Military veteran Frank Policastri walks with his service dog Buff

alongside dog trainer Carolee Ellison at the Boynton Beach Mall.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Arden Moore

    When you think of a highly trained service dog, what breed quickly comes to mind? I’m betting you identify the Labrador retriever or perhaps, the golden retriever. But there is a breed now gaining acclaim for providing service to military veterans wrestling with post-traumatic stress disorder or mobility limitations.
    Sit and stay, labs and goldens. The breed earning his stripes as a service dog for military veterans in Palm Beach County is the greyhound.
    True, this lanky, tall dog is best known for being the supreme sprinter of the canine pack, capable of clocking more than 40 miles per hour before you can finish reading this sentence out loud. In fact, racing greyhounds can reach top speeds within six strides from a standing start and rank only second in speed to the cheetah (75 miles per hour).
    Independent, gentle, noble. These three words best describe the greyhound, according to the official American Kennel Club website. And, I couldn’t agree more. While greyhounds need the occasional mad dash to let out pent-up energy, they are smart, kind sofa loungers sporting a sensitive side, especially toward their favorite people.
    These traits suit retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Frank Policastri, of West Palm Beach, just fine. A degenerative joint disease has left the bones on his 5-foot-10-inch frame brittle and mandated the need for a cane for steady footing.
    Until now, that is. He has traded his cane for Buff, a greyhound service dog in training with the Awesome Greyhound Adoptions’ Hound and Heroes Program.
    “I am real fortunate to have Buff,” says Policastri, who jokingly describes his age as “17 backwards.”
    “We’re in training right now, but Buff is enabling me to walk a significant amount without the use of my cane for the first time in 23 years. When we’re out and I say, ‘Let’s go, Buff,’ he immediately stands and comes to my side and braces himself to help me get up out of my chair. He is very perceptive and seems to know what my needs are and adjusts quickly to accommodate them.”
    Credit AGA’s founder and president (and ardent greyhound fan) Barbara Masi of Boynton Beach for transforming retired racers from the Palm Beach Kennel Club into certified service dogs specifically trained for military veterans in need. Since May 2011, a total of 12 greyhounds have completed or are in training to be paired with military veterans.
    The nonprofit group relies on donations to cover the cost of training that can exceed $4,000 per greyhound. Training takes about six months per dog, with the final two months bringing the dog together with the veteran to ensure a proper match.
    “Greyhounds seem ideal for military veterans who are usually tall and big and require a tall dog to lean on when getting up from a seated position or walking,” says Masi. “And, they are in tune with their veterans’ emotional needs, especially those coping with PTSD.”
    Carolee Ellison volunteers her time to train the greyhounds for the Hounds and Heroes Program. She has agreed to have the greyhounds in training to be with her 24/7, including when she is teaching students at South Veterinary Tech Assistant Academy.
    “Greyhounds are fun to train and because of their long, lean bodies, they are perfect canine models to teach our students canine anatomy,” says Ellison, of Lake Worth. “The dogs stand still while I place stickers on their bodies to help students learn bones like the tibula and femur and other body parts. It makes learning fun.”
    Currently, Ellison is conducting service dog training with Buff and Policastri and is delighted by how quickly the pair became friends. The trio spends time at public places like inside the Boynton Beach mall to hone their skills.
    “When Frank shuffles, I’m amazed at how Buff will slow his pace to match Frank’s and how well Buff locks his legs to enable Frank to use him to stand up,” says Ellison. “Buff gives Frank such a sense of freedom. Buff can be a goofball, but when his service jacket comes on, he is all business.”
    Ellison doesn’t mind sharing her home with two or three greyhounds weighing 60 pounds or more.  
    “I am blessed to be part of the Hounds and Heroes Program,” she says. “I never got to serve in the military, but I have always been a patriot and this is a great way for me to give back to those who have served for our country.”
    To learn more about the Awesome Greyhound Adoption group, visit awesomegreyhoundadoptions.org.

Fun Greyhound Facts

                  The greyhound was officially recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club way back in 1885.

                  Greyhounds come in 15 colors and four markings.

                  Greyhounds are members of the hound group and rank 147th in breed popularity.

                  Lounging is their preferred activity, earning the greyhound the nickname of “40-mile-per-hour couch potato.”

                  Greyhounds are anatomically built better to lie down than to sit.

***

Win Arden’s books!

                Got pet? In celebration of the release of my newest pet books, I am giving away a personalized, autographed copy of Fit Cat and Fit Dog to a couple of readers of The Coastal Star.

                  How? Easy. Simply email me (Arden@fourleggedlife.com) and tell me, in 100 words or fewer, how your dog or your cat has made your life better. And, if you like, attach a photo. Deadline to submit is May 1, 2015. We will pick a cat and a dog winner and share the results in a future column.
Arden Moore, founder of 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 PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting fourleggedlife.com.

Ernie DeBlasi, owner of Impact Lures

and part-owner/executive chef at Caffe Luna Rosa.

DeBlasi’s handmade fishing lures made in his garage in Boynton Beach.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    When it comes to fishing and cooking, Ernie DeBlasi rarely spares the creative juices.
    The executive chef for Caffe Luna Rosa in Delray Beach makes his own pasta for the restaurant and is always looking for a new culinary challenge for himself and his staff.
    When relaxing at home, DeBlasi’s not the type to sit on the couch and watch television. He stays busy in his garage making all kinds of things from wood — bowls, picture frames, rolling music boxes, even longbows.
    DeBlasi learned the fundamentals of woodworking from his uncle while growing up in North Miami Beach and has made it a lifelong hobby.
    So it’s not surprising that the veteran angler started making wooden fishing lures. He was fishing at Boynton Inlet about 10 years ago and kept losing store-bought lures to toothy bluefish, so he decided to build his own.
    “I cut a broomstick, put a hook in it, spray painted it and I probably caught 100 bluefish on it,” DeBlasi said.
    The chef who used to tie his own flies was suddenly hooked on wooden fishing lures. He started making mostly topwater lures because he enjoys seeing fish rise up and strike plugs on the surface.
    He shared his wooden lures with friends. They caught fish on them and suggested that DeBlasi sell his lures to the public. After a collection of his lures sold out at a craft show, he was convinced.
    DeBlasi formed Impact Lures about five years ago and had a website built — impactlures.com — to sell his handmade works of fishable art.
    DeBlasi’s lures, most of which sell for $9.49, are made by hand, one at a time, from a variety of woods — mostly oak, cedar, pine and poplar.
    Lures made from denser poplar and oak are designed to work below the surface, while those made of cedar and pine are topwater lures — including DeBlasi’s personal favorite, the Loxahatchee Walker.
    DeBlasi said it takes 17 steps to complete a lure, beginning with cutting the wood and ending with coats of clear epoxy to protect the paint. His 6-year-old son, Beni, helps him paint the lures sometimes.
    In addition to making the standard lures available on his website, DeBlasi creates custom lures to order. To satisfy some customers, he builds replicas of plugs that have been out of production for decades.
    Old plugs from generations past occupy part of the wall of his garage in Boynton Beach, creating a place where DeBlasi can study classic designs for chuggers, poppers and surface walkers.
    For anglers who want to try their hands at making fish-fooling devices, DeBlasi sells make-your-own wooden lure kits.
Snook and largemouth bass are among DeBlasi’s favorite fish to catch, especially on topwater lures such as the Loxahatchee Walker, which works from side to side as it moves across the water in a “walk the dog” presentation.
    DeBlasi’s biggest fish taken on one of his lures: A 48-pound jack crevalle, caught on the Loxahatchee Walker while he was fishing from a kayak near St. Lucie Inlet. It took him 90 minutes to land that brawny jack.
    DeBlasi has shipped his handmade lures to anglers throughout the United States and to several other countries, including Israel, France, Portugal, Canada and Costa Rica.
    His greatest satisfaction comes from hearing stories from customers who have caught fish on his wooden creations.
    When ideas pop into his mind, DeBlasi enjoys being able to test them on the lathe at home or in the kitchen at Caffe Luna Rosa.
    “I’ve got that kind of mind that is unsettled,” DeBlasi said. “You can get so burned out on one thing. It’s important to keep the thought process going.”

Julius Santos of Boca Raton shows two yellowtail snappers caught while fishing with his father

on the Living on Island Time drift boat based at Palm Beach Yacht Center.

ishing for yellowtail and mutton snapper improved in March with the onset of warmer weather.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

                                 
Fishing club yard sale set for April 11
    The West Palm Beach Fishing Club will hold its annual yard sale from 7 a.m. to noon April 11 outside the fishing club at Fifth Street and Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach.
    Used rods and reels, boating gear, tackle boxes, life jackets, coolers, marine hardware and clothing will be for sale.
    Proceeds from the yard sale benefit the youth education and conservation efforts of the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation.
    The club will accept tax-deductible donations of used fishing and boating gear and related accessories before the sale. For more information, call 832-6780 or visit westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.
                                 
Coming tournaments
    Here’s a partial list of offshore fishing tournaments scheduled for April and May. Most tournaments are for kingfish, dolphin and wahoo, though some include other target fish:
    April 11: Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament and Firehouse Chili Cook-off based near the boat ramps at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park. Entry fee $275 per boat. (Chili cook-off entry $25. Call 252-0769 or boyntonbeachfirefighters.com.
    May 2: Lantana Fishing Derby based at Old Key Lime House restaurant. Captain’s party 6 p.m. April 30 at Lantana Recreation Center, 418 S. Dixie Highway. Awards party May 3 at recreation center. Entry fee $200 (by April 17) or $250 thereafter. Call 585-8664 or Lantanafishingderby.com.
    May 30: Palm Beach County KDW Classic based at Riviera Beach Marina. Entry fee: By  May 21, $200 ($175 for West Palm Beach Fishing Club members and tenants of Palm Beach Yacht Center and other specified marinas);  after May 21, $275. Call 832-6780 or kdwclassic.com.
                                 
Nice catch!
    Capt. John Davie used a sardine on a circle hook tied to 40-pound fluorocarbon leader to catch an 11-pound dog snapper in early March. The snapper took his bait in 60 feet of water south of Boynton Inlet while Davie was fishing aboard the Sea Mist III drift boat. The snapper was 26 inches long.
                                 
Tip of the month
    Look for cobia moving along the beaches and over wrecks and reefs in the waters off Boynton and Boca Raton inlets.
    Experienced cobia anglers have stout rods rigged with heavy jigs ready to cast to cobia they spot from platforms such as the Boynton Inlet jetty or the Lake Worth pier.
    Capt. Bruce Cyr of the Lady K drift boat said cobia often follow sharks, rays and sea turtles. Drift boat anglers have been catching cobia up to 36 pounds using dead sardines in the waters off Boynton Inlet. Cobia make excellent table fare.
    Cyr suggests fishing with dead sardines on knocker rigs (weight knocking against the hook) or standard sliding sinker drift-boat rigs using a 1-ounce sinker. Some anglers bounce heavy jigs off the bottom to catch cobia.
    Cobia must measure at least 33 inches (to the fork of the tail) to be legal to keep. The daily bag limit is one cobia per angler, not to exceed six per boat.


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

At the March 3 topping-off ceremony of Sinai Residences, U.S. and Israeli flags

were hoisted (along with a palm tree) to the roof by crane.

Photo provided

By Tim Pallesen

    Sinai Residences, touted as “the most luxurious continuing care community in the country,” has already sold out before its opening late this year on the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County campus in Boca Raton.
    Seniors who average 82 years old have paid between $410,000 and $1 million for 237 luxury apartments. Their heirs will receive up to 95 percent of their home’s value.
    They also pay $4,000 a month for a lifetime of care. In addition to the 237 units for independent living, the $250 million complex will have 48 assisted-living units, 60 skilled nursing suites and 24 suites for Alzheimer’s patients.
    The 450 residents will experience what the Jewish Federation calls “the highest standard of engaged senior living and a wealth of luxury services.” The complex includes a fitness center, swimming pool, four restaurants and a chapel.
    Rabbi David Englander of B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton gave the blessing at a March 3 topping-off ceremony for construction, which began last year.
    “The creation of Sinai Residences not only serves the need of the growing senior population of South Florida seeking out a safe, luxury and educational environment to live, but it also helps the federation generate revenue to enhance the vital human services we support,” Jewish Federation chief operating officer Melvyn Lowell said.
    Sinai Residences will occupy half of a 50-acre parcel that has been vacant since the Jewish Federation opened its campus in 1991.
                                    ***
    Earth Festival has become a major annual community event, presented by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton on April 18-19.
    “We want people to have fun and be hopeful,” co-chair Jan Booher says of the event to teach good stewardship of the planet.
More than 2,500 attended Earth Festival’s inaugural year. Organizers hope to double the attendance this year.
    The event at 2601 St. Andrews Blvd. features live music, food and information about all the little ways to save the planet.
“We really feel that we must adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. It’s a threat to human beings if we don’t,” Booher said.
    Children’s activities include solar cooking, gardening and recycled crafts. Babies who switch to cloth diapers are counted for the Guinness Book of World Records.
    Workshops cover subjects such as composting with worms, Everglades restoration and sustainable buildings. Cars using alternative fuels will be displayed along with other vendors of green products.
    Florida Atlantic University professors Keren Bolter and Sandra Norman also will give the science and history to rising sea levels and talk about three Delray Beach neighborhoods at risk for flooding. Those workshops prepare participants to draw the rising high water line with chalk in two of the Delray neighborhoods on Earth Day on April 25.
    Call 482-2001 or go to FloridaEarthFestival.org.
                                    ***
    Local food caterers have joined Christians Reaching Out to Society Ministries for an exciting Raise Your Glass to End Hunger event at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square on April 23.
    The food pairings with wine and beer will be provided by Benvenuto, Caesar’s Famous Ribs, Whisked Away Catering, Marianne Gourmet Food and Ellie’s 50’s Diner.
    Wines are from San Sebastian Winery of St. Augustine and Lakeridge Winery of Clermont. Beer is donated by Concrete Beach Brewery of Miami.
    CROS Ministries operates the Caring Kitchen and a food pantry in Delray Beach.
    Tickets for the 6-9 p.m. event are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Call 233-9009 or go tocrosministries.org/events.
                                    ***
     More than 300 members of Congregation B’nai Israel celebrated Mitzvah Day by acts of human kindness to benefit 20 local charities.
     Congregants made blankets to be distributed to local hospitals and cancer treatment by Blanket Buddies, baked cookies and made 500 sandwiches for the Caring Kitchen, wrote thank-you cards to Boca Raton firefighters, cleaned shoes for In Jacob’s Shoes, donated blood to One Blood and held a car wash to benefit Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.
    The ambitious effort included gleaning 6,000 peppers and sorting food donations for the Palm Beach County Food Bank. More than 100 bags of clothing were sorted and donated to Jewish Family Services, and 100 Shabbat kits were made for Menorah House.
To top off Mitzvah Day, 75 congregation members ran or walked in the Stand Among Friends race at Florida Atlantic University, winning the award for the largest group participation.
                                    ***
    Children prepared 20,000 meals for the poor this year on Super Sunday, the annual phone-a-thon where adult volunteers raise money for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.
    The nonperishable kosher meals were given to the Jacobson Family Food Pantry at Jewish Family Services to observe Good Deeds Day, an annual international event.

Tim Pallesen writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Reach him at tcpallesen@aol.com.

Participating models are: (l-r) Gabrielle Kiminyo, Sophia Dickenson, Caroline Calder and Grace Vera.

Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

    Calling all young ladies: It’s time to party, American Girl-style!
    The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is holding its third annual American Girl Fashion Show April 18 at the Boca Raton Marriott Hotel.  
    Since 1986, American Girl dolls have been educating young women about what it was like to be a girl growing up in the past. They may be dolls, but don’t assume they don’t have depth.
    Each BeForever doll has a personal story and these are not fairy tales. The dolls wear historically accurate clothing and their stories address tough topics including poverty, racism and child abuse.
    But each doll also “illustrates lasting lessons of hope and determination, and the enduring power of being true to yourself,” the American Girl website says.
    “Through the books girls discover how that girl would have lived, what clothes she would have worn, and what the world would have been like for her. There’s a great educational component,” said Kristin Calder, CEO of the Literacy Coalition.
    That’s the main reason the coalition wanted to partner with the American Girl brand. The company provides a model for the fashion show and carefully chooses organizations to host shows. Then the host group takes over the planning and execution.
     Chairwoman Maggie Dickenson has worked on the event for the last three years.
     “She’s a great leader,” Calder said.
     Co-chair Nancy Vera and about 40 other moms volunteer to do the heavy lifting required to put on this event. “It’s complicated,” Calder laughs. “From hats to shoes, there’s a lot involved.”
     All the models come from schools in Palm Beach County, and for many it’s “an unforgettable experience,” Calder said. “Last year a girl told me it was her favorite day of her whole life.”
     The event features a fashion show, classic tea party refreshments and a chance to see (and buy) the latest American Girl goodies. “It’s really a great bargain for a $40 ticket,” Calder said. “You also get a very nice party favor. Last year it was a little purse made out of heavy paper and it opened up to become a stage with paper dolls.”
     Each show — there are three performances — is in two acts with a 20-minute tea party/intermission, where girls nibble on cupcakes, cookies, strawberries and tea sandwiches, while moms enjoy coffee or tea or something with more of a kick at the cash bar.
    Because there is a lot of sitting and listening during the show, Calder says it’s best suited for ages 6-12. Girls are invited to bring their favorite doll to the show, and dressing up is encouraged.  Be sure to arrive an hour before the show, Calder says, to check out the souvenir items exclusive to the American Girl Fashion Show, and to buy tickets to win American Girl merchandise.
    The money raised supports the coalition’s local literacy programs for children, including providing reading strategies for those who need help, and getting books into the hands of children who don’t have any.
    “We’ll do whatever it takes to get children interested in reading,” Calder said.

If You Go
The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County’s American Girl Fashion Show
When: Three shows: 10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm
April 18
Where: The Boca Raton Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton
Reservations: Required.
Tickets: $40, or $60 VIP, which includes a special VIP goodie bag and seating in the first two rows. $18 of the ticket price is tax-deductible.
Parking: Self-parking is available. Valet parking is $7.
Info: 279-9103; literacypbc.org

By Dan Moffett

    Rob Sivitilli might have finally run out of ideas for saving his family’s building at 5011 N. Ocean Blvd. in Ocean Ridge.

    Two more chances for a reprieve fell apart during the Town Commission meeting on March 2.

    Commissioners voted 4–0 to reject de-annexing the property and turning it over to Briny Breezes, a plan Sivitilli had been trying to sell for the last two months. Commissioner Gail Adams Aaskov, who has a real estate office in the building, recused herself from the vote.

    The commission also voted 3–2 to reject a proposal to ask the town’s planning and zoning board to consider creating a commercial, mixed-use zone in the south end of town that would include the Sivitilli building. 

    Aaskov was allowed to participate in that vote, but she and Commissioner Lynn Allison came out on the losing side.

    Sivitilli, who over the last six months has offered the town an array of proposals and incentives to overhaul the building and bring it into compliance with codes, said he wasn’t sure where to go from here.

    “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll have to think about it.”

    In the end, the de-annexation idea collapsed because Ocean Ridge couldn’t find a benefit in giving the property away and Briny Breezes couldn’t find one for taking it.

    Sivitilli tried to convince Briny’s Town Council at its February meeting that annexing the property would increase the town’s tax base. But Council President Sue Thaler wasn’t persuaded.

    “We’d get about $1,800 a year in taxes from the building,” Thaler said. “I’m not sure that’s worth annexation.”

    Briny Breezes Town Attorney John Skrandel said that a proposed interlocal agreement between the two towns to restrict the businesses that could operate in the building would make Briny vulnerable to lawsuits.

    “I can almost guarantee you we’d get sued,” he said.

    Ocean Ridge Mayor Geoff Pugh said there is no advantage for his town in giving real estate away and letting commercial enterprises remain — but under another municipality’s rules. 

    “I see no benefit to the town of Ocean Ridge to carve out a piece of property that is controlled by another entity, with all respect to the town of Briny Breezes,” Pugh said.

    Sivitilli may have received a minor concession when Ocean Ridge commissioners didn’t support a motion to set a date certain to begin enforcing the building’s code violations. Since last June, when a deadline from a court agreement expired, only the residential apartments on the second floor of the building have been in compliance with the town’s rules.

    Town Manager Ken Schenck said he and police have been waiting to take action against the property until the commission decided whether de-annexation or another solution was possible. Schenck told commissioners that their two votes against the Sivitillis tell him all he needs to know.

    In other business, the commission voted unanimously to evaluate Schenck after completion of budget hearings this year, around Oct. 1.

    Performance evaluations have become an issue in the town since commissioners learned that former Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi had been evaluated only once in five years on the job.

    Though that evaluation rated him “outstanding,” Yannuzzi was forced to resign in January after a dispute with Commissioner Richard Lucibella.

    “We are obligated to do this,” said Allison, who urged commissioners to decide on a format and schedule for reviews. “If we don’t set performance criteria and review it on an annual basis, then we have no basis for any salary changes, dismissals, whatever.”

    A majority of the commission balked at evaluating Schenck in a public forum. Instead, commissioners decided to complete written evaluations and make them part of the public record.

By Dan Moffett

    After getting off to a false start in February, the organizers of a movement to recall Ocean Ridge Town Commissioner Richard Lucibella say they are determined to get the effort back on track in March.

    “Though the hullabaloo is over, the interest in removing him has not wavered,” said Haley Joyce. “People are absolutely as determined as ever to do this.”

    The hullabaloo grew from a dispute between Lucibella and Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi that ultimately led to the chief’s forced resignation in January. Joyce and her friend Nan Yablong decided to seek Lucibella’s recall in frustration over Yannuzzi’s departure and the direction they believe the town is heading.

    “We need people on the commission who don’t have agendas,” Yablong said. “We definitely need a change.”

    By design, the recall process is neither quick nor easy. The state Legislature mandated that all municipalities follow the same rules, and the first requirement is that recall organizers submit a petition signed by 10 percent of the registered voters.

    Joyce and Yablong thought they had 25 more signatures than they needed in February, but confusion over the exact number of signers required, and problems with some of the names caused them to fall nine signatures short. And that means the organizers have to start over.

    “We plan to begin a full-on push this Saturday (March 7),” Joyce said. “What’s been really nice about this is that it hasn’t been divisive. There hasn’t been one particular part of the town or one neighborhood that’s been for the petition. There’s been support that’s run the gamut of the town.”

    The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office oversees the petition process. Ocean Ridge officially has 1,487 registered voters, meaning the organizers need 149 valid signatures to get the recall off the ground.

    If they meet that threshold, then Lucibella has five days to respond. He can reject the call to leave office, or step down or say nothing at all. After his response, the recall organizers then have 60 days to submit petitions signed by 15 percent of the registered voters, or 223 names.

    Once that requirement is satisfied, then the elections supervisor can schedule a special election during which only two propositions would appear on the ballot:

    “Richard Lucibella should be removed from office.”

    “Richard Lucibella should not be removed from office.”

    Should voters decide to remove the commissioner, then the commission could appoint someone to serve out the balance of his three-year term which expires in 2017.

    Under the state’s recall rules, there are only seven grounds for removal: malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties and conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.

    The organizers are charging Lucibella with malfeasance over what they believe was the harassment of Yannuzzi — for “threatening a public official.” They also are charging the commissioner with violating the state’s Sunshine Law in a campaign to force the chief out of office, an allegation Lucibella has repeatedly denied.

    As for replacing Lucibella, Joyce says Yablong, who has a background in corporate human resources, would be a good choice, given the turnover in management that the town will soon go through. Besides losing its police chief, Ocean Ridge figures also to lose to retirement its town attorney, clerk and perhaps its manager during the next year or so.

    “I would certainly consider filling the seat,” Yablong said.

    “The town has a wonderful opportunity to make some changes and excel in what we’ve been lacking in the past,” Joyce said. “But that’s not happening right now with the people we have running things.”

These candidates are competing for three-year terms on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission:

Gail Adams Aaskov 

(Incumbent) 

Age: 79

Education: Aurora College, bachelor’s in criminal justice and psychology

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Mayor and member of the Ocean Ridge Town Commission, Board of Adjustments member

Important Issues: Police/fire protection, long-range planning, environment, infrastructure

Quote: “I’d like our town to go back to being known as a nice beachfront town. I have always focused on a conservative budget, but one that provides for the needs of the town and desires of the residents.”

Edward Brookes

Age: 64

Education: Bachelor’s in politics from DeSales University

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Former Ocean Ridge town commissioner, councilman on the Coopersburg, Pa., Town Council, School Board financial advisory board member in the Lehigh Valley School District, Pa.

Important Issues: Hiring a new police chief and town clerk

Quote: “I’d like to see more full disclosure and transparency on the commission. We need better accountability and processes. There’s a lot facing us and I think my background and record as a former commissioner would serve Ocean Ridge well.”

Geoff Pugh 

(Incumbent)

Age: 52

Education: Palm Beach Junior College

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Mayor and member of the Ocean Ridge Town Commission

Important Issues: Growth, police capabilities, transportation and traffic infrastructure, keeping a balanced budget

Quote: “We have to be cognizant of the fact that Boynton Beach is going to grow substantially. With that growth comes more pressure on the town of Ocean Ridge — its services, its beaches, everything. So we have to plan for their growth, because it will affect us. I’d also like to see natural gas put into our town.”

By Dan Moffett

    Manalapan town commissioners are learning some hard lessons about the economics of bridge building.

    Back in 2013 when they started discussing replacing the aging Audubon Causeway bridge, engineers estimated the cost at about $760,000.

    Last year, when the commission started looking for contractors to do the work, the estimate had swollen to $850,000.

    At their meeting on Feb. 24, commissioners got the latest number from the only construction company willing to bid on the project: $1.3 million, roughly a 70 percent increase over the initial estimate.

    An incredulous Mayor David Cheifetz wanted to know how the town’s engineers missed the mark by so much.

    “We relied on your estimate,” Cheifetz told Henry Glaus of Mock, Roos & Associates, a West Palm Beach consulting firm. “We based our tax rate, our mill rate on your estimate. Now we’ve got this huge difference. I really don’t understand how in a short period of time this cost escalated.”

    Blame a lot of the increase on the recession and the side effects of the ongoing recovery, Glaus said.

    Most companies are just too busy to be interested in a project of this size — a simple 30-foot span of concrete and steel — when construction is enjoying a robust revival in South Florida.

    During the recession, Glaus said, many supervisors and skilled workers retired or quit the industry, and many foreign laborers returned to their homelands. Companies don’t have the manpower to satisfy the current demand in the marketplace, he said. 

    Despite putting the project out to bid twice, only one firm was willing to submit a bid: Drawdy Construction of Lake Worth.

    “If you look at it as a percentage, it blows your mind,” Glaus said of the increased cost. “It was just not possible to come up with a reasonable estimate.”

    Jeff Bergmann, a consultant with Bridge Design Associates in Royal Palm Beach, told the commission that material costs have “skyrocketed” over the last two years. “Concrete is up 20 percent,” he said, “and steel 50 percent.”

    Mayor Pro Tem Peter Isaac, the town’s point man on the project, said commissioners had no alternative but to accept the lone bidder and try to mitigate the cost overruns going forward. Otherwise, it will be impossible to start construction by April and finish it by November before the tourist season gets into high gear. 

    Finding another willing bidder is unlikely anyway, he said.

    “We’re between a rock and a hard place,” Isaac said. “We have to bite the bullet.”

    The commission unanimously approved awarding the bid to Drawdy, with the hope of squeezing out some savings in the months ahead.

In other business:

    • Commissioners agreed to continue discussions with Point Manalapan residents and Florida Public Utilities about the possibility of installing natural gas service.

    About 30 people attended a February meeting at the town library during which a gas company representative answered questions. The town plans to survey residents on the Point to find out if there’s enough interest to warrant continuing talks with the company.

    “We don’t have a dog in this fight,” Cheifetz said of the commission’s role. “We want to give everyone as much information as we can and then let the chips fall where they may.”

    • Town Attorney Keith Davis reported that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of a suit brought against the town by residents Louis and Wendy Navellier. The case has been in the courts for almost 10 years, since code officials cited the Navelliers for building a cabana too close to a property line. In December, the Navelliers paid $232,000 to the town in accumulated fines.

RELATED STORY: Candidate profiles

By Rich Pollack

    Three candidates vying for two seats on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission shared their views on everything from sewers and drainage to openness in government and the performance of the town manager during a candidates forum late last month. 

    Incumbent Commissioner Gail Adams Aaskov and Mayor Geoff Pugh were joined by former commissioner Ed Brookes and spent the better part of an hour answering questions submitted by some among more than 50 residents who attended  the forum. The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County hosted and moderated the event, held in the Ocean Ridge Town Hall. 

    All three candidates spoke about their experience in serving the residents of Ocean Ridge and about their dedication to the town.

    “This is one of the best jobs in the world because you get to see the changes you make,” Pugh said. “I want to continue doing what I’ve done for the last 12 years — working for the people of Ocean Ridge.”

    In her opening statements, Aaskov said she, too, has a long track record of serving the town, having spent 12 years on the Town Commission, including three years as mayor. 

    Brookes, who served on the commission from 2011 though 2014, said he is hoping to see an end to “done deals” presented at commission meetings and an end to personal agendas.

    “I’m running because I want to keep Ocean Ridge’s unique character while we face challenges,” he said.

    While there was agreement on many topics, the candidates differed on several issues, including the need for openness and transparency and how personnel issues are handled. They also discussed the performance of Town Manager Kenneth Schenck.

    Both Pugh and Brookes said they thought that Schenck, who has come under fire for his role in the negotiated resignation of Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi earlier this year, might no longer be able to keep up with the town’s growth and emerging challenges. 

    “The town of Ocean Ridge has issues that require more leadership than we have,” Pugh said. “The town manager has to lead and right now he’s not.” 

    Brookes echoed a similar concern. 

    “I think the town has outgrown the town manager’s skill sets,” he said. 

    Aaskov said she planned to conduct a performance evaluation of the town manager. 

    During his answer to the question about Schenck’s performance, Brookes took issue with a Town Commission decision to deviate from its normal procedures and do the manager’s performance evaluations in private, with commissioners meeting individually with Schneck. 

    “It should be done in public, the way we’ve always done it so we know what you are thinking, unless there’s some ulterior motive,” he said. 

    Brookes was also critical of the town’s hiring practices and questioned the hiring of Town Attorney Ken Spillias as a full-time in-house town attorney. Until a few weeks ago Spillias served as a contracted town attorney.

    “We really don’t have very good human-resources procedures,” he said. “We need smart and institutionalized best practices.”

    Aaskov said she would like to see more advance planning for staff changes, such as the impending retirement of longtime Town Clerk Karen Hancsak.

    During the forum issues of beach access and safety also surfaced. 

    Aaskov said she is strongly in favor of license plate recognition cameras and would like to see issues at the Police Department, including low morale among officers, resolved. 

    Pugh said he would like to make it more difficult for criminals from outside to come into the town as surrounding cities continue to grow. 

    Aaskov, Brookes and Pugh agreed that public access to the beach should be provided but that beach visitors should respect property owners’ right to privacy. 

    Brookes said he is concerned about the divisiveness of beach access issues. “This is the first time I’ve heard people referred to as ‘those beach people,’ ” he said.

Delray Beach City Commission Seat #3

The following candidates are competing for a three-year term on the Delray Beach City Commission:

Bruce Bastian 

Age: 44

Education: Math major, physics minor, bachelor’s in electrical engineering, Washington University (St. Louis)

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization member, Citizens Advisory Council member, Delray Beach Green Implementation Advisory Board member

Important Issues: The economy, industry diversification

Quote: “We are based on a food and beverage, retail and service industry. If we want to have economic stability in the long term and a place where our children can come back and live, then we better be providing them with jobs that are a lot more diversified.”

Website: welovedelray.com

Mitchell Katz

Age: 43

Education: Master’s from Grand Canyon University’s Ken Blanchard College of Business

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Chair of Delray Beach Education Board

Important Issues: Traffic, parking, development in areas outside of downtown, education

Quote: “We have issues with our schools, particularly our middle school, and we need to work very closely over the next year with the School District to ensure we’re getting the best for our kids. It really affects the economic vitality of our city. If elected, I would be the first commissioner in almost 10 years to live west of I-95. I want to bring the city together, both east and west.”

Website: onedelray.com

Christina Morrison

Age: “I’m over 55.”

Education: Associate’s degree in retailing and consumer related studies from Penn State University

Marital Status: Single, two sons

Political/Community Service Experience: Interim Delray Beach City Commissioner, Delray Beach Financial Review Board member, Site Plan Review and Approval Board member, Chamber of Commerce board member, Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commissioner

Important Issues: Traffic, over-development, explosive growth in the downtown area

Quote: “I’ll be the independent voice in Delray Beach. I’m not aligned with any other current commissioners. I vote on the issues based on doing my own homework, but I’m also collaborative.”

Website: christina4delray.com

Josh Smith Jr.

Age: 74

Education: Allen University (Columbia, S.C.), Florida A&M, City College of New York and Florida Atlantic University; bachelor of science, master of education, education specialist and doctor of education

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Civic and community activist

Important Issues: Budget allocations, openness in the practice of the City Commission

Quote: “I have frequently spoken out to the City Commission on various civic issues, and if elected I will focus on fiscal accountability and transparency in government.”

In Delray Beach City Commission Seat #5

The following candidates are competing for a three-year term as mayor of Delray Beach:

Thomas F. Carney Jr.

Age: 61

Education: Bachelor’s Spring Hill College; J.D., Boston College Law School; L.L.M., Georgetown University Law School

Marital Status: Married, two children

Political/Community Service Experience: Member of the City Commission and mayor, commissioner for the Community Redevelopment Agency, chairman of the Delray Beach Housing Authority

Important Issues: Beach reclamation, over-development, traffic congestion, regulation of sober houses

Quote: “I will continue to make the beach a priority; to keep the sidewalks clean, replace showers and benches and effect the repairs which have languished. Over-development is an issue which involves the entire community. Beach area residents will have to suffer though all the traffic congestion that the Atlantic Crossing project will bring. Also, if code enforcement is staffed up, the unscrupulous sober houses will find it too much of a bother to operate  in Delray.”

Website: thomascarney.com

Cary D. Glickstein

Age: 55

Education: Bachelor’s from the University of Hawaii / J.D., University of Miami School of Law

Marital Status: Single, three children

Political/Community Service Experience: Mayor of Delray Beach, Chair of South Central Regional Wastewater, board member of the Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization, chair of the Delray Beach Planning and Zoning Board

Important Issues: Responsible development, transparent and accountable City Hall, better educational opportunities

Quote: “With Delray’s popularity, we need to properly balance competing priorities of economic development and preserving that which makes our town so unique and livable. You can’t stop progress, but you can — if not careful — stop charm and distinction.”

Website: facebook.com/CaryforDelray

    Delray Beach residents will have the option to buy beach parking permits for only half a year. 

    Beachgoers previously could only purchase an annual permit for $94.50. The permit allows them to park in the city’s five beach-area parking lots.

    But city commissioners gave first approval on March 3 to also sell six-month parking permits for $47.70 starting April 1. The ordinance is expected to pass at a final March 31 hearing.

    Seniors age 62 and over also will have the option of a six-month permit for $50.35 that allows them to also park along Ocean Boulevard without paying the meters. 

— Tim Pallesen

By Tim Pallesen

    The man hired by the city to monitor sea turtles on Delray Beach beaches for 31 years is out of a job.

    John Fletemeyer, a Florida International University research professor who works as a consultant, had his contract routinely renewed each year until the city required competitive bidding for all contracts.

    City commissioners gave his job to DB Ecological Services on Feb. 24 for a low bid of $40,081. Fletemeyer’s bid was $59,422.

    Fletemeyer said he was surprised that his past performance wasn’t considered before the low bidder was awarded the contract. 

    “I was surprised because I had hoped for consideration of past performance,” he said. “In 31 years, our team never missed a day at the beach with hurricanes or sickness.”

    Sea turtle monitoring begins each year with the nesting season that starts March 1.

    The city’s turtle conservation program requires reports on hatching and reproduction success rates. Turtle inventories are kept and turtle nests are excavated after the eggs hatch. 

    DB Ecological Services already has turtle monitoring contracts for Ocean Ridge, Palm Beach County and the town of Palm Beach. 

    The city’s push for competitive bids began after Mayor Cary Glickstein and Commissioner Shelly Petrolia were elected in March 2013. 

    Beach cabanas were the first city contract that went out to bids. Competition for the waste hauler contract recently saved the city $8.4 million. 

    Fletemeyer’s boss, city Environmental Services Director Randal Krejcarek, had no complaint with Fletemeyer’s performance.   

    “But his 31 years without bidding was way longer than any other contract,” Krejcarek said.

By Tim Pallesen

   City commissioners gave final approval to new downtown development rules on Feb. 24 despite a threatened lawsuit by the owner of Old School Bakery.

    The new rules limit the heights of future buildings to three floors on Atlantic Avenue and to four floors elsewhere in the downtown business district.

    New residential buildings may have no more than 30 living units per acre, compared to as many as 92 units per acre allowed in the past.

    The new rules require developers to provide public open space. Buildings must be constructed farther from the street so Delray’s future downtown will become friendlier to pedestrians.

    The three-floor height limit on Atlantic Avenue was a late addition to the new rules, which have been discussed for a year and a half. Four floors have been allowed since 1990.

    Billy Himmelrich, the Old School Bakery owner who owns property at Atlantic and Northeast First Street, told commissioners that the new three-floor limit takes away his right to redevelop.

    “I had a development plan that these changes are not respecting,” Himmelrich said. “I don’t believe this is right.”

    His attorney, Robert Sweetapple, delivered the threat to sue. “I’m sure it would be politically correct to take my client’s building rights and give them to the public,” Sweetapple said. “But this is a taking of rights, clean and simple.”

    Others in the audience urged commissioners to ignore Sweetapple. “Don’t let the lawyers come in and try to scare you,” commission candidate Mitch Katz said.

    The final vote was a unanimous 5-0.

    “Atlantic Avenue is what made this town what it is,” Commissioner Adam Frankel said in defending the new height limit. “I don’t want to see any skyscrapers.”

    As Himmelrich’s court reporter recorded the meeting, commissioners were cautious not to say anything that could be used against the city in a lawsuit.

    Commissioner Jordana Jarjura stressed that city officials are only “protecting Atlantic Avenue’s historical character and our village by the sea.”

    Mayor Cary Glickstein said the downtown will continue to grow and prosper despite the restrictions.

    “Sustainable growth is not measured by height and density,” the mayor said.

By Rich Pollack

    You’re driving north on State Road A1A, approaching Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, when from between two parked cars you see someone start walking out into your lane of traffic. 

    You stop to avoid hitting the pedestrian but as you approach the intersection ahead, you wonder what would have happened had you taken your eyes off the road for even a few seconds. The pedestrian made the assumption you would stop, but you shudder to think about what the consequences would have been if you didn’t see him.

    Delray Beach police know full well what could, and has, happened. So through May they’ll be stepping up their efforts to hand out written warnings and citations to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers who don’t follow the law. 

    “It’s not safe for pedestrians who do not use crosswalks to just step out onto A1A assuming that the approaching car is going to stop,” says Sgt. Jeff Rasor, who leads the Delray Beach Police Department’s Traffic Unit. “That doesn’t always happen.” 

    Thanks to a $46,000 federal grant administered by the Florida Department of Transportation, the Police Department has been able to launch a “high visibility enforcement for pedestrian, bicycle and motorist safety” initiative, which involves having traffic officers working additional hours to help reduce crashes. 

    The program launched in early November with three months of verbal warnings for jaywalking and other traffic offenses, and officers handing out brochures full of safety information. About 1,500 verbal warnings were issued. 

    Then last month, the enforcement effort moved into higher gear, with written warnings and citations. In the first week alone, the officers assigned to the project wrote 51 citations or warnings to pedestrians and more than 150 citations or warnings to motorists. 

    While the program is a citywide effort, Rasor says the department is focused on specific areas. 

    “We’re targeting areas where you’re mixing a high volume of pedestrian traffic with a high volume of vehicles,” he said. 

    Downtown is high on the list, especially at night when it is not uncommon for pedestrians to not use crosswalks and to cross in front of oncoming traffic. 

    Rasor said the department has received calls from residents who travel downtown mentioning the nighttime problem and thanking police for their enforcement efforts. 

    Other roads where motorists and pedestrians can expect to see increased enforcement efforts include portions of Atlantic Avenue outside the downtown area, Linton Boulevard, Lake Ida Road, South Federal Highway and Military Trail. 

    Officers will also be visible along portions of State Road A1A where there is heavy pedestrian and bicycle usage.

    “The ultimate goal is to reduce the number of serious injuries,” Rasor said. 

    The efforts, he said, could also help some of the traffic problems in town, since an accident investigation by police often hinders traffic flow. “A serious accident could tie up traffic for two to three hours,” he said.

By Tim Pallesen

    The saga deciding the city’s waste hauler that resulted in an $8.4 million savings is being called “a public policy triumph” by city officials.

    Delray Beach residents will see their average monthly garbage fee drop from $9.49 to $7.24 when Southern Waste Systems replaces Waste Management in May.

    But the 24 percent savings is also the result of behind-the-scenes drama in the high-stakes competition between waste haulers.

    The public policy debate began in August 2012 when a previous City Commission renewed the city’s franchise contract with Waste Management without competitive bidding.

    At the same, reorganization within Waste Management prompted John Casagrande, the company’s Delray Beach supervisor, to switch jobs and work for Southern Waste Systems.

    The failure to bid the city’s most lucrative contract became a campaign issue in the March 2013 election, where Mayor Cary Glickstein and Commissioner Shelly Petrolia won with fiscal responsibility as a campaign promise.

    Commissioners requested and received a circuit judge’s declaratory judgment saying the previous commission had violated its own rules by not seeking competitive bids.

    That cleared the way for the city to seek bids for a seven-year contract. Five waste haulers responded, with Waste Management and Southern Waste Systems both offering a sizeable savings over the city’s current contract.

    Even though the SWS offer was a $600,000 annual savings over the second-lowest bidder, Waste Management got the city staff recommendation because of experience, equipment and other factors. 

    “It’s easy to be the cheapest when you provide inferior and inefficient service,” Waste Management communications director Dawn McCormick criticized SWS at a Jan. 20 public hearing. 

    But Casagrande, as SWS director of development, then convinced commissioners at a follow-up Feb. 4 meeting that he can duplicate Waste Management’s service with fewer trucks at less cost.

    “Every other hauler has you beat in every category except price,” Mayor Cary Glickstein told him, questioning why his former employer says 29 garbage trucks are necessary when he estimates 22 will be needed. Casagrande promised to add more trucks at his cost if his estimate is wrong.

    The question became whether the SWS was worth the risk for a 9 percent savings. “So do you pay a premium for no risk?” City Manager Don Cooper asked.

    “There is a point where it’s worth the risk,” Petrolia replied.

    “It’s a very hard number to walk away from,” Commissioner Jordana Jarjura agreed.

    Glickstein noted that SWS is “clearly more eager for business.”

    The vote to switch waste haulers was 3-1 with Commissioner Adam Frankel against and Commissioner Al Jacquet absent from the Feb. 4 meeting.

By Dan Moffett

    Just about everyone in South Palm Beach was caught off guard last August when Paragon Acquisition Group got the town’s blessing for a plan to develop the Oceanfront Inn site.

    The revised design sailed through the approval process virtually overnight. There was little debate, next to no public comment and only one public hearing — even though the fate of the property had been a source of heated disagreement for years.

    How could this happen?

    Simple. 

    Paragon submitted a plan that was totally compliant with the town’s building rules, conforming to the height limits in particular. The developer presented the plan to the town’s Architectural Review Board, which felt obliged to approve it, with a 3-0 vote.

    Paragon got the green light without having to make its case before the Town Council. Residents and council members alike were surprised that elected officials would not have the final say, and they questioned the process.

    “There was a misunderstanding,” Vice Mayor Joseph Flagello said. “The council misunderstood it, as well as many residents.”

    “People were astonished that it didn’t return to the council,” Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan said.

    South Palm Beachers had grown so used to seeing development disputes fought out during stormy Town Council meetings that quiet compliance was hard to take. But because Paragon needed no waivers or variances and had nothing to appeal, the council was left watching on the sidelines.

    At their Feb. 24 meeting, council members gave unanimous preliminary approval to an ordinance that changes the way the town approves building projects. Under the proposed new rules, the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Board will function in advisory roles only, reviewing projects and then making recommendations. Final approval for site plans and variances will require majority votes from the Town Council.

    “The Town Council now will become the final decision-making body on both of those issues,” Town Attorney Brad Biggs said of the proposed changes. Any appeals to the council’s decisions then would go directly to circuit court, Biggs said.

    Michael Nevard, who has chaired the architectural board for five years, says he, too, mistakenly believed that the Town Council already had the power to approve or disapprove all projects. He said the architectural and planning boards should do “the donkey work” and let the elected officials do the real voting.

    “I am 100 percent in favor of these modifications,” Nevard said. “I think that’s the way it should be. Council should always have the final authority.”

    The ordinance implementing the changes is scheduled to come up for final consideration at the March 24 council meeting.

RELATED STORIES: City Commission candidates, mayoral candidates

By Tim Pallesen

    The mayoral race rematch between Cary Glickstein and Tom Carney will allow voters to judge how Glickstein has performed after he defeated Carney two years ago.

    “We have our city back on track. Let’s not go backward,” Glickstein told voters at a candidates forum last month.

    “We are more divided now — not less,” Carney responded.

    Four candidates also are vying for an open commission seat on the city’s March 10 ballot.

    Glickstein narrowly beat Carney in 2013 by promising to restore fiscal responsibility and to preserve the city’s village-by-the-sea character.

    City contracts then went out for competitive bids, allowing Glickstein to boast in his campaign that the new waste haulers contract alone will save taxpayers $8.4 million. 

    Glickstein also led the push for tighter downtown height and density restrictions that commissioners approved last month.

    Carney, a former commissioner, served briefly as mayor before the 2013 election.

    “Overdevelopment was allowed on my opponent’s watch,” Glickstein said at the Feb. 12 forum.

    Carney responded by saying Glickstein has failed to attract downtown office buildings and accused him of showing disrespect to city employees.

    “It’s an environment of fear,” Carney said. “That isn’t the way to run a city.”

    Christina Morrison, one of the four candidates in the other race on the ballot, also urged better manners. Morrison was an interim commissioner briefly in 2013 before Glickstein got elected. “We need to be nicer and definitely more civil,” she told voters.

    Morrison faces Bruce Bastian, Mitch Katz and Josh Smith in the race to replace term-limited Commissioner Adam Frankel.

    Candidates in this race say it’s time for the commission to broaden its attention beyond the downtown.

    “There is more to Delray Beach than just the six blocks from Swinton Avenue to the beach,” said Katz, who would be the first commissioner to live west of I-95 in 10 years if elected. “We need to put effort in other areas of the city.”

    Smith told voters at the forum that he will be “the voice for the economically disadvantaged and disenfranchised, the vast majority of whom are African-American.”

    Morrison says the attention now must be focused on residential neighborhoods that have been impacted by downtown. Bastion wants to attract businesses along Congress Avenue.

    Both the mayor and commission jobs have three-year terms; when Glickstein was elected, the mayor’s term was two years.

By Mary Thurwachter

    The time has come for Lantana to formulate a plan for downtown parking. At least that’s what Town Council member Phil Aridas said during the Feb. 23 town meeting after residents complained about the shortage of parking spaces on Ocean Avenue.

    Parking has been problem there for a long time and now, with the bridge rebuilt and reopened and new restaurants opening on the road, it is even more of a headache for customers and business owners and employees.

    “We are going to have take a look at a parking plan downtown,” Aridas said. “It’s time.”

    Although the council took no action at the meeting, it was clear many were sympathetic.
    “There are too many cars downtown,” council member Malcolm Balfour said.

    Mayor Dave Stewart said he “saw big problems down there.”

    At a previous meeting, the town approved a shared parking agreement for Mario’s Ocean Avenue restaurant, which recently opened at 225 E. Ocean Ave. Paesano Italian steakhouse opened on the avenue in mid-January, joining Pizzeria Oceano and the Old Key Lime House.

    Sandy Picone, who lives in the area, said she loves all the new restaurants but walks to them.

    “I might drive if I could get my car out of my driveway,” she said, referring to the cars parked on side streets.

    Hypoluxo Island resident Erica Wold said the town needed to consider the slow flow of traffic in front of the Old Key Lime House. “It took me 12 minutes to go less than a half a mile (on Ocean Avenue),” she said.

    In other action in February, the town:

    • Asked Republic Services Inc., the company that handles residential solid waste collection for the town, to send out fliers to better educate residents on disposal rules.

    • Agreed to spend $41,323 to install a new shade structure in Bicentennial Park. The old one became unsafe because of deterioration of support beams.

    • Authorized the DOT to use the beach parking lot for car parking only, no heavy equipment, while workers are fixing a drainage pipe that runs from the east side to the west side of A1A.

By Mary Thurwachter

    Lantana police arrested Vanilla Ice for burglary and grand theft on Feb. 18 after furniture, bicycles, a pool heater and other household items were taken from a residence next to one the former rapper is renovating. 

    According to the police report, the burglary occurred at a house in the process of foreclosure in the 100 block of North Atlantic Drive on Hypoluxo Island.

    During the investigation, police determined that Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, played a role in the burglary and theft. 

    Several of the stolen items were recovered at Van Winkle’s Hypoluxo Island residence and returned to the owner. 

    According to the police report, Van Winkle said he found the items at the curb and thought they were trash.

    Interviewed on ABC’s Good Morning America, Van Winkle said the arrest was “blown out of proportion … it’s a mess and I’m dealing with it.”

    Van Winkle’s company paid $1.4 million for the Hypoluxo Island property (next to the one where the items were taken) in October. The home is scheduled to be featured during the fifth season of HGTV and DIY Network’s Vanilla Ice Project.