Cendyn Spaces takes up a portion of the first floor of a 94,500-square-foot Boca Raton office building

that also is the home of the M.E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom.

Photo provided

By Christine Davis

    Since the world is flat (and the way American companies produce and hire ranges abroad, far and wide), some working people here have adopted an entrepreneurial spirit. Supporting that trend, the workplace itself has adjusted, as well. Take for example, the new Cendyn Spaces, which takes up a portion of the first floor of a 94,500-square-foot office building at 980 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, which has new aesthetically pleasing interiors designed by architect Douglas Mummaw and his wife, designer Diana, of Mummaw & Associates Inc., Boca Raton.
    Cendyn Spaces is a new venture of Cendyn, an 18-year-old global company founded by Charles Deyo and based in Boca Raton, that offers event-planning software through Cendyn Arcano, and software and services platforms for the hospitality industry through Cendyn/One.
    A hybrid work environment with a large co-working area plus 22 private office suites of 100 to 300 square feet, Cendyn Spaces offers a variety of memberships with office configurations to suit a variety of needs, from people who want virtual offices; to freelancers, entrepreneurs, and work-at-home professionals who want an office away from home for a day, a week, a month or longer; to businesses who want private office suites.
    Membership prices vary from a desk for a day in the co-working area at $30 to a pro-working space (a desk where one can leave personal items) for $400 a month, to the largest private office space for up to $3,000.  
    Also in the building, apart from Cendyn Spaces, Cendyn (Cendyn Arcano and Cendyn/One) is an anchor tenant, having moved its headquarters with 200 employees to commercial offices on the second floor, and on the third and fourth floors are commercial offices leased by a mix of tenants.
    Cendyn Spaces memberships come with varying perks, and can include access to office supplies, virtual assistants, WiFi, cloud storage and on-site catering, thanks to its partner, the onsite M.E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom, a gourmet gastropub-style restaurant that also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
    Deyo bought the building a year ago, and asked Mummaw to redesign the interiors, Mummaw said. “If you can imagine your typical 1980s office building, with a big atrium hole in the middle with wraparound offices, they’re not built like that anymore, because there’s so much lost space.”
    Mummaw suggested to reconfigure part of the building as an updated version of executive suite-type offices, in response to the trend of independent workers-on-the-move who want workspace in a collaborative environment that allows for social interaction. A nice synergy often occurs, with independent workers joining together, and this type of office environment allows them to move to larger spaces as their businesses grow, Mummaw said.
    “The need to have a private office is diminishing, and Census Bureau statistics show that by 2020, almost 50 percent of our workforce will be independent contractors.” And he adds, even if you don’t need a workspace, do drop by and try the five-star, modestly priced food at M.E.A.T. He recommends the Guinness milkshakes.
                                
    My Salon Suite serves as another example of a collective work environment. This August, this new luxury beauty complex comprising 35 private salon suites opened in a renovated building that was formerly occupied by Paradise Salon and Spa at 140 NE Second Ave. in Pineapple Grove, Delray Beach.
    Convenient for customers, it brings together a collection of health and beauty services in one location, but it’s also geared to support the entrepreneurial spirit of health and beauty professionals, giving them the option to own their business without the upfront costs and risks associated with building and running a salon, or renting a booth in a salon. They may also leverage extensive My Salon Suite resources.

Jimmy Buffett appears in one of the Corcoran ads.

Photo provided

                                  
    Countywide: As part of its “Live Who You Are” message, the Corcoran Group recently launched a new marketing campaign featuring portraits of talented individuals at home by photographer Annie Leibovitz. Palm Beach County notables include Jimmy Buffett and Palm Beach-based landscape architect Mario Nievera. 
    “Annie walked into the homes of our subjects and immediately knew how to bring their personality and passions to life. She has a magical ability to uncover what makes people tick,” said Christina Lowris-Panos, the company’s chief marketing officer.
    You’ll see these portraits all over the Internet and in print. And, listen up. Corcoran launched a photography contest, extending an open invitation through Oct. 12 to those interested in showing how they “Live Who They Are” for a chance to win a three-night stay for two at the NoMad hotel in New York.
    So take a selfie in your home that depicts how your living environment reflects your interests and lifestyle. A custom app on the Corcoran Facebook page will enable you to upload the photo from your phone or computer, creating a layout and headline that mimics the style of the Corcoran ads. The submission that best captures the spirit of the ad campaign will win the hotel stay as well as a chance to be featured in the new campaign, alongside the images created by Annie Leibovitz.
                                 
    The market is surely on the upswing. A 1.87-acre parcel at 640 S. Ocean, one of the few remaining vacant oceanfront lots in Manalapan, sold recently to Jackson Real Estate Partners in West Palm Beach for just under $11.4 million, up from $7.15 million in December 2010.
                                 
    More in Boca Raton: According to U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings released in September, Lynn University, Boca Raton, achieved special recognition for enrolling the fifth-largest percentage of international students, 24 percent, in the National Universities category, which included 280 institutions.
    U.S. News and World Report has recognized Lynn’s high international student population for over a decade. Last year, the publication indicated that 22 percent of Lynn students were international, an increase over the 18 percent reported in 2013. Lynn University expects the growth to continue, given that it recently welcomed its largest incoming class in the past eight years.
    Lynn also placed in U.S. News and World Report’s high school counselor rankings for the National Universities category. Institutions in this category are identified by high schools across the country for offering the best undergraduate education.

INSET: Melissa Weaver                                
    Family Matters Caregivers Inc., an international nanny and caregiver placement agency, recently announced the launch of its newest subsidiary, Family Matters Nannies Inc. Based in Boca Raton, Family Matters Nannies will provide families in South Florida with qualified full-time or part-time nannies. 
    Melissa Weaver of Delray Beach will serve as the South Florida director of operations for Family Matters Nannies, at the Boca Raton office. For information, call 706-7161. Family Matters is in Mizner Park at 433 Plaza Real, Suite 275, Boca Raton.
                                 
    Sylvia Fulmore, a health unit coordinator in the surgical intensive care unit at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, has been named the 2014 Certified Health Unit Coordinator of the Year by the National Association of Health Unit Coordinators.
    “As nurses, we cannot be everywhere at once, but we know we can rely on Sylvia,” said Janet Kelly, RN, Fulmore’s colleague at Boca Regional, who nominated her for the award. “She constantly monitors our patients’ cardiac rhythms, oxygen levels, blood pressure and respiratory rates, and she informs us of any nuanced changes, prompting a more rapid intervention.”
                                 
    David Dweck and Boca Real Estate Investment Club will present “Renegades of Real Estate” on Oct. 25 and 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakeside Terrace, 7880 Glades Road,  Boca Raton. This first-time event will cover a broad range of topics related to the South Florida real estate market and will feature 18 leading local and national speakers, including Delray Beach developer Frank McKinney. The cost to attend is $139 in advance, and $297 on site.  For information, call 391-REAL or visit www.RenegadesOfRealEstate.com.
                                 
    Ageless Body Sculpting Plus in Boca Raton now uses Ultra Slim Plus II machines for non-invasive liposuction, which gets rid of fat, and also uses radio frequency to tighten the skin on the body and face by building new collagen fibers. It’s in the Hidden Valley Shopping Center on North Federal Highway, Suite 125 in the Bella Salon Suites. For information, visit www.agelessbodysculptingplus.com or call 654-0177.
                                 
INSET: Tom Lynch

    In Delray Beach: The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Tom Lynch, who will be honored at its annual Luminary Gala, at the Delray Beach Marriott on Friday, Oct. 24.
    “Tom is known as someone who has been a real architect of change over many years, laying a foundation for the award-winning city Delray Beach is today,” said chairman of the board Scott Porten. “He’s played a critical role in our town and region serving as mayor and on numerous boards as well as running a sound business, Plastridge Insurance.”
    Additional recipients of the chamber’s revised slate of awards will be named at the gala.
                                 
    In September, Habitat for Humanity and local charity partner, The Seagate Hotel & Spa, Country Club and Beach Club, hosted a celebratory groundbreaking to mark the future home of Richard and Ana Smith. Upon acceptance of their application to become homeowners, they’ve worked very hard, putting in sweat-equity hours building homes for other prospective homeowners, revitalizing neighborhoods and serving at Habitat’s ReStore and this fall, they will see the roof raised on their home at 205 SW 12th Ave., Delray Beach.
                                 
    In August, the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches’ Young Professional Network (YPN) hosted its annual White Party Fundraiser at 511 Seagate Drive, Delray Beach, an estate built by Marc Julien Homes and currently on the market for $3.199 million. Proceeds from the event raised $6,000 for The Lord’s Place, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness.
    Contributing monetary and service donations were DJ One Twelve, Bottom’s Up Beverage, and Cliff Finley of Picture it Sold Photography. Gulf Stream Media donated items to the silent auction, including a charter from Denison Yachts. Event sponsors were Marc Julien Homes, NuWorld Title, Cornerstone Home Lending, Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach and Jupiter, and Sobieski Vodka.
    In 2014, the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches raised $10,500 for The Lord’s Place, which it selected as its main beneficiary this year under the guidance of Sherri Meadows, Florida Realtors president, who embarked on a statewide awareness campaign to help fight homelessness.
                                 
    In Boynton Beach: The Florida League of Cities has appointed Carisse LeJeune, assistant city manager, to serve on the Energy, Environ-ment, and Natural Resources Legislative Policy Committee for 2014-15.
    “Municipal officials are the driving force behind the League’s legislative success. In addition to setting the legislative priorities, the League’s policy committee members help to provide League staff with a better understanding of the real world implications of proposed legislation,” said Florida League of Cities legislative director Scott Dudley.
    LeJeune, who has been with the city of Boynton Beach for more than 14 years, supervises the city’s enterprise systems. She is also the city’s sustainability coordinator, manages the city’s Climate Action Plan, serves as Palm Beach County’s municipal representative to the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Staff Steering Committee and is an active member of the Palm Beach County Local Mitigation Strategy Steering Committee.

‘Le Palais Royal,’ a house at Hillsboro Beach, carries an asking price of $139 million.

Photo by Bryan Nieblas

    Close by, but out of this world: A South Florida version of Versailles, the under-construction 60,500 total-square-foot “Le Palais Royal” on 4.4 acres, listed for sale at  $139 million, is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
    Located at 935 Hillsboro Mile, Hillsboro Beach, the 11-bedroom, 17-bath home features an IMAX theater, 4,500-square-foot infinity-edge pool, $2 million marble staircase, 22-carat gold leaf finishes, 465 feet on the ocean and 492 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway, kennel for guard dogs, 30-car underground garage and more. The Intracoastal dockage can accommodate a yacht of 185 feet.
    According to public records, the property is owned in a trust tied to Robert Pereira, the founder of Middlesex Corp., a Massachusetts-based construction company that also has offices in Florida. The architect of record is Randall Stofft of Delray Beach.
    “The owners loved the Malnick house (in Ocean Ridge), which I designed, and wanted to do something  along those lines,” Stofft says. “I designed the house seven years ago; we completed the house, got the permits, and there have been many modifications over the years. We designed the IMAX theater — It’s the first privately held IMAX theater in the country — among many other interesting things.”
    The Forbes report on Sept. 2 listed 30 homes for sale in the $60 million to $150 million range. Owlwood Estate in Los Angeles, which had been the home of Joseph Schenk, Tony Curtis and Sonny and Cher, ties for first place (price tags of $150 million) with Petra Ecclestone Stunt’s Spelling Manor, also in Los Angeles. Owlwood Estates is a pocket listing and while Spelling Manor is not officially listed, Forbes reported that five top Los Angeles Realtors share the listing.
    “Le Palais Royal”  is listed by William Pierce, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker. Visit the agency’s website, and click “Can I afford this” to see if you qualify.
Why is it for sale? Pereira, or whoever the owner is, decided he wants to cruise the globe in his new yacht, when it isn’t being chartered in the Mediterranean for about $200,000 per week.  
    Actually, the yacht isn’t new. Car dealer Jim Moran built it in 2001 and named it Gallant Lady. When the present owner bought it about seven years ago, he rechristened it NewVida, but 164 feet wasn’t enough. Building a larger boat, however, would require several years and hundreds of millions, so he hired Rybovich in West Palm Beach to expand it . . . to 185 feet. It will be rechristened My Seanna. Pereira’s daughter is named Seanna. Coincidence?

Thom Smith contributed to this column.

Christine Davis is a freelance writer. Send business news to her at cdavis9797@comcast.net.

A blue dauben water lily stands above the surface of a fountain that drains in the koi ponds.

Angel wing begonia.

Bring quarters to buy fish chow and enjoy the koi feeding frenzy.

INSET BELOW: The red and yellow blooms of the Pride of Barbados tree glow in the late afternoon sun.

Photos by Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

    For over eight decades, The Church of Bethesda-By-The-Sea in Palm Beach has provided a place to worship not only God but also nature. Hidden behind the church by a wall and towering palms, Cluett Garden is a well-designed sanctuary where you can relax, read a book or meditate.
    According to Jethro Hurt III, the church’s archivist, the garden opened in 1931 on land  purchased by Nellie Agnes Cluett. She wanted to create a garden in honor of her parents, Amanda Rockwell Fisher and George Bywater Cluett.
    Today her original garden design remains intact, although some of the plantings have been replaced over the years. “We try to keep it natural and eco-friendly as well as colorful,” says grounds supervisor Keith Risley.
    A metal gate bearing a cross welcomes visitors throughout the year.
    You enter on the garden’s lower level under the red blooms of jatropha trees. Neatly trimmed viburnum and carissa boxwood hedges add a sense of order.
    On this level you’ll find a Della Robbia-style relief of the madonna and child that Cluett dedicated to her mother. The small artwork is made grand with architectural details cut from coquina stone and podocarpus topiaries that stand guard on either side.
    Here, too, you can see one end of the 12,000-gallon water feature that runs the length of the garden on two levels. Its gently flowing water is home to frogs, tadpoles, guppies and goldfish as well as plenty of koi.
    The adult koi are restricted to a long, narrow waterway that runs through the garden’s upper level before falling into this pool below. Here, the smaller koi take refuge under red and green leaves of the water lilies and roots of the Egyptian papyrus.
    Besides the yellow, red, black, white and orange koi, the water holds devilish black plecostomus that patrol the bottom of the fountain, sucking up algae and keeping the water clean.
    “The kids are really attracted to the fish, as are the adults — who act like kids around them,” says Risley. For a quarter, you can get a handful of koi pellets from a dispenser. Throw them in the water and create a feeding frenzy.  
    Climb the grand stairs to reach the upper level of the garden where you can enjoy the adult koi as well as plenty of flowering plants.
    There are purple ruellia, blue as well as white plumbago, pink hibiscus, pink and white trumpet trees, pink Panama roses, the variegated purples of the yesterday today and tomorrow and the vivid purple of the tubular flowers on a tibouchina.
    Even the usual hedges are carefully pruned into five crosses on either side of the waterway. But the green chenille bush adds a sense of whimsy. Its variegated leaves are thin and twisted to give this plant a shaggy look that just may make you smile.
    The variety in this garden attracts herons, wood ducks, egrets, songbirds, butterflies, squirrels, lizards and, of course, the church cat. You may even find an errant golf ball from the eighth tee of The Breakers’ ocean course, situated just next door. If the sun is overhead, you can enjoy the landscape from one of the two gazebos with their conical roofs and gardenias guarding their entries. Or find a spot on the coquina bench under the umbrella-like powder puff tree.
    “There’s always a spot where you can find shade in this garden,” Risley 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.

Tons of limestone boulders and recycled concrete slabs were sunk to re-create the Goggle Eye Reef.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Cheryl Blackerby

    About 700 tons of limestone boulders and scrap concrete were dumped into the ocean about a half-mile northeast of the Boynton Beach Inlet to rebuild a natural reef that had been degraded by storms and shifting sand.
    Workers on a tugboat and a 200-foot barge spent most of the day Sept. 15 at the reef site. J.D. Dickenson of the South Palm Beach chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association Florida, which spearheaded the project, and Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management engineers monitored the reef construction.
    CCA Florida raised $85,000 in grants and donations to build the reef, which will provide ideal habitats for fish on the natural limestone Goggle Eye Reef, which was covered by sand.
    Most of the money for the project came from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, which contributed $55,000, and Impact 100, which awarded a grant of $17,000. The project also received funding from CCA’s Building Conservation Trust Fund, the Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, and individual contributors.
    “I think it’s important to recreate habitat that used to be here by building artificial reefs that will be sustainable. The more of these we can plop down the more marine life we can create,” said Dickenson, who is the founder and past president of the South Palm Beach chapter of the CCA Florida.
    The new reef, which is about 1,000 feet offshore in 15 to 20 feet of water, will be an underwater attraction that can be easily seen by snorkelers. Covering about a quarter-acre, the reef is 5 to 6 feet tall at the highest spots.
    The Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management department researched the project and oversaw the placement of the boulders.
    The shallow reef, a “step reef,” will immediately attract marine life —  its nooks and crannies serving as homes and stop-off points for fish such as snook and  tarpon, juvenile reef fish including snapper and grouper, and numerous other marine species such as crustaceans, turtles and corals.
    “There are probably baitfish on it right now,” Dickenson said the day after the barge unloaded the boulders.
    Eventually the reef will recruit sea fans and live corals, he said. Based on other artificial reefs in Palm Beach County, it’s expected to attract as many as 60 species of fish.
    “It will be a bit of an oasis in the desert, a magnet for marine life,” he said.
    Artificial reefs are badly needed from Palm Beach to Boca Raton, since many natural reefs have been eroded and covered by sand. There are more inlets in the southern part of the county coastline and more beach renourishment projects, which dump sand on the reefs, Dickenson said.
    Goggle Eye Reef was a productive reef that was completely smothered by sand 10 to 15 years ago.
    CCA, a marine conservation organization made up primarily of anglers, has 100,000 members nationwide, and educates the public on conservation of marine resources. The CCA Florida has 10,000 members statewide in 29 local chapters.
    Dickenson, an attorney with Cozen O’Connor, grew up in Boca Raton and lives in Delray Beach. He has been a lifelong snorkeler and angler. He and wife, Maggie, daughter Sophia, 10, and son Henry, 7, plan to snorkel the new reef frequently and watch it grow.
    “We will monitor the impact of the reef on a monthly basis with underwater video and photography over the coming months and years,”  he said.
    The site is permitted for an artificial reef by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and by the Army Corps of Engineers, which will also monitor the growth of the reef.
    The South Palm Beach chapter of the CCA Florida plans to construct other artificial reefs.
    “We’re constantly evaluating new habitat and hoping to build more reefs,” Dickenson said. “The next ones may be off Delray Beach and Boca Raton. We just have to raise more money.”

Pumpkin Ravioli with Buffalo served at 50 Ocean in Delray Beach

The Pumpkin Beer Float at 50 Ocean

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jan Norris

    How to tell when it’s fall in South Florida? The license plates change color.
    And pumpkin-flavored everything fills coffee cups, ice cream cones, beer mugs and plates.
    Seems the coffee crowds pull out the sweaters the minute they hear of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks — which arrive earlier each year.
    Dunkers can get in the act with Pumpkin Spice donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts.
    Not to be outdone, there’s Pumpkin Caramel Crème tea and a Pumpkin Chai Latte offered by The Spice & Tea Exchange in Boca’s Mizner Park. You can smell the enticing cinnamon, and Chinese 5-Spice mixes when you walk in. These versions are offered up in loose teas to make at home.
    Kilwin’s Chocolates and Ice Cream stores serve a decadent, not-for-dieters Pumpkin Pie ice cream by the scoop or cup. Creative types might marry it with a second scoop of butter pecan or caramel.
    As October rolls in, area chefs will be featuring the gourd in dishes that will rotate as seasonal specials, along with other fall flavors.
    Lighter summer foods that were suitable for hot days make way for game meats, fowl, fall vegetables, heartier soups and deeper seasonings as the weather changes. Fruits like cranberries, grapes, figs and pomegranates are beginning to show up along with nuts and cheeses that go well with robust wines.
    It’s the chefs’ favorite time of year to create menus, they say.
    “I’ve been looking at some things to maybe include,” said Wilson Wieggel, chef at Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton. “Maybe a seared scallop with pumpkin. Maybe I’ll add a verbal dish — pumpkin and shrimp stew, using local Sun shrimp from Melbourne — and curry.”
    Farmer’s Table serves a menu focused on sustainable, gluten-free and vegetable dishes — though meats are on the menu. Expect some creative main-plate dishes featuring game, root vegetables, hearty grains, greens and wheat-free desserts flavored with autumn’s warm spices.
    At Delray’s 32 East, chef Nick Morfogen is “just getting started” with autumn ingredients that include fig, pumpkin, maple syrup and fall’s sweet and savory herbs and spices.
    “I did a maple-roasted pumpkin bisque, with sherry, sweet potato and vanilla bean. I garnished it with candied bacon and fried sage,” he said. “There will be more to come as it gets cooler.”

The Pumpkin Risotto at Caffe Luna Rosa in Delray Beach.

    Caffe Luna Rosa’s chef Ernesto de Blasi is starting off fall at the beachside restaurant with a honey-roasted pumpkin risotto. He chooses the calabaza, also called a West Indian pumpkin, for his fall dishes.
    “It’s sweeter, with a better flavor, I think, and is denser; it has a texture that holds up,” he said. The gourd comes in a variety of colors and often the flesh is more yellow than orange.
    He ticked off the ingredients, shared in a recipe: “Aborio rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, honey-roasted pumpkin, applewood smoked bacon, fresh thyme and a bay leaf. We finish it with a drizzle of the fond from the bacon, deglazed with red wine and a touch of demi-glaze.”
    He looks forward to changing out the summer menu to fall, and plans to include other specials with heartier dishes for the new “brunch every day” menu at the restaurant.
    At the nearby 50 Ocean, chef Blake Malatesta is working on dishes that will bring a taste of fall to the menus. Expect more root vegetables, wild rice and other grains, deeper greens, heartier meats and fishes on their lists. Presently on the menu is a pumpkin ravioli, pillows of pasta that encase a spiced pumpkin mixture — served under coffee-crusted, grass-fed buffalo tenderloin slices.
Caramelized cippolini onions and spiced pumpkin seeds around it are sauced with a pan reduction that includes Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead Ale beer. Sage leaves, another harbinger of autumn, are sprinkled on top.
    The same pumpkin brew finds its way to a bar drink, created by beverage manager Millie Wilkinson, that’s suitable for a dessert.
    The Pumpkinhead Beer Float is a tricky concoction, she said. It’s made with Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale, caramel syrup, house-made cinnamon ice cream and a crown of whipped cream.
    “You have to pour in the beer, add the ice cream and caramel, then really fast add the whipped cream, so it doesn’t foam over the side,” she said. “And serve it immediately — it will only hold about 10 minutes.” Just as she mentioned it, one of the drinks erupted, flowed down the side of the glass and covered the bar. “It’s a carbonated beverage,” she said, shrugging.
    The result is a drink of sweet and savory flavors, with texture from crushed, toasted and spiced pumpkin seeds on the glass rim.
More glasses of pumpkin are flowing elsewhere. The Saltwater Brewery in Delray has just released its Pumpkin Swordfish Stout, a traditional stout brewed with cinnamon, pumpkin and spices. Also on tap, its Oktoberfest Lager made in a German/Marzen style.
    At the Beer Trade Co. in Delray, owner Gene Playter has brought in a host of the pumpkin beer releases from craft breweries around the country. Look for Southern Tier, Shipyard, Terrapin, Dogfish Head, Due South, Anderson Valley, Timmerman’s and Ace pumpkin brews and hard ciders. A wide selection of Oktoberfest beers is arriving daily, he said.
    Mustn’t forget the cocktails. Bourbon, still the spirit of the year, goes to smoky bacon at 13 American Table in Boca. When Pigs Fly is their drink made with bacon, rooibos-infused bourbon, syrrh, bitters and an orange rind twist, served on the rocks.
    Below is a recipe for the Roasted pumpkin risotto served at Caffe Luna Rosa. And if you just can’t get enough of the golden gourd, Apron’s Cooking School in Boca Raton will teach a “Pumpkinology” cooking class Oct. 25.
    
Roasted pumpkin risotto
Chef Ernesto de Blasi,
Caffe Luna Rosa

1 small pumpkin (calabaza preferred) – see note
½ pound applewood smoked bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces)
4 ounces medium-bodied red wine
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
5 to 6 cups of hot chicken stock or vegetable stock
½ cup grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 ounces demi glaze or reduced beef stock

Note: To prepare pumpkin, cut in half and remove seeds. Bake one-half in 350-degree oven till tender, about 45 minutes, then puree. For remainder, peel, dice small and saute in oil/butter mixture over medium heat until tender.

For bacon au jus: In a sauté pan over medium heat, brown the bacon until crisp but not burnt. Remove the bacon and add red wine. Reduce by half. Add demi glaze, reduce to desired thickness; set aside.

For risotto: In a medium-size heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring continuously, just until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and continue to stir, using a wooden spoon, to coat the rice with the oil.

    Add the white wine and continue cooking, stirring often, until it has been absorbed by the rice. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover the rice completely, about 3 cups, and continue to cook, stirring often, until all the liquid is absorbed.
    Pour in 1 cup more of the remaining stock and stir and cook until it has been absorbed. Repeat with 1 more cup. Add the remaining cup and cook, stirring, until the rice is al dente, tender but still very chewy, and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
    Stir in the pumpkin puree and the diced pumpkin and reduce the heat to very low so that risotto no longer simmers. Stir in the Parmesan and butter to give the risotto a nice, creamy finish.  
    Serve in a shallow bowl with a drizzle of the bacon au jus and topped with crispy bacon.
    Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Walking the Morikami Museum gardens can be relaxing.

Photo courtesy of Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

By Linda Haase

   The unexpected breast cancer diagnosis was traumatic enough. But when the treatment made Jaclyn Merens so ill she could no longer care for her beloved autistic adult son and had to put him in a group home, she was devastated. Then, she lost her job.  
    “I lost my identity. I was no longer a caretaker for my son. I didn’t have a job. I looked different. I felt different. I was in a very strange head space and it was not a good one,” says the 60-year-old Boca Raton resident.
    Salvation, she says, came from a most unexpected place: the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, whose therapeutic walking program is designed to provide a peaceful experience in a nurturing environment that promotes well-being and resilience in the face of adversity.
    The program is geared for those undergoing life changes, experiencing stress, depression or mental exhaustion, including cancer patients, caregivers and those grappling with substance-abuse issues.
    The three-month program, offered in October, January and March, offers participants a place for quiet contemplation and self-reflection during 12 themed walks through the 16-acre gardens.
    Participants are given a journal so they can record personal stories, feelings and observations. The themes, linked to specific spots along the 7/8-mile path, include awareness, forgiveness, trust, joy and fulfillment and are designed to elicit reflections on their lives.
    “With each stop on the path I gained more insight into who I am and who I want to be. It helped me to reflect on the past and figure out the future,” Merens says about her experience. ”It helped me believe in myself and understand that everything happens for a reason. It took me to a place of acceptance.”
    That’s exactly what the sessions are designed to do, explains Ruth McCaffrey, the program’s leader and associate professor at FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. Many cancer survivors have participated, she notes: “They are trying to make sense of their lives, to put the pieces of their life back together and this is a great place for reflection and peace.”
    It has helped hundreds. “We have had people from all walks of life participate, including veterans with PTSD, bereavement groups, even caregivers who came as a way to renew themselves and gain a sense of peace in the stressful world of caregiving. A group of people with arthritis who were facing the loss of ability to function the way they used to said they could walk a little farther when they were here. They told me that they have a medicine chest filled with drugs, but they were looking for something to take away the pain without drugs and this helped them,” says McCaffrey.  “I never realized how powerful this would be. It has been a life-changing experience for many people.”
    The program began in 2008 after a study by the Morikami in collaboration with the Lynn College of Nursing showed the powerful effect of its healing gardens for older adults with mild to moderate depression.
    “Gardens have proven to be effective in assisting persons to relax, distracting them from negative stimuli and generating positive thoughts, thereby improving mood,” McCaffrey wrote in a synopsis of the study. “The program is intended to foster reflection, reduce stress and manage feelings of sadness, alleviate symptoms of depression and provide an experience in a healing space to promote well-being and resilience when sad things happen.”   
    That’s the message Roger Ulrich, a leading researcher in healing gardens, has been endorsing for years.
    “The reason healing gardens are places of refuge is because all humans are hard-wired to find nature not only engrossing, but soothing,” he said in a Center for Spirituality and Healing article. “We have a kind of biologically prepared disposition to respond favorably to nature because we evolved in nature.”
    That’s exactly what John Andersen discovered when he went through the program with fellow veterans and therapists from the Veterans Administration Hospital.
    “The counselors guided us and helped immensely. A lot of times we would start with meditation. When I began I was full of hate and anger. I had been miserable for years. But as time went on and we talked about each theme, I went from a miserable, unhappy person to a happy person.
    “I was hesitant at first, but discovered that this really works,” admits Andersen, a 69-year-old West Palm Beach resident and Vietnam vet who has PTSD. “When we talked about awareness, it was important for me to be aware that I had a problem receiving help. I thought people were messed up, that the world was messed up, but what really was messed up was me.”
For Merens, the message was different, but just as important. “It allowed me to be kind to myself… That is what was so beautiful,” she says.

IF YOU GO
     The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens offers two therapeutic walking programs.
They both include three meetings, a journal and an annual membership to the gardens.
    The Morikami is at 4000 Morikami Park Road in Delray Beach.
     The Stroll For Well-Being: Garden Walks at The Morikami is open to the public and costs $100; the Astellas Garden Walking Program is free to participants who are active members of not-for-profit counseling groups. Visit www.morikami.org/astellas. For information on The Stroll For Well-Being, visit morikami.org (click on workshops).

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

Casey Cleveland, lead pastor of the Avenue Church, cuts the ribbon during the grand
opening for City House in Delray Beach.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

INSET BELOW: David Franklin

By Tim Pallesen

    The challenge to save local children with no fathers is daunting.
    In Delray Beach, 33 percent of the children live in fatherless homes, according to the U.S. Census. National studies show children raised without a father account for 63 percent of youth suicides, 71 percent of high school dropouts, 75 percent of those in drug treatment centers, 85 percent of those with behavioral disorders and 85 percent of those in prison.
    Families from the Avenue Church first opened their homes to care for small children as their mothers struggled to get their lives together.
    “We have come to realize that it’s the mother who needs the real help in situations like these,” the Rev. Casey Cleveland now says as City House, an alternative approach, opened last month.
    Five mothers and their children will live in an apartment building with houseparents in a two-year program where the mothers will receive job training, career coaching and Christian mentors to help to get their lives under control.
    “Yes, the child needs a safe place,” Cleveland said. “But if the mother is not given consistent mentoring, the child will be returned to a very similar at-risk situation.”
    Each mother will have two to four members of the Avenue Church in Delray or Spanish River Church in Boca Raton on her mentoring team.
    Mothers and children receive points for acts of kindness, Bible study and attending Sunday worship. The points earn toys, clothing, car seats and strollers donated by church members.
    “Our main goal is to allow Christ and his spirit do redemption in their lives,” City House executive director Lisa Wanamaker said.
                               
    Housing is expensive in Boca Raton, and talented youth pastors are difficult to keep.
    So Advent Lutheran Church has purchased a single-family home next to the church for its youth pastor, David Franklin.
    Franklin, 40, who grew up in Boca Raton, has been active in youth ministry since he was 19. He spent five years at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton and was on the staff at Journey Church in Boynton Beach when Advent Lutheran senior pastor Andrew Hagen called him for advice two years ago.
    The average stay for a youth minister in all churches is six months. “It takes 18 months to two years to build any kind of traction at all,” Franklin advised Hagen.        Advent then surprised Franklin by asking him to be youth minister 18 months ago, when only 10 to 15 teenagers attended its weekly youth program. Youth attendance under his guidance has grown to 40 to 50 teens each week.
    Advent obviously wanted to keep Franklin when members voted his summer to purchase the house next to Advent’s church and school.
    “We’re very excited about having a place for our youth pastor and his family,” Hagen said. “Housing is a key issue for people in ministry in Boca Raton. Houses are expensive and the ministry doesn’t pay much.”
                                
    The vision statement for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach says to love thy neighbor.
    But information to candidates for the new rector’s job cautions that the church neighborhood along Swinton Avenue south of Atlantic Avenue is changing.
    “The church could see dramatic gentrification of its historic low-income minority neighborhood as investors look for places to build both residential and commercial buildings close to downtown,” the search committee advised. “St. Paul’s is looking for a new rector who will help us define our strategic mission and our role as a church in our future landscape.”
    The neighborhood now is low-income Haitian immigrants. Church volunteers mentor Haitian children after school at Paul’s Place.
    The search for a new rector began after former rector Chip Stokes was chosen to be the bishop of New Jersey in May 2013. A developer recently purchased the nearby Sundy House for a seven-acre project that will include luxury townhouses and shops.
    “Delray Beach is a ‘Village by the Sea’ growing rapidly and in transition,” candidates are advised. “That transition is going to affect the neighborhood surrounding St. Paul’s.”
    Job applications are still coming in. Search committee chairman Mike Armstrong said three or four finalists will be invited to St. Paul’s for interviews this fall. 
    “We hope to have the whole thing wrapped up by the end of the year,” Armstrong said.
                                
    Jews might finally have a synagogue in east Delray.
    “There’s no Jewish synagogue in that part of town. People on the coast need a place to pray,” Rabbi Shmuli Biston said in launching the Chabad of East Delray and the Beaches during the Jewish high holidays.
    Free Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services were offered at the Residence Inn by Marriott on East Atlantic Avenue.
    Geared for Jews of all backgrounds, the “user-friendly” services for both beginners and the advanced will continue at the hotel during Jewish holidays as Biston searches coastal Delray for a permanent location.
    Contact him at chabadofeastdelray@gmail.com or (954) 796-7330.
                                
    Don’t forget the 20th annual End Hunger Walk on Oct. 12 to benefit the Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach and other ministries of Christians Reaching Out to Society.
    Organizers hope 400 walkers will gather on the West Palm Beach waterfront at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church to raise $50,000 in pledges this year. Teams will represent 25 churches that support CROS Ministries.
    Contact Gibbie Nauman at 233-9009, Ext. 106, or gnauman@crosministries.org to sign up as a walker or to make a pledge.
                                
    Let there be music at the 325-student school that South County Episcopalians support financially in Haiti.
    The national Episcopal Church Women have announced a $30,750 grant to purchase musical instruments and hire a music teacher at the school in Bondeau, Haiti.
    “Music is a great way to stimulate not just the arts but overall education,” said the Rev. Andrew Sherman of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton, which submitted the grant request after Sherman first heard the school band in March.   
    “After hearing them play, I was inspired to say ‘Let’s get them more instruments,’ ” Sherman said.
    St. Gregory’s and St. Paul’s in Delray pay for teachers and food to nourish the students at the Pre-K- to eighth-grade school that St. Gregory’s started 10 years ago.

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

PBSO Cpl. Brian Cullen works with his partner Justice.  

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Arden Moore

    I’ve often wondered why it is that of all the various species on the planet, dogs appear to rank among the most diverse. Consider that there are more than 150 recognized breeds by the American Kennel Club — and that list keeps growing each year.
    The canine species is well represented by itty-bitty dogs who can fit in your hand as well as mountain-sized ones who tip the scales well past 150 pounds. There are dogs who bark a lot (try finding the mute button on a miniature schnauzer when the door bell rings) as well as genuine “hush” puppies (like the basenji.) There are dogs with nearly hairless coats (Peruvian hairless dog comes to mind) and ones with heavy dreds that hide their eyes and make them look like four-legged cousins to Whoopi Goldberg (take a play bow, all you Komondors).
    Surprisingly, I can spell but never pronounce the exotic breed known as the Xoloitzcuintli (sanely also referred to as the Mexican hairless) and will forever regard the Pembroke Welsh corgi as my favorite breed (small, smart dog with a big-dog attitude).
    I thought I knew much about dogs, until I got stumped by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Its stellar canine unit includes a priceless breed aptly nicknamed the “money dog.” It turns out any dog with the right training, temperament and super sense of smell can become a money dog.
    The “sniff-me-some-money” dogs on the Sheriff’s Office K9 unit answer to the names Cero, a German shepherd, and Marley, a Labrador retriever. In the past two years, this dynamic doggy duo has helped law enforcement officers find and seize more than $3.5 million in illegal money, including about $1 million stashed inside the wells of a boat arriving from the Bahamas.
    “We have many types of dogs trained to do various police jobs, from cadaver dogs, live-find dogs, narcotic-sniffing dogs, bomb detection dogs, TSA (airport security) dogs, patrol dogs and scent detection dogs, but the money dog is new to us,” says Lt. Mark Halperin, K9 unit commander. “A dog can be trained to detect any odor, and having money dogs has definitely been an asset for us. We use them on search warrants in the narcotics world, at the airport and private shipping industry, where people may be moving money back and forth to purchase drugs.”
    OK, I know I declared that the corgi was my No. 1 breed a few paragraphs earlier, but I may be leaning now heavily in favor of adopting a money dog. Imagine having a dog who can find money. That’s a far better canine trick that fetching the television remote.
    To properly train a money dog worthy of being part of the police pack, Halperin said, the department first orders brand-new bills not yet in circulation. The goal is to get these dogs to home in on the scent of the ink and paper used in our currency. In time, they learn to zero in on the moolah. Now, that’s a skill.
    In fact, all of the 57 dogs working for the Sheriff’s Office are stepping up and accomplishing a twofold mission: win support from the community and reduce the crime rate.
    “Everyone loves dogs, from kids to adults, and our dogs help us connect with the public and the public to connect with us,” says Halperin. “Our police dogs are also family dogs who enjoy being with our children and our neighbors when they are off duty. They visit schools. Patrol dogs also help us apprehend fugitive and violent criminals trying to evade justice. Statistics show that when there is a police dog present, there is a great chance for a more peaceful surrender.”
    Three bloodhounds — named Bolo, Justice and Bandit — are hard at work using their powerful noses to track down children who may have been abducted as well as locate people with dementia who have wandered off. This breed can deftly discriminate various scents and then lock into the targeted odor (perhaps the scent of the person from a pillowcase or T-shirt).
    “Bolo recently located an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing in the middle of the night,” says Halperin. “Bolo tracked him to a parking lot where we found the man sitting down. He immediately picked up the scent and led us right to him.”
    Halperin has been in charge of the K9 unit since 2009, but is a lifelong dog lover.
    His current dog is Rony, a German shepherd trained to detect narcotics. When he is off duty, Rony enjoys going on walks and runs with Halperin and his family. “Rony has a loud, commanding bark that might make you scared of him at first, but I give him the cue and he relaxes and rolls up on his back,” says Halperin. “We want to keep Palm Beach County a safe place to live and dogs like Rony are helping us accomplish this.”

Arden Moore, founder of Four Legged Life.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 www.fourleggedlife.com.

Lance Irvine of Fort Lauderdale, fourth from right, and other members of the Young Guns Fishing Team

show the 57.9-pound wahoo caught Sept. 13 to win heaviest overall fish in the XGeneration 440 Challenge

tournament based at Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

   The Young Guns Fishing Team based in Fort Lauderdale caught a 57.9-pound wahoo on the afternoon of Sept. 13 to win biggest overall fish in the XGeneration 440 Challenge tournament based at Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo.
    Team captain Lance Irvine said the big wahoo hit a live goggle-eye dangled under a fishing kite in 90 feet of water north of Jupiter Inlet about an hour before the 3:30 p.m. lines-out deadline.
    The Spiced Rum III team led by captain Billy Wummer won the $5,000 prize for heaviest kingfish of the tournament — a 35.4-pound king caught on a live blue runner in 70 feet of water off the Hobe Sound Loran tower.
    Team Choppy won the snapper award in the 48-boat tournament with a 3.8-pound mutton snapper. The Jagermeister team won the bonito/blackfin award with an 18.4-pound blackfin tuna. Team Controlled Chaos won the dolphin category with an 8.3-pound dolphin (mahi mahi).

IGFA begins School of Sportfishing classes
    The International Game Fish Association kicks off its fall series of School of Sportfishing classes Oct. 7 with the fundamentals of sportfishing class taught by Capt. Tony DiGiulian. The class will cover bait rigging, critical knots, wire twisting and other aspects of terminal tackle preparation.
    Classes are held from 7-10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum (off Griffin Road just west of Interstate 95 in Dania Beach). Enrollment is limited to 24. Tuition is $100 for IGFA members and $150 for nonmembers. Future classes include targeting nearshore gamefish (dolphin, kingfish and blackfin tuna) on Oct. 21 and “All About Live Bait” on Nov. 4.
    A complete class schedule is available at www.igfa.org. (Click on education and School of Sportfishing.) For details, call Anthony Vedral at (954) 924-4254 or email him at:  Avedral@igfa.org.

Fishing TV host to speak at club
    Fishing television host and Salt Water Sportsman editor George Poveromo will discuss fall tactics for catching blue marlin. Poveromo’s presentation, free and open to the public, is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at the West Palm Beach Fishing Club, Fifth Street at Flagler Drive, in downtown West Palm Beach. For details, call 832-6780.

Rare catch
    A coney grouper in the yellow color phase was caught by an angler fishing off Boynton Beach Sept. 2 on the Lady K drift boat. Capt. Bruce Cyr said he has only seen a few coney grouper in his 40-plus years fishing the waters off Palm Beach County.
Like many groupers, the coney is able to change colors.

Tip of the month
    Fish from beach, jetty or pier October is usually a great month to fish either directly from the beach, from jetty fishing platforms such as those at Boynton Inlet or from an ocean pier such as the William O. Lockhart Pier at Lake Worth Beach.
    Try casting from the beach with cut shrimp, clams or sand fleas on a pre-made pompano rig for pompano. Cast into the muddy water stirred up by waves hitting the sand bar. It’s helpful to have a surf rod, often 9 to 10 feet long, for long-distance casting. Use enough weight (3 ounces or so) to hold your bait on the bottom in the surf.
    If the pompano bite is slow, try fishing the jetties and the pier for cobia and permit. Cobia anglers must be ready to cast when a cobia swims by. Most use colorful cobia jigs. Live crabs are popular baits for permit. You’ll need sturdy rod, strong line and hoop net to land a cobia or permit hooked from a fishing pier.

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

A diver keeps a lionfish at arm’s length to avoid the sharp spines.

Geoff Pugh, a lifelong diver, developed a tube

for storing lionfish after they are speared. The invasive fish

have 18 venomous spines on their bodies. Pugh builds his lionfish tubes from PVC pipe.

Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

    It’s no secret that invasive lionfish have been wreaking havoc on reefs off the coast of South Florida and many other parts of the state since large numbers of lionfish began showing up in Florida waters around 2005.
    Native to the Pacific and Indian oceans, colorful red lionfish degrade Florida reefs by eating native fish and stealing their food, and by eating fish that help keep reef algae in check.
    The good news: Lionfish are tasty and easily attainable for divers who know how to handle them and avoid the lionfish’s 18 venomous spines.
    Ocean Ridge Mayor Geoff Pugh enjoys harvesting lionfish with a small pole spear, both to clean up the reefs and to provide tasty white meat for his family.
    “It’s just like eating a strawberry grouper,” Pugh said of the lionfish. “It’s delicious.”
    Pugh grew up in southern Palm Beach County and enjoys fishing and diving when he’s not busy building and maintaining swimming pools through his company, Pugh’s Pools and Spas.
    Pugh says he usually finds plenty of good-sized lionfish in 80 to 90 feet of water off Boynton Inlet and other places he likes to dive in central and southern Palm Beach County.
    To protect himself from the lionfish’s venomous spines, Pugh developed a storage tube made from a 2-foot section of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe.
    Pugh found caps for the ends of his lionfish tube and other parts at Home Depot. He attached a U-shaped bolt on one end so he can remove and replace the cap when he drops a lionfish into the tube. A pair of spring-loaded mop clips mounted on the side of the tube hold his pole spear; another U-bolt is used to clip the tube to his dive gear.
    Pugh doesn’t have a formal name for his lionfish storage device, though friend Keith Kovach dubbed it the “lion’s den.”
    Pugh said he doesn’t plan to patent or sell his lionfish storage tube. He simply wants to share the idea with others so they can more easily harvest the fish that are damaging Florida’s reefs and native fish.
    The mayor knows firsthand how voracious lionfish can be. After putting a lionfish into his aquarium, he watched it triple in size over eight months.
    “It was eating everything,” Pugh said. After it ate the family’s clownfish, Pugh finally got rid of the lionfish.
    “I pan fried it whole,” he said.
    Lionfish prey on more than 70 marine fish and invertebrates, including yellowtail snapper, Nassau grouper and parrotfish, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. They blow water at other fish in an attempt to get their prey to turn around and face them before they go down the hatch.
    Lionfish tend to stay in the same place once they find a spot on a reef that satisfies their needs.
    Pugh says lionfish are easy to shoot with a short pole spear.
    No saltwater fishing license is required to harvest lionfish with a net, pole spear, Hawaiian sling or other spearing devices designed for taking lionfish. A recreational saltwater fishing license is required, unless exempt, to harvest lionfish by other methods, including hook and line. There are no size or bag limits for lionfish.
    Note that spears may not be used within 100 yards of a public swimming beach, any public fishing pier or any part of a bridge from which public fishing is allowed. Spears also may not be used within 100 feet of a jetty.
    Lionfish must be handled carefully on the cleaning table. Some divers wear puncture-resistant gloves, while others hold the fish by their bony gill plates.
    Many divers use scissors to remove the spines before cleaning lionfish, but the fish still should be handled carefully because the venom is present in grooves even at the base of the spines, according to the FWC.
    The FWC encourages divers to report harvested lionfish by downloading the Report Florida Lionfish smartphone app or by filling out the lionfish reporting form online at: myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/report/.

Lionfish derby set for Oct. 18
     Divers will be on the hunt for lionfish Oct. 18 during the eBoatListings Lionfish Derby based at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach.  
     Prizes will be awarded for the largest, smallest and most lionfish.
     Boats carrying divers will leave Boynton Inlet beginning at 8 a.m. The weigh-in is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park. The $100-a-boat entry fee covers up to four divers and includes four T-shirts, four goodie bags and four tickets to the cookout party
following the derby.
     The captains meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Old Key Lime House restaurant in Lantana. For more information, go to www.eboatlistings.com or call the Lantana Chamber of Commerce at 585-8664.

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

Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel

File photo/The Coastal Star

By Steve Pike

    For athletes in any sport, there is nothing like a home game. The comfort level of playing in familiar surroundings and sleeping in your own bed is almost incalculable in regard to a competitive advantage.
    That’s one reason why Beth Daniel is looking forward to playing in the LPGA Legends Walgreens Charity Championship, Nov. 6-9, at the Seagate Country Club in Delray Beach.
    “It’s right in our back yard,’’ Daniel said, referring to herself and fellow Delray Beach resident Meg Mallon. “It’s only appropriate that we play. I wish they were all that way.’’
    Daniel, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and Mallon, captain of the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup team, headline the field in the event. World Golf Hall of Famers Nancy Lopez and Laura Davies also are expected to compete.
    “I think it’s kind of cool that we’re coming to Seagate Country Club,’’ said Daniel, a 33-time winner on the LPGA Tour.  “It gives me a chance to show off Delray Beach a little, which is nice.’’
    The event also will be an opportunity to area residents to see some of the greatest players in the history of women’s golf, including Daniel and Lopez, the latter of whom was the face of the LPGA in the 1970s and ’80s when she won 42 times on the LPGA Tour.
    Lopez, now 57, remains among the more popular and recognizable female golfers in the world, but neither she nor Daniel play a lot of competitive golf these days.
    “Two to three times per year on the Legends Tour,’’ said Daniel, who will be 58 this month. “And I do some corporate outings and charity outings.”
    Daniel’s competitive fire, however, still burns, but she has to temper that fire with the knowledge that lack of practice means inconsistent results.
    “The hardest thing for me to do is lower my expectations,’’ Daniel said. “I don’t practice as much so my game is not going to be as sharp.
    “I’ve worked hard on trying to lower my expectations, but it’s difficult. You come across shots that you used to be able to hit and you can’t hit them because you don’t practice them. So the more I can just get out there and enjoy myself, the better off I am.’’
    The tournament itself will be held on Nov. 8 and 9 at Seagate Country Club, which is part of the Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach. A morning and afternoon pro-am tournament will be Nov. 6 and an open-to-the-public practice round will be Nov. 7. Tickets for the tournament will be $15 at the gate and $10 at area Walgreens stores.
    The Jane Blalock Co., which is managing the event, expects as many as 5,000 people to attend, but Darren Panks, director of golf at Seagate Country Club, said he believes that number is conservative.
    “I think it might be close to 3,000 to 4,000 people per day because of the energy in golf around here,’’ Panks said. “It’s going to be in ‘season’ and people are just beginning to get settled down here. The timing is perfect.’’

                          Percent    Votes

Circuit Judge, 15th Circuit, Group 14
Diana Lewis    45.56%    45,175
*Jessica Ticktin    54.44%    55,181
            101,356
Circuit Judge, 5th Circuit, Group 30
Maxine Cheesman    16.76%    16,661
*Jaimie Goodman    54.94%    54,602
Peggy Rowe-Linn    28.30%    28,128
            99,391
Member, School Board, District 4
Justin Katz        24.62%     3,796
Larry Rosensweig    18.26%     2,816
*Tom Sutterfield    24.97%     3,850
*Erica Whitfield    32.15%     4,962
            15,424
*The two winning candidates will be on the November 4 ballot for a run-off vote.

Member, School Board, District 7
Piaget “Peppi” Hendrix    8.27%     3,530
*Debra L. Robinson    71.73%     8,958
            12,488

Delray Beach Question
Charter Amendment: Reduce to three the number of votes required to fire the City Manager.
*Yes        62.27%     3,131
No        37.73%     1,897
             5,028
Lake Worth Question
Approval of  “Lake Worth 2020” bonds for Public infrastructure projects within the city.
For Bonds        49.58%     1,542
*Against Bonds    50.42%     1,568
             3,110

(*Candidates elected outright in boldface type)

Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections

    In Boynton Beach, Steven Michael’s Hudson Holdings bought a 1.35-acre parcel along Northeast Sixth Avenue, just south of the city Community Redevelopment Area called Ocean Breeze East. It paid $1.1 million for the land in April 2013.
    Then it teamed with Neighborhood Renaissance of West Palm Beach this year for a proposal to develop a market-rate apartment complex on its land and the CRA land, a total of 6.3 acres. The CRA board recently chose the team as the winning bidder, despite the team’s wanting the CRA land for free. The other bidder also did not want to pay.
    The CRA had purchased the land and about four acres on the west side of North Seacrest Avenue for $7 million in 2007 from a man who was then-chairman of the CRA.
    Mark Karageorge, property manager with Neighborhood Renaissance, resigned from the city’s CRA board earlier this year to avoid a conflict of interest. The CRA has no rules about how long after a board member leaves that the person should be prohibited from involvement with a CRA project. (Karageorge was hospitalized and could not be reached for comment.)
    Near the south end of Delray Beach, along Linton Boulevard, sits Linton Towers, another office building owned jointly by DeSantis and Hudson Holdings. Purchased for $6.8 million in August 2013, the 58,069-square-foot building is fully leased, according to Michael.
    The property has a 1-acre vacant parcel that they once planned to recruit Starbucks to open a drive-through coffee shop. But one went in nearby.
    “I’m not sure what we will do with that extra acre,” Michael said.
— Jane Smith

Building Boom: Investments in change

Related stories: Developer assembles properties in Delray, Lake Worth | Plans for other sites as well | Planners look to update downtown development rules | iPic project draws fire from nearby businesses

By Tim Pallesen
  
    The developer of Atlantic Crossing vows construction will begin this year despite a lawsuit to force redesign.
    The $200 million mixed-use project on East Atlantic Avenue got its final city approval in January, prompting residents at the nearby Harbour House condos to sue to force the developer to build an east-west access road off Federal Highway to relieve traffic.
    A favorable court ruling for the neighbors could stop Atlantic Crossing construction after it begins.
    “I would be surprised if the developer took the gamble,” Harbour House condo president Bruce Leiner said. “We’ve still got a significant debate.”
    But Atlantic Crossing project manager Don DeVere said starting construction this year isn’t a gamble at all.
    “Our viewpoint is that this is a frivolous lawsuit that will be dismissed,” DeVere said. “We’re eager to get it resolved, but it’s not impacting our timetable.”
    The Harbour House lawsuit names both the developer and the city as defendants. It claims the developer is obligated to build the access road because it was included in a prior development plan that the city approved in 2009.
    “To say we reneged on a past deal is patently false,” DeVere said. “This is a new plan adopted by the city.”
    The need for an access road from Federal Highway east to Northeast Seventh Avenue was an issue when city commissioners gave their final site-plan approval by a split 3-2 vote last January.
    Coastal residents joined other Atlantic Crossing neighbors to argue that Federal Highway access is necessary to relieve traffic congestion on Atlantic Avenue and narrow side streets.
    Mayor Cary Glickstein said the “deeply flawed” traffic plan will degrade neighborhoods.
    The majority of city commissioners urged approval of the site plan by stressing the importance of the 9-acre mix of restaurants, shops, apartments and offices for jobs and the city economy.
    DeVere said construction will begin in October or November to move utilities on the western portion of the project.
    Demolition of existing buildings there will begin in December or January, he said. That will allow excavation for a 440-space underground parking garage to be built by late 2015.
    Once the first building opens at the corner of Atlantic and Federal in 2016, existing retail tenants in the eastern portion can be moved to make way for construction elsewhere on the site over two years, DeVere said.
    Atlantic Crossing, a joint venture by Ocean Ridge resident Carl DeSantis and the Edwards Companies of Ohio, will have 80,000 square feet of restaurants and shops along with 79,000 square feet of office space and 356 luxury condos and apartments when finished.
    The project is within Delray Beach’s Community Redevelopment Area.
    “We’ve seen unbelievable response to the availability,” DeVere said.
    “We have exciting clients looking at the space, including great restaurant operators.”

Developer assembles properties in Delray, Lake Worth

Related stories: Atlantic Crossing construction to begin despite pending lawsuit | Plans for other sites as well | Planners look to update downtown development rules | iPic project draws fire from nearby businesses

By Jane Smith

Photos inset below: Steven Michael (left); Rick Marshall (right)
    
    Over the past year, developer Steven Michael parlayed his connections to assemble a portfolio of historic properties from Lake Worth south to Delray Beach.
    In Lake Worth, his company Hudson Holdings teamed with Carl DeSantis, founder of Rexall Sundown vitamins, to buy the historic Gulfstream Hotel for $7.22 million in May. The two met nearly a decade ago when Michael had an option to buy DeSantis’ Atlantic Plaza (now called Atlantic Crossing) in Delray Beach.  
    In Delray Beach, Hudson Holdings partnered with Marshall Florida Holdings in July to pay $17.5 million for several tracts of land that includes the historic Sundy House. When Michael worked for a hedge fund, he met Rick Marshall, a North Carolina developer who trades in oil futures.
    “I’m looking to add value,” Michael, 50, said of his development strategy. He’s not a newcomer: He points out that he has lived in Delray Beach for 14 years.
    His most recent success came in July when his Hudson Holdings team persuaded the Delray Beach City Commission to permit a Central Business District overlay on five parcels in the Southeast section of the Old School Square Historic Arts District. That would allow his group to build taller structures, reduce setbacks from the street and have a hotel.
    “It was the right timing,” Michael said. “(Tom) Worrell would not just sell to anyone if he didn’t agree to what we wanted to do.”
    Thomas Worrell, a reclusive developer, used to own the historic Sundy House inn, restaurant and gardens and other nearby properties on South Swinton Avenue all within the city’s Community Redevelopment Area.
    “We have invested millions without any return,” said Kim Goodyear, president of Worrell Properties, when she spoke at the second commission meeting in support of the overlay. “We need you to support this plan to trigger projects and jobs on the south side.”
    When asked for a comment from her boss, Goodyear replied, “I did talk with Mr. Worrell, and it is not something that he wants to discuss.”
    John Szerdi, Worrell’s architect and a Lake Worth city commissioner, confirmed that Worrell spent considerable sums to renovate the houses but “could not get the rents to offset the renovation costs.”
    Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein, who was on the losing side of the 3-2 vote approving the overlay, called the condition of the houses “self-imposed blight.” It would be like Morikami Gardens turning off the sprinklers, letting the gardens go to weeds and then asking the county for approval to build condos, he said at the second hearing in early July.
    “It’s sad to me that we are in this situation because the city didn’t do its job (protecting historic buildings).”
    Despite pleas from historic preservationists that this decision was precedent-setting for the city’s four other historic districts, commissioners approved the overlay.
    That allowed Rick Marshall to invest in the overall project, which includes Worrell’s property and other acquired parcels.
    “The community of Delray is vibrant and exciting,” said Marshall, president of Florida Marshall Holdings in Fort Lauderdale. “The Sundy House has a lot of charm; it’s a project I’d like to be associated with.”
    Michael plans to expand the Sundy House offerings and move the historic Cathcart House next to it to allow the Sundy House to stage weddings for up to 300 people.
    He also plans to create a Sundy House Historic Village. That village would sit at the southeast corner of Southeast First Street and South Swinton Avenue. The historic Rectory house would move down a block and anchor the village.
    The village would back up to a four-story boutique hotel. “We want to take Hyatt to the next level,” Michael said.
    His group also purchased other nearby properties from Worrell to create a total investment of $21 million in 7.5 acres. Those properties include the check-cashing store at 52 W. Atlantic Ave. and three homes along Southeast First Avenue.
    Hudson Holdings’ master plan includes two hotels, “residential inn” units, retail space, a 175-car garage and a park.
    They still need City Commission approval for their site plan.
    Michael has hired Szerdi to be the project manager. A proposed site plan is in the hands of eight architects around the country in a “conceptual charette,” Szerdi said.
    “We’re in no hurry,” Michael said.
    When questioned about Hudson Holdings’ track record with historic properties, Michael said he worked on some he called “locally historic” in his native Chicago area while South Florida was in a real estate recession.
    He wasn’t always successful with developments in Delray Beach. Nearly a decade ago, when he had an option to buy Atlantic Plaza, he kept downsizing his plans to appease city residents. His proposal in mid-2006 called for 239 dwelling units and 110,000 square feet of office, retail and dining space on 7 acres.
    “But the city turned him down because we thought it was just too much development for that property,” said Jeff Perlman, who was then mayor of Delray Beach.
    Atlantic Crossing, with two additional acres, received approval earlier this year. Although a lawsuit filed by a nearby homeowner’s group over an abandoned road is pending, the developers say they will begin demolition of existing buildings late this year or early next year to begin construction of a 440-space underground parking garage project — part of a master plan of 80,000 square feet of restaurants and shops along with 79,000 square feet of office space and 356 luxury condos and apartments to be completed by 2018.

Renovations are planned by Hudson Holdings, the new owners of the historic Gulfstream Hotel in Lake Worth.

Rendering provided

Lake Worth has ‘potential’

Photos inset below: 'Avi' Greenbaum (left); Carl DeSantis, at podium (right)

Szerdi told Michael about the historic Gulfstream Hotel in Lake Worth. It sat vacant for 10 years, stuck in foreclosure litigation for the past four years.    
    Michael and partner Andrew “Avi” Greenbaum pitched the project to DeSantis, who fronted the complex deal, acquiring the delinquent $16.7 million mortgage and selling the hotel for $7.22 million to HH Gulfstream Land Holdings. The mortgage was released and another for $5 million taken out from Florida Community Bank. DeSantis personally guaranteed the loan.
    “Outside of Delray Beach, (Lake Worth) has the next best downtown,” Michael said. “I believe it will follow Delray.”
    DeSantis apparently agrees. “We like Lake Worth, it’s got a lot of potential,” said Perlman, now executive vice president of business development for DeSantis’ CDS International Holdings. “We see the Gulfstream as the catalyst to revitalize the downtown. It just needs to be polished.”
    The hotel is is within the city’s Community Redevelopment Area and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation plans would need to go through the city’s review process to allow the owners to claim a 20 percent rebate on the value of approved renovations for federal income tax purposes, or have the taxable value frozen for 10 years for city and county property taxes, said William Waters, community sustainability director for Lake Worth.
    No plans were submitted as of late August, Waters said. The hotel also has an adjacent vacant 1-acre parcel that Michael said they would use to create an additional 125-150 rooms. The overall plan would be submitted soon, he said.
    Along South Federal Highway in Lake Worth, Hudson Holdings has purchased 150 dwelling units, primarily in one-story motels, with a goal of buying 500 over the next two years. In late June, Greenbaum said in a news release, “Hudson Holdings believes in the vitality and long-term growth of Lake Worth and feel the South Federal Highway corridor will be a primary beneficiary.”
    Greenbaum, 41 and originally from New York, was the inspiration for the Hudson Holdings name. “I was commuting back and forth between New York City and Miami. My office in New York overlooked the Hudson River,” he said. That’s why the Hudson Holdings’ website shows an aerial of Miami and one of Manhattan.
    Along South Federal Highway, Hudson Holdings is a major landlord to Gulfstream Goodwill Industries, based in West Palm Beach, Michael said. “We support their programs,” he said.
    Gulfstream Goodwill declined to talk specifically about Hudson Holdings or any of its business partners. “We enjoy working with Steve Michael,” said Kathy Spencer, program services vice president. Gulfstream Goodwill serves the homeless and disabled in five counties.

By Dan Moffett

    After more than a decade on life support, the end appears near for the last commercial district in Ocean Ridge.
    The Town Commission has rejected an amendment that essentially would have grandfathered the five-store strip at 5011 N. Ocean Blvd. into compliance with the town’s code and allowed it to stay in business.
    Town Manager Ken Schenck said the reprieves appear to have run out for the Sivitilli family, owners of the 55-year-old building since 1982.
    “If nothing else happens,” Schenck said, “then obviously they’re going to have to close down the businesses on the lower floor.”
    The town has not set a timetable for the businesses to shut down, however, leaving the three remaining shops at 5011 in an uneasy limbo.
    “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” said Christian Riera, owner of the Transition Area triathlon shop who lives upstairs. “We just have to see what happens.”
    Commissioners said they were expecting a detailed plan for the property’s renovation from Lisa Sivitilli, daughter of the owners, Orlando and Lilianne Sivitilli. But what they got during the Aug. 11 meeting was a one-page architect’s rendering of a proposed facelift for the building. It wasn’t nearly enough.
    “This is not what I thought you’d bring,” Mayor Geoffrey Pugh told Lisa Sivitilli. “You’re not giving us information that we clearly asked you for over and over again. What you’ve brought us is so inadequate it’s hard to put words to it.”
    Pugh said the commission wanted to see drawings from all sides to assess the building’s impact on its surroundings. He said the town was tired of excuses and extensions.
    Sivitilli told Pugh it was impossible to present a more detailed plan until the commission ruled on the building’s fate and the family understood better what the town wanted. She said the architect, Randall Stofft, and the planning consultant, Marty Minor of Urban Design Kilday Studios, were well-known to commissioners and could be trusted to handle the mixed-use project.
    Stofft isn’t “some fly-by-night guy,” she said. “You know how good his work is.” Stofft has designed waterfront homes and mixed-use projects in many South Florida communities.
    “We’re not asking to put the Taj Mahal there,” Sivitilli said. “We’re not trying to do anything that’s going to change the character of the town.”
    Commissioner James Bonfiglio, former chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission and a vocal critic of the Sivitillis, said he came to the meeting with an open mind but said there was “no way he could justify changing town policy for over 50 years” after seeing the one-page plan.
    In one hand, Bonfiglio held up the architect’s drawing. In the other, he held up a thick stack of court papers from the two lawsuits the Sivitillis had filed against the town — and lost — over the property.
    “Here’s what I got that says I shouldn’t change the policy,” Bonfiglio said of the court documents. “Here’s what I got that says I should,” he said of the drawing. “Look at the weight of the stuff that says we should not change the policy.”
    Bonfiglio said he calculated that the Sivitillis’ two lawsuits, in 1997 and 2000, and multiple filings in circuit and appeals courts, had cost the town more than $42,000 to defend. He said the family knew what the town wanted 10 years ago and has done nothing to comply.
    “We have nothing in the record that says you will follow through with your agreements,” Bonfiglio said.
    “Every time I come before the commission or go before planning and zoning, you seem to have already formed an opinion about the case,” Sivitilli said, challenging Bonfiglio’s assertion that he viewed the matter with an open mind.
    The commission voted 4-0 to reject the amendment, with Commissioner Gail Adams Aaskov, who owns a real estate business in the 5011 building, abstaining. The vote effectively puts the Sivitillis in violation of the town’s code and comprehensive plan. The town could decide to levy fines or move to shut the building down virtually at any time.
    Lino Marmorato, owner of Colby’s Barber Shop, the strip’s other remaining tenant, was vacationing in Italy when the decision came down.
    Before moving across the street into a county enclave in July, The Coastal Star also had its office in the building.
    Ocean Ridge has a history of saying traumatic good-byes to businesses. In 1992, Busch’s Seafood Restaurant, a landmark eatery that had fed locals and celebrities alike near the corner of Highway A1A and Woolbright Road for a half-century, closed after losing a lawsuit against the town’s ban on commercial enterprises.
    Commissioner Richard Lucibella said the commission looked for a way to work with the Sivitillis but couldn’t find one. “This is such a heartbreak for those of us who know you, who know your family, who want to help you. The deck has not been stacked against you,” Lucibella said. “But we’re just out of time now.”

    For two years after we moved into our office at 5011 N. Ocean Blvd., people would stop in asking where the dry cleaner was. They looked crestfallen when I explained the locations of two businesses across the bridge.
    At least once a week throughout our four-year tenure in the small commercial strip, someone would come in looking for a bicycle repair shop. Once the triathlon shop became online only, we would direct them to Federal Highway in Delray Beach.
    Every day outside our office window we marveled at the mix of vehicles visiting Colby’s Barbershop. Everything from beach cruiser bicycles to tricked-out golf carts to Bentleys and pickup trucks — carrying a cross section of our A1A neighbors, all of them happy not to fight traffic getting across the bridge.
    When Ocean Ridge commissioners decided not to grandfather in the building at 5011, they did so because they lost patience with the property owner. That’s understandable, but also typical.
    I’ve sat through enough meetings where residents are given easements, special code exemptions, and (on occasion) town land because they are “nice people willing to work with the town.”
    I’ve also seen these “nice people” turn around and sell their property at a profit several months or years later.
    Enough. It’s time to think about the future, and the future should include commercial space along our “main street.”
    For those who argue that the 5011 property owners have been costing the town money with a string of lawsuits, I say perhaps it was the shortsightedness of the town to ban all commercial business that resulted in this expense.
    For those who argue that being residential-only will discourage sober house operations in our town, don’t count on it. Until there are federal legislation changes, recovery housing can be located anywhere. That’s the law.
    And, yes, the town of Briny Breezes recently adjusted its comprehensive plan to allow for mixed-use commercial along its A1A corridor, but that was an action of the town. It will take a vote of the corporate shareholders to make that sort of large-scale change a reality, and if you’ve ever sat through a Briny corporate meeting, you know this isn’t going to happen any time soon. Change is slow in Briny Breezes, and the residents seem to like it that way.
    Ocean Ridge should reconsider a request for grandfathering the 5011 building, or better yet, build a commercial district into the next comprehensive plan update. Yes, this will cost the town some money — and code enforcement will need to become a priority — but the future planning will be worth it.
    A successful plan would create a commercial overlay area that would be attractive to developers and small businesses. Keep it human-scaled and easily accessible by foot, bike, golf cart and vehicle, and create a tiny gem of an area that would enhance the allure of our already appealing A1A corridor — regardless of who owns the property today.
— Mary Kate Leming, Editor

By Rich Pollack

    Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians along A1A beware: Law enforcement officers from several departments will once again be out in force this month in a concentrated effort to promote the need for bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians to safely share the road.
    In an effort coordinated by the South Florida Safe Roads Task Force, police officers from several departments along the coast — as well as Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers — will be conducting a saturation effort on four separate days in September.
    The first of the stepped-up enforcement efforts — designed to promote awareness of rules designed to improve safety for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists — will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. Sept. 13 and Sept. 14.
    There will also be stepped-up enforcement from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.
    As part of the effort to promote the importance of sharing the road, the task force will conduct a Back to School Safety Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 18 at Boynton Beach Oceanfront Park. It will feature free food and music, as well as demonstrations from the Florida Highway Patrol that include a rollover simulator and a seatbelt-convincing slide.
    Supported by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Dori Slosberg Foundation, the Back to School Safety Fair will also include free bicycle helmets for children and adults as well as helmet fitting, along with other giveaways.
    “Our goal is to educate motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to help improve their own safety as well as the safety of all of those who are sharing the road,” says Tara Kirschner, executive director of the Dori Slosberg Foundation and a spokeswoman for the task force.

By Tim Pallesen

    The furor over Atlantic Crossing now has Delray Beach ready to tighten and improve its downtown development regulations.
    “We started on the heels of Atlantic Crossing, and we heard about height and density concerns,” Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council urban design director Anthea Gianniotes reported to city officials Aug. 18.
    Proposed changes will be discussed by city commissioners and residents in public hearings to be scheduled later this year.
    The push to toughen rules for new buildings in the downtown business district began when Atlantic Crossing developers requested 51 housing units per acre in the downtown’s largest development project two years ago.
    A previous city commission approved a conditional use to allow 40 units in December 2012. Downtown growth controls then became a key issue for winning candidates in the last two March city elections.
    Treasure Coast planners began interviewing city officials and residents in January under the direction of their urban design director, Dana Little, who then was hired as Delray’s planning and zoning director in June.
    “Delray has arrived,” Little said. “It doesn’t need to beg any more for downtown development. Now there’s something to be said for some restraint.”
    Most new downtown buildings would be limited to 30 units per acre in density and four stories in height under the Treasure Coast’s recommendations.
    The city still could grant density and height bonuses to developers for specific needs such as Class A office space. “That’s the most important issue — what do they have to do to obtain the bonuses,” said Robert Ganger, chairman of the Florida Coalition for Preservation.
    The new regulations would require developers to respond to what Gianniotes described as the public’s desire for wider sidewalks, more shade trees and better bicycle and pedestrian movement.
    “We’re extremely pleased with the new land development regulations,” said Jim Smith, chairman of Safety as Floridians Expect, which promotes alternatives to vehicle traffic. The proposed rules would require new residential developments to provide secure storage space for bicycles. Showers and changing rooms would be required for bicyclists in large downtown office and retail buildings.
    Coastal residents should be concerned that the proposals don’t require ground floors of new buildings to be built at higher elevations, Beach Property Owners Association vice president Andy Katz said.
    Little said concerns about flooding caused by rising water are better addressed by a four-county regional study group in southeast Florida.

Delray Beach Historical Society President Leslie Callaway addresses the crowd

during the the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Delray Beach Historical Society charter signing.

INSET BELOW: A portrait of Ethel Sterling Williams.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Ron Hayes

    On Aug. 26, 1964, the Delray Beach Historical Society was born.
    On Aug. 26, 2014, it threw itself a birthday party.
    “In 1964, a group of caring and compassionate people got together to keep the Delray Beach story alive by preserving and protecting our city’s DNA,” Mayor Cary Glickstein told the crowd of about 100 gathered on the society’s campus at Swinton Avenue and Northeast First Street.
    One of the most caring and compassionate was a woman named Ethel Sterling Williams, who arrived in 1896 from Chester, Pa., when she was 5 and Delray Beach was still a little “village by the sea” called Linton.
    Sixty-eight years later, when that caring and compassionate group gathered in the Chamber of Commerce building on Southeast Fifth Avenue, Williams was named the society’s first president. They had a charter to sign that day in 1964, and a dream to fulfill.
    Half a century later, the Delray Beach Historical Society has a bucolic campus comprised of three historic homes — two moved to the site from Northeast Fifth Avenue and Southeast Sixth Avenue for preservation — an archive of more than 10,000 items chronicling the city’s past and more than 2,000 visitors every year.
    “My grandmother realized that nothing was so permanent as change,” Williams’ grandson, attorney William S. Williams, told the crowd. “But she also realized how a historical society should link the past and future. She wanted this town to have a sense of place.”
    Later, as guests greeted each other, sipping punch and enjoying what was touted as “the largest pineapple cake in the world”— 6-by-2 feet — Williams recalled his grandmother.
    “I remember her well,” he said. “She was a very independent thinker, and she wanted Delray Beach to be a viable community that didn’t look like the rest of South Florida.
    “She didn’t have much use for chain stores or malls. She thought they didn’t have a sense of place. She had no use for Starbucks, and she would not put up with high rises on the ocean. She called them filing cabinets.”
    Also present at the charter’s signing in 1964 was the society’s first recording secretary, architect Roy M. Simon. He’s 84, and still working every day.
    “I had an eight-page speech,” Simon confessed, “but they told me I had to cut it down to a few seconds.”
    The crowd chuckled.
    “And then the mayor gave my speech.”
    And the crowd laughed.
    But how do you share a lifetime of memories in just a few seconds? Simon was born on Southeast First Avenue — “second floor, room on the right” — and raised here.
    “At one time, this was a beautiful village by the sea, with Atlantic Avenue lined with palm trees,” he said.” Then that disappeared with progress. So we wondered what can we do to save this place.”
    What they had done, he noted, was help spare Old School Square from commercial development and start the city’s preservation board, which led to the establishment of the historic district.
    The historical society was already two years old when Simon’s daughter, Laura, was born in 1966. Now she serves on the board her father helped found.
    One of the first motions approved that day in 1964 was a resolution extending an “honorary lifetime membership” to Kenneth Ellingsworth, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, for his “extraordinary services in initiating the formation of the society.”
    Ellingsworth was born at home here in 1926 and died in 2010.
    Now his son, Howard, serves as the board’s treasurer.
    “I was born at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in 1960, the year after it opened,” Howard Ellingsworth said, “so I’m sure I was one of the first 100 babies born there that year. I’d hear stories from my dad about tumbleweeds blowing down Atlantic Avenue when he was a boy, but it was always an awesome place to grow up.”
    At Atlantic High School, he remembered, there was a history teacher who told his class, “If you don’t know where you came from, how do you know where you are, or where you’re going?”
    For now, The Delray Beach Historical Society is going to keep celebrating 50 years.
    In late October, there will be a Halloween Fall Fest.
    On Dec. 6 comes a “Golden Pineapple Jubilee,” the society’s big fundraiser.
    Next February it will host a “Winter Harvest.”
    The Delray Beach Historical Society, which began with a small group of caring and compassionate citizens a half century ago, now has about 300 members and a new drive to reach 1,000 by the end of the year.
    If the past is any measure, they may well succeed.

By Dan Moffett

    After the furor over the Red Cross plan for a Designers’ Show House on Point Manalapan, town commissioners are working to draft a new ordinance that would prohibit large, multiday special events.
    “This is the result of the recent effort to have a monthlong event in our community,” Mayor David Cheifetz said of the Red Cross debacle. “To prevent this problem in the future, we thought we’d have a simple section added to the code.”
    Dozens of angry residents complained to Town Hall in July after finding out commissioners had approved a plan to hold the Show House fundraiser on Audubon Causeway next February. The backlash was enough to make the Red Cross forget the idea and move the fundraiser elsewhere.
    The proposed new ordinance is similar to those on the books in Gulf Stream and several other South Florida coastal communities. Special events, no matter how charitable or well-intended, are restricted in size and duration, and must have approval in advance from town officials.
    Town Attorney Keith Davis, who drafted the changes, said he tried to keep the language as simple as possible and keep the new “residential special event” rules informal and without requirements for permitting. The town still will allow residents to hold events that are expected to generate traffic of 20 or more vehicles, but their duration must not exceed 24 hours.
    Residents can hold multiple events on consecutive days, however, such as dinner parties on successive nights, Davis said.
    Property owners are required to notify the town at least two weeks in advance of the events, so police and officials can prepare for the traffic and parking.
    The commission gave its blessing to Davis’ draft and will consider a first reading of the proposed ordinance at its Sept. 23 meeting.
    In other business:
    • Commissioner Peter Isaac, the commission’s point man on the Audubon Causeway Bridge project, said permitting is on schedule, 90 percent of the drawings are done and the engineers think the projected costs will be “fairly spot on.”
    Isaac said a definitive assessment of the costs should be ready by September, and the $760,000 project will be ready for commissioners to solicit bids from contractors by Oct. 30. The town would hope to get the bids back by Dec. 11.
    “We’re aiming for the commission to award the bid probably in the Town Commission meeting of Jan. 27,” Isaac said, “all with an aim to start work on the south side of the bridge by the first of April.”
    Isaac said the goal is still to get the 37-foot bridge completed by mid-December 2015, with perhaps some cosmetic touch-ups left for January 2016.
    • At what point does a lawn ornament become a statue? Commissioners decided to hold off on wrestling with that question until they hear from the Architectural Commission.
    Chairwoman Daryl Cheifetz said her group wants to weigh in on an ordinance regulating the size and nature of lawn ornaments before town commissioners have their say.