90 new jobs to the area and awarded the first 100 guests free Chick-fil-A meals for a year. Now that’s something to cluck about!

INSET BELOW: Steve Miller

                                          ***
    Steve Miller is the new executive director of Harbour’s Edge, a continuing care retirement community, with 250 apartments and more than 300 residents. Miller, whose background is in hotel and resort management, will oversee all aspects of daily operations. Harbour’s Edge is at 401 E. Linton Blvd., Delray Beach.
                                           ***
     Make way for Exhilaride, a rental fleet of electric street-legal golf carts that has opened its first location in Delray Beach, and then hop aboard for an open-air perspective of the city. These four- and six-person electric street-legal carts have a long-range capacity of about 50 miles per charge. Daily rentals begin at $70, with weekend, weekly and monthly rates as well as special business discounts. Exhilaride is located at 2455 N. Old Dixie Highway, Delray Beach, For information, call 573-8287.
                                           ***
    Recently, members of the Realtors Commercial Alliance of the Palm Beaches helped construct a house for the Habitat for Humanity in Boynton Beach.

Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@comcast.net.

Dr. John Schwartz
The La Sagra’s flycatcher resting in the branches of a gumbo limbo tree.
Jacque and Larry Goodhew.

Photos by Malcom Balfour and Dr. John Schwartz

By Malcolm Balfour

    After a disappointing five-day bird-watching jaunt to Key West, Larry and Jacque Goodhew of Walla Walla, Wash., were already north of Tampa on their way home when the news broke. Another rare bird that Larry had never seen, a La Sagra’s Caribbean flycatcher, had been sighted that very afternoon in Palm Beach County.
    “Right away we packed up our bedding, placed the Lantana Nature Preserve address in our GPS and headed back south for 300 miles,” said Larry.
    According to several rare bird websites, the La Sagra, native to the Caribbean, was probably blown over from Grand Bahama by recent strong easterly winds.
    Dozens of bird watchers flocked to the Nature Preserve to view the rare bird, bigger than a sparrow and smaller than a dove, with a pointed beak and a puffy white chest.
    The Goodhews were lucky. They arrived at the Nature Preserve to find a crowd of birders showing off their images to one another.
    “It’s in the Butterfly Garden right now,” said Jan Warwick, of Pascagoula, Miss. “Straight down this main pathway,” he indicated.
    “We’ll take you there,” said Jean Mallowes of Jupiter, who’d come down to the Nature Preserve with her friend Marlyn Reuter. “We want to see if we can get a better view of the bird.”
    The Goodhews hustled down the path, looking right, left and upward.
    “There it is. Look, on the wild coffee plant,” whispered Larry, loud enough to cause the bird to fly a few yards away into a large gumbo limbo tree. There it offered a much better view for their cameras.
    The La Sagra’s flycatcher marked the 713rd bird for Larry, 78, who has sighted just two more than Jacque, 72. “We’re a couple of lifelong hippies, living in an old truck,” he said.
    “This is wonderful, we got a great hit,” Jacque said, as she settled back in their live-aboard truck. She and her husband had spent five whole days in Key West looking in vain for a quail dove. “Dozens of others photographed it. We just kept missing it by seconds.”
    Birders live by an honor code. Nobody verifies sightings.
    Armed with his camera, Dr. John Schwarz, a retired ophthalmologist from Boston now living in Boynton Beach, stalked the bird like the pro that he is. The avid birder even has his own website, birdspix.com.
    The La Sagra seemed quite restless as Schwarz photographed it, refusing to remain on the same branch for more than a second or two. Determined not to lose sight of it, he kept his head tilted back, taking shot after shot with no complaints of a pain in the neck.
    He told of the recent morning when he received a call from a friend in St. Louis who’d spotted an extremely rare bird.
    “Right away I checked for a flight, went down to the airport and got a plane to St. Louis and that very afternoon I was photographing an ivory gull for the first time. It’s the most pristine white gull,” he said.
    Asked what he likes best about birding, he said: “You meet a lot of very nice people.”

By Rich Pollack

    With an $882,000 Florida Department of Transportation grant approved and another $600,000-plus FDOT grant expected next year, the Boca Raton Airport Authority is moving forward with plans to build a long-discussed U.S. Customs station on airport grounds.
    “We now have the funding in place to begin the design phase of the customs facility,” said Airport Authority Executive Director Clara Bennett.
    While there are a number of variables at play, Bennett said, it could be anywhere from two to two-and-a-half years before the expected 4,200-square-foot U.S. Customs and Border Protection building could be operational.
    The timing and size of the facility, Bennett said, are both still up in the air, with a lot hinging on decisions made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
    The total project is expected to have a $3 million price tag, with the Florida DOT kicking in half and the airport authority covering the remaining $1.5 million from its reserve funds.
    With the initial state funding and a joint agreement between the airport authority and federal officials already in hand, the airport authority’s engineering firm, Ricondo & Associates, will be able to start drawing plans for the center, expected to be located on the airport’s west side.
    Preliminary meetings with federal officials took place last month, Bennett said, and a project manager has been assigned.
    Once completed, the customs facility will provide added convenience, efficiency — and safety — for planes returning from international flights.
    Currently, planes returning to Boca Raton Airport that need to clear customs have to make an interim stop at another airport — often Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport or Palm Beach International Airport,  Additional landings and takeoffs not only take time but also burn more fuel.
    Reducing the number of takeoffs and landings also improves safety, according to Bennett. “Any time you can fly point to point, especially after a long flight over water, it’s going to enhance safety,” she said.
    The new station will be available to boaters returning from international trips and could also reduce some of the traffic at the customs station at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, home to one of the busiest general aviation airport customs facilities in the country.
    To cover the cost of operating and maintaining the facility, the Boca Raton Airport Authority plans to charge a user fee based on the size of the aircraft involved. An analysis done as part of the authority’s feasibility study shows that the facility would very likely be self-sustaining.
    Over the next several months, airport authority staff will work closely with engineers and architects. Eventually, they will bring plans to the airport authority board for approval and authorization of a contractor to begin construction.

    A beachside condominium will be allowed to make improvements to its outdoor deck and pool area even though a portion of the property is located seaward of the coastal construction control line.
    Boca Raton City Council members last month granted Whitehall Condominium a variance to make the improvements because none of the construction would impact the beachside dune areas.
    The coastal construction control line program was created to protect the coastal system from improperly sited and designed structures that might destabilize or destroy the beach and dune system. Variances can be granted if the proposed construction is not deemed harmful to the dune system.
    A shelter, spa, two fountains, planters, synthetic grass, ramps, benches and showers for the spa and main deck shower will be added.
The city is requiring Whitehall to ensure that no lighting sources are visible from the beach in order to protect nesting turtles, and to also plant additional vegetation to further prevent turtle hatchling disorientation.
— Sallie James

Helping Hands volunteers serve lunch to the needy on a Wednesday afternoon in March.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

INSET BELOW: James Gavrilos

By Steven J. Smith

    James Gavrilos, executive director of Boca Helping Hands, remembers how a devastating fire six years ago ultimately helped his organization better serve downtrodden families of Boca Raton.
    “In August of 2009 regrettably one of our clients who was on medication went off that medication, came back at night and burned our offices to the ground,” Gavrilos said. “Those offices were right around the corner, on West 16th Street, from our current facility. But we were operating in three different locations at that time. After the fire, we decided we would consolidate everything to this facility at 1500 NW First Court.”
    That move, he said, was made possible by donations from Arthur Remillard, who supplied the lead gift, and the Gary Peters Foundation.
    “Between those two funders and some fundraising that we did internally, we not only bought the building and refitted it, but within two years we had completely retired the debt of about $3.5 million,” Gavrilos said. “We are now in this building 100 percent debt-free.”
    Boca Helping Hands was founded in 1998 with the mission to provide food and emergency assistance to meet basic human needs and long-term solutions to break the cycle of dependence. The organization offers a host of services, including a job mentoring program, food distribution to needy families and a backpack program that provides weekend food for low-income families in nine local elementary schools.
    Shortly after moving into its new facility, the Remillard Family Resource Center, Boca Helping Hands distributed 7,000 bags of groceries to families living below the poverty line. Today — five years later — BHH distributes more than 66,000 bags of groceries a year.
    In addition, nearly 200 hot meals are prepared and served six days a week and twice on Thursdays. Since opening doors in 2010, volunteers and staff have served 227,853 meals, Gavrilos said.
    “But we want to make sure we’re not just feeding people today,” he said. “We want to help them get out of the food line. So if you really look at our programs, the overall goal is sustainability. We help our clients build a budget and then live on a budget. Our job mentor program helps them find work. We want to help them break the cycle of dependence.”
    The organization’s next goal is to open a medical clinic within the next six months.
    “It would be right here at our campus,” Gavrilos said.
    “The indigent and working poor have limited or in some cases no access to medical and dental care. We’re working with Genesis Community Health, a federally qualified health center in Delray Beach, who would provide those medical and dental services.
    “We will provide the facility and the funding. We’re a true community resource and not just for the homeless. Ninety percent of our clients are the working poor. If you’re struggling to get your bills paid and if you need an extra bag of groceries or need to get back on your feet, that’s what Boca Helping Hands is here for.”

For more information or to volunteer, call 417-0913 or visit bocahelpinghands.org.

Jeremy Rodgers is sworn in March 31 by Florida CFO Jeff Atwater.

Bruce Borich/The Coastal Star

By Tao Woolfe  

     City Councilman-elect Jeremy Rodgers attributes his surprise win to running a clean campaign and focusing on Boca Raton’s business growth.
    “My goal is to bring new businesses to Boca Raton, especially high-tech companies,” Rodgers said in a phone interview after the March 10 election. “In addition to being the best place to retire, Boca should be the best place to find a job and raise a family.”
    The height and density of downtown buildings, traffic congestion, annexation and the expansion of Florida Atlantic University were other top issues in a race that focused just as intently on character and campaign styles.
    Though Rodgers, 36, was considered the underdog in the heated three-way battle for the District C seat, he stayed above the mudslinging and insider politicking to capture key supporters.
    His business-friendly message resonated with the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Rodgers and helped get out the vote. Rodgers, who came to Boca Raton in 1997 to attend Florida Atlantic University, also won endorsements from The Sun-Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post, which recognized him as a highly qualified candidate with a fresh voice.
    Both papers pointed out that unlike other candidates, Rodgers has served on the city’s Financial Advisory Board and regularly attends City Council meetings.
    Rodgers is a computer security engineer with IBM and also serves in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He promised to bring honor, courage and commitment to the job.
    The positive tone of Rodgers’ message was in stark contrast to that of opponent Frank Chapman, retired attorney and businessman. Chapman’s negative messaging drove a fourth Seat C candidate, Armand Grossman, out of the race. The candidate quit after Chapman’s campaign sent a mass mailing raising questions about a real estate course Grossman ran.
    Chapman’s campaign repeatedly painted third candidate Jamie Sauer as the establishment candidate who would kowtow to developers. Sauer, a Realtor and political consultant, raised $29,000 in contributions with help from prominent developers, development attorneys, Realtors and local businesses.
    Sauer, however, denied allegiance to developers. She described herself as an independent thinker who sought controlled growth for Boca and the preservation of the city’s values. Sauer, who is active in the Junior League and the Boca Raton Historical Society, also had the backing of other longtime political players including Mayor Susan Haynie.
    Rodgers said his campaign did, at the last minute, join in broadcasting warnings about Chapman’s recent past.
    In the last few weeks of the race, it came to light that Chapman’s Ohio-based former law firm had been in a prolonged battle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
    Chapman was ordered by a federal court in 2013 to pay $44,000 in fines for violations of the False Claims Act. The case involved inspections of foreclosed homes that Chapman’s firm was handling. Chapman has denied any wrongdoing.
    Voter turnout was light and typical for local elections. Rodgers won with 2,792 votes; Sauer came in second with 2,075 votes and Chapman garnered 1,991 votes.
    Rodgers says he has spoken to his new colleagues on the council and does not anticipate any lingering animosity about the race. “I’m friendly with everyone on the council and look forward to working with them,” he said.

Boca Raton Election Results

City Council Seat C  
                             Percent    Votes
Frank Chapman     29.03%   1,991
Jeremy Rodgers     40.71%   2,792
Jamie Sauer            30.26%   2,075
                                               6,858
Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections

Town Clerk Valerie Oakes swears in Vice Mayor Bill Weitz, who beat incumbent Ron Brown.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

    Following overwhelming support from voters, two major Highland Beach water projects can now move forward, but it may be a year or so before actual replacement of aging water mains and installation of a system to improve aesthetic water quality and volume begins.
    Nearly 72 percent of voters gave town leaders a green light to go forward with the two projects, which includes replacement of 6,700 feet of water mains serving the town’s side streets. The mains that will be replaced were installed in the late 1940s and are near the end of their life expectancy, according to town officials.  
    The vote also clears the way for the town to move forward with the installation of a lime slurry/carbon dioxide system at Highland Beach’s water treatment plant, which would improve the aesthetic quality of the water.
    But before any construction can take place, town officials will be going through the processes of getting state and local approvals for the projects as well as hiring an engineering firm to draw up plans. After plans are completed, a contractor will be selected.
    At the same time, the town will work with state officials to arrange low-interest financing through the State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans to municipalities for similar projects.
    While the exact cost of the project won’t be known until engineering studies are completed and contracts are established, town officials estimate the price tag could be as high as $5 million.
    The town plans to seek a 20-year, low-interest loan, likely to be below 2 percent.  The loan would be repaid through ad valorem taxes, which are deductible from federal income taxes for residents.
    Town officials estimate property owners would see an increase of about $15 per $100,000 of assessed property value in their tax bills to cover the cost of the project.
    The first steps in getting the project moving, according to Highland Beach Public Works director Ed Soper, is to begin a search for a qualified engineering firm to work on the design of the projects and develop specifications.
    Once that’s done, Soper said, the town will be able to begin the process of hiring a contractor to do the work.
“I think it will be about a year before there’s a shovel in the ground,” he said.
    Soper added that it could take another six to eight months of construction before the projects are completed but said that the pipe replacement would be done in phases – so some sections will be completed before others.
    “Our focus will be on making sure the entire project is done right,” he said. “We’re not going to sacrifice quality for the sake of expediency."

Highland Beach Election Results
Vice Mayor/Commissioner
                      Percent   Votes
Ron Brown    34.84%    285
Bill Weitz      65.16%    533
                                       818
Ballot Question
Approval to expend funds for water infrastructure and water plant improvements.
May the Town proceed with water infrastructure improvements consisting of replacing water mains and associated equipment and the installation of a lime slurry/carbon dioxide system at the water treatment plant;  and may the Town levy and pledge ad valorem (property) taxes in an amount not to exceed five million dollars with repayment over the life of a 20 year low interest loan?
Yes                71.85%     582
No2                 8.15%     228
                                       810
Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections

A yellow tabebuia tree in full bloom.

Photo provided by Richard Randall

By Tao Woolfe

    The city is offering a sweet, shady deal this month to homeowners who want to spruce up their properties.
    Boca Raton residents can buy one or two tropical trees — a bright yellow tabebuia and/or a copper-trunked gumbo limbo — have them planted, and learn how to tend them, for only $103 per tree ($53 for the tree itself, the rest for delivery and planting). Residents must order quickly, though — the deadline is April 15 and supplies are limited.
    Encouraging tree planting is the main goal of Boca’s Project Shade Trees. The city launched the program about 20 years ago to celebrate Arbor Day, make the city more graceful, and add to the urban tree canopy.
    Each year the city selects two species of drought and heat-tolerant trees and offers them at low cost to single-family homeowners.
    “We always offer a shade tree and a flowering tree,” said Richard Randall, a 15-year member of the city’s Beautification Committee, which runs the program. “We look at what’s available from the nurseries and what we think would be a good choice for that year.”
    Past selections have included live oaks, Southern magnolias, silver buttonwoods, jacarandas, golden rain, pink tabebuias, and Hong King orchid trees.
    Boca, designated a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Foundation for many years, takes its arbor duties seriously.
    The city has one of the toughest tree protection ordinances in the state. It requires developers to specify, in their site plans, how many trees will be left intact on a tract slated for bulldozing or how many will be moved and transplanted.
    Without this information — which encourages architects to design around existing trees — the city will not issue a certificate of occupancy. The law has become a model for cities across the country.
    Randall said Boca has other tree-planting activities throughout the year. The committee educates residents about the selection and care of trees and emphasizes that beautification is just one of many rewards of tree planting.
    Every dollar spent on planting and caring for a tree yields benefits that are two to five times that investment, according to the National Arbor Day Foundation. Those benefits include cleaner air, lower energy costs, improved water quality, storm water control and increased property values.
    Trees will be delivered to homeowners this year by Gardening Angel Nursery. The young, healthy saplings will be about 6 feet tall. Yellow tabebuias will grow to about 25 feet in height and have a 15-foot spread. The gumbo limbo, with its distinctive peeling red bark, will grow to 50 feet and boast a 30-foot spread.
    Randall said the city’s signature royal poinciana trees, which erupt in May and June with red blossoms, are not offered through Project Shade Trees because they are just too huge. Take a ride through the southern end of the city this spring, though, and see why they symbolize South Florida and are among the world’s most beautiful trees.

You can find more information about Project Shade Trees, on the city’s website at ci.boca-raton.fl.us.

Tree Facts
    Every dollar spent on planting and caring for a community tree yields benefits that are two to five times that investment — benefits that include cleaner air, lower energy costs, improved water quality and storm water control and increased property values.
    Trees remove pollution from the atmosphere, improving air quality and human health.
    Global forests remove about one-third of fossil fuel emissions annually.
    Roadside trees reduce nearby indoor air pollution by more than 50 percent.
    Office workers with a view of trees report significantly less stress and more satisfaction.
    One large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people.  
    More than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.
    Forested watersheds provide quality drinking water to more than 180 million Americans.
    Evaporation of water from trees has a cooling influence. Trees cool the city by up to 10°F by shading our homes and streets and releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves.
    Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced by a car driven 26,000 miles.
    During one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange.
    roper placement of only three trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.  
    Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20 to 50 percent in energy used for heating.
Source: Arbor Day Foundation

By Rich Pollack

    Highland Beach Town Commissioners will consider appointing interim Town Manager Beverly Brown to the position permanently this month.
    During a meeting March 31, commissioners unanimously expressed support for appointing both Brown and Interim City Clerk Valerie Oakes to their positions on a permanent basis.
    Brown, who served as town clerk for nine years, was appointed as interim town manager in January following the mutually agreed upon departure of former Town Manager Kathleen Weiser. Oakes was named to fill Brown’s position on an interim basis.
    Commissioners said they saw no reason to spend time and money on an outside search.
    “I don’t think we’ll be able to come up with anything better than what we have now,” said Commissioner Carl Feldman.
Both Brown and Oakes received praise from commissioners for their efforts over several years as well as for the work they’ve done while serving in an interim capacity.
    “Beverly Brown knows this town inside and out,” Commissioner Rhoda Zelniker said.
    Prior to becoming town clerk in Highland Beach, Brown spent 30 years as a town clerk in Connecticut.
    Oakes drew praise from commissioners for her work in coordinating the recent municipal election and for helping to ensure the Town Clerk’s office ran smoothly during the transition period.
    Newly elected Vice Mayor Bill Weitz said that not only do Brown and Oakes have the knowledge and experience to do the jobs but they also have an ability to work well with other members of the staff.
    Both Feldman and Weitz asked that staff prepare a contract for the town manager’s position. Salary and benefits for the town clerk — who is hired by the town commission — fall under the responsibilities of the town manager.
    “I’d want to see a draft contract that protects the town more than it protects the individual,” Feldman said.
    Commissioners are expected to further discuss and possibly finalize the appointments at their meeting this month.

There are plenty of orchids, decorative pots and garden accessories available at the Delray Garden Center.

Robert Glynn with one of the five macaws that have found a home at the garden center.

Classic landscape materials like this stunning hibiscus are available.

The garden center also offers non-traditional plants like this yesterday, today, tomorrow —

known for the blooms’ progression from small bud to lavish color

and then fading to a pale shade before falling off.

 
Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

    In 1988, Robert Glynn bought over 4½ acres of land along West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Here he opened a little sod stand.
    “We started the business when Delray was nothing. As the town grew, we grew with it,” says Glynn, who owns what today is the Delray Garden Center.
    Come wander through two acres of gardens he developed over the years using bits and pieces he had left over from landscaping job sites. “It’s a mosh posh that just adds to the garden effect,” he says.
    Today the old sod shack is a funky gift shop featuring wind chimes, glazed pots and garden art.
    Near it stands a 4,000-square-foot shade house filled with fishtail palms, bamboo, variegated ginger, medinilla with its hanging pink flowers, the red leaves of the cordylines and more.
    Follow the brick path under the vine-covered archway and you’ll enter an area rife with blooms.
    There are red, pink, orange, white and salmon hibiscus; butterfly-attracting species such as dwarf fire bush, Mexican petunia and cassias; blooming raspberry Knockout roses; the vibrant purple flowers of the tibouchina; and a happy looking yesterday, today, tomorrow.
    “It’s all about showing the customers what can be done,” says Glynn. “People come in with blinders on, and we try to open up their eyes and educate them.”
    Walk east and you’ll find a holding area for what Glynn calls his “bulletproof plants.” These are the heartier varieties such as podocarpus, liriope, foxtail ferns, crotons and bougainvillea that he uses on many of his landscaping projects.
    “When customers tell me they want something I know isn’t going to work in our climate, I tell them. I don’t want to come back six months later and see a lot of dead plants,” he says.
    Wander back toward the parking lot through one of the older areas of the garden that’s shaded by plenty of towering palms including reclinata, coconut, Chinese fan and robellini. A manmade waterfall has added its gentle flow to this garden for 18 years and is now home to waving papyrus and plenty of ferns.
    Here, too, is a small hut where you’ll find Brandon Hawkins. He’s in charge of turning pieces of driftwood into works of art.
For the past 14 years, two fishermen have collected the wood in North Florida and Louisiana. After it’s delivered by the trailer truckload, Hawkins selects his pieces and then tucks bromeliads, orchids, bits of moss and tillandsia into their natural nooks and crannies.
    Make an event of your garden visit by bringing lunch. There are mosaic tables and cement benches with blue umbrellas set under a strangler fig that is holding a eucalyptus hostage. That tree has been here from the beginning. But early on, Glynn planted oaks, royal palms and poincianas that provide plenty of canopy.
    Don’t be surprised if you see people dressed in medical uniforms with stethoscopes draped around their necks sitting at a nearby table. They are the staff from the dental office next door. A gate connects the office to the gardens so that staff can enjoy a break and patients can relax before or after a taxing dental procedure.
    On weekends, you’ll probably be entertained by Carlos, Pedro, Cracker, Candy and Sanchez, colorful macaws that rule the gardens and endear themselves to kids.
    Back in the parking lot, first-time customer James McGinnis of Boca Raton loads his red dwarf ixora into the trunk of his car. “This place is bigger and better than I expected. I got these plants I couldn’t find anywhere else,” he says.  

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley is a certified master gardener who can be reached at debhartz@att.net when she’s not in her garden.

Reed Stewart, teacher, needlepoint expert and designer,

stitches a pair of Stubbs & Wootton shoes

at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach.

Andie Lindeman of Jupiter stitches Blue Dog

into a pair of Stubbs & Wootton slippers.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Society of the Four Arts class lets

students make slippers of their own

Jessica Ransom (front) stitches a pair of Stubbs & Wootton shoes at the Society of the Four Arts

in Palm Beach. She spends summers in Erie, Pa., and winters in West Palm Beach.

Stewart works with student Andie Lindeman of Jupiter Inlet Colony.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Emily J. Minor  
  About four years ago, give or take, Reed Stewart started making his own shoes — yes, you heard right — and people went nuts over his original designs, everything from cigars to zebras.
    “I’d be out on the island, everybody knows me, and people caught on and they were like, ‘I want a pair,’ ” he said.
    So Stewart started a class, every Monday for 12 straight weeks, in a small room at the Society of the Four Arts on Palm Beach — a place well known for all things beautiful.

    The goal?
    Choose a design. Draw the design. Stitch the design. (Turns out Steps 1 and 2 are almost as hard as Step 3.) Then ship the canvases off to the folks at Stubbs & Wootton, the Palm Beach-based shoe designer that pretty much perfected the velvet evening slipper back in 1993, then moved onto needlepoint shoes with emblems ranging from harlequins to skulls to family crests.
    And anyone who’s anyone wears a pair.
    “What kind of crazy world do we live in where people walk around with family crests on their shoes?” says Stewart, 60 — a guy who loves a crazy world and who these days runs a wholesale flower business, helping pull off the grand weddings for the daughters of big-time CEOs, etc.
    This class, though, was a different endeavor, in that Stewart was pulling in perfect strangers to embark on this creative mission.  
    Good friends with Stubbs & Wootton creator Percy Steinhart, Stewart got permission to use the company’s individually sized shoe patterns after he was approached with the idea for the class at the Society of the Four Arts. (The program director there calls him “a real renaissance man.”)  
    Then he landed about 10 people, all women (none of them from the island), who wanted to create their own pair of Stubbs & Wootton shoes.
    “I’ve got some real expert stitchers to literally beginners,” he said. “And it’s really just about the mindset of enjoying what we’re doing.”
    For starters, Stewart took the group to the society’s library, where they spent a few classes just leafing through books on art and architecture and choosing a design. Then they began drawing on their petit point canvas, using Sharpies — and a bottle of Wite-Out for corrections.
    “It’s a class of creativity,” says Susan Hottle, an expert stitcher who is probably the most advanced in the class. “There are shoes to be seen in and shoes to be worn. These will be both.”
    On most occasions they laughed as much as they sewed, reading glasses perched just right, everything clipped back so they could see their work. The ladies are using single-strand silk thread, with a No. 26 needle. The stitches are tiny, which means they can be plenty aggravating, and perfection seems to reign supreme.
    Stewart spends a fair amount of time reassuring his students that they don’t need to rip out what they just did. All told, the shoes will be an investment of at least $1,000 or so, Stewart says, including class fees ($200), supplies ($100) and manufacturing ($600-$700).
    Andie Lindeman from Jupiter Inlet Colony chose the image from George Rodrigue’s famous “Blue Dog” paintings. Anne Krauss came up with her own daffodil design. Hottle is stitching a dragon. Leila Little, who lives in West Palm Beach, drew a rendition of a Scalamandre shell fabric design.
    “I wanted them to select what would make them happy when they look down at their feet,” Stewart says.
    The class started in mid-January and ended last month. And guess what? The designs aren’t ready for the Stubbs & Wootton factory floor just yet.
    The women, a few of them here just for the winter, will work over the summer, Stewart said, and then return in the late fall with their finished tapestries.  
    Hopefully.
    “It’s an interesting group,” Stewart said. “And if we weren’t having fun, we weren’t doing it right.”

    The Stitch Your Own Stubbs class will be offered next year, starting in January. Call 805-8562.  
    Want to browse the store? Visit Stubbs & Wootton, 1 Via Parigi, Palm Beach; 655-6857.

Dr. Robert Levy in front of the ‘wall of love.’
The entrance to the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The center is named for Billi and Bernie Marcus.
Photo  provided

By Linda Haase

    Doctors at Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Marcus Neuroscience Institute can view images of a patient’s brain in real time during an operation. A video/audio link to the operating room allows physicians to watch surgeries — and even ask surgeons questions.  
    Impressive? Absolutely.
    But there’s something else at this center that will take your breath away. It’s the Wall of Love. The 28 heartfelt paintings were passionately created by clients with memory disorders at FAU’s Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center. Each panel features a heart motif and stunning colors — a vibrant visual interpretation of love. It’s a striking image.
    “When you enter a hospital it can be a very frightening experience. The wall of love helps allay fears,” explains Dr. Robert Levy, a Stanford Medical School grad who heads up the institute. “And it resonates when they see the work of other patients.”
    Other captivating paintings created at the memory center are also displayed throughout the second floor of the new $52 million center, which houses four operating rooms, a 20-bed neuro intensive care and step-down unit.
    There are works such as Blooming Fields, created by Rosa, a 78-year-old retired cosmetologist. “She never painted before coming to the center, but her daughter says that the art classes allow Rosa the freedom to express what she cannot verbalize,” a sign next to the painting explains.
    The artwork is part of the 57,000-square-foot institute’s mission to rethink the patient experience, says Levy, the former co-director of the Shands-Jacksonville Neuroscience Institute.
    Because, as he points out, all the technology in the world can’t replace the empathetic care patients need. “We are using technology to give people hope but that doesn’t replace compassion. That is at the core of our care.”
    That’s why the rooms in the ICU unit are larger than normal (“it has to be a hospital but it doesn’t need to feel claustrophobic,” Levy says), and why nurses are stationed at desks outside the rooms where they can see patients and check their vital signs on monitors at the desk — instead of at a central hub down the hall.
    And anyone who has had a loved one in the ICU will applaud the decision to include a separate family suite with a bed and a shower so families can stay in the room with their loved ones — not relegated to what Levy calls “a funky waiting room down the hall” with limited visiting hours.  
    The outpatient department on the first floor is also designed to provide state-of-the-art care — and be a model of efficiency. Here, patients can be seen by myriad specialists for conditions including Alzheimer’s/memory disorders, brain tumors, strokes, spinal disorders, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
    But here’s what sets it apart: All the doctors work full time for the institute as part of the team. There’s no running off to do rounds at another hospital or to see private patients. And there’s a streamlined approach:  Instead of having to spend days, weeks — or even months — going to different specialists, labs and outpatient centers, patients here can be seen by several specialists and have all tests without leaving the building.
    “The goal is to provide a comprehensive way for people to be seen by the doctors they need to see and have the tests they need and come away with a treatment plan,” Levy said. “It’s absurd to spend all that time going from doctor to doctor. We can compress what might take a month into a day or two.”
    Levy recruited world-class experts highly trained in all facets of the neurosciences, including stroke, movement disorders, neuro-oncology, epilepsy, memory disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The staff also includes neurologists, neurosurgeons and neurointensivists (physicians specifically trained in neurocritical care).
    The doctors will also mentor and teach medical students and engage in research, he says.    
    The center, sparked by $25 million from Billi and Bernie Marcus and the Marcus Foundation, was designed to be an “innovative nexus transforming the landscape of care for neurological and neurosurgical patients in South Florida.”
    Indeed.
    “Our plan at Boca Regional is to meld the best in physician skill with the finest technology and a marvelous facility to provide a center of excellence in the neurosciences that is unparalleled in Florida,” Bernie Marcus wrote in a press release.
    It appears to have struck a chord with the community. Five days after it opened in October, it was at 70 percent occupancy. And, says Levy with pride, things haven’t slowed down since.
    “I predict within the next 12 months these rooms will be full all the time. We envision we will have to go back to the community and tell them we have to grow. That’s how successful we’ve been,” says Levy, who was previously a professor and chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of  Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville.   
    He couldn’t have prescribed a better scenario.

Linda Haase is on a quest to learn — and share — all she can about how to get and stay healthy. Reach her at lindawrites76@gmail.com.