CRA Vice Chairman Robert Weinroth, Mayor Susan Haynie, Council Member Michael Mullaugh

and CRA Chairman Scott Singer at the March 31 meeting.

Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

    Boca Raton’s coastal voters turned out for the March ballot and embraced winning Mayor Susan Haynie in even stronger proportions than citizens farther inland.

    Turnout citywide was a healthy 18.9 percent for the election of a mayor and two City Council members. That compares to 7.8 percent in 2011, the previous mayor’s race featuring political novice Linda Gruneisen and incumbent Susan Whelchel.

    At the council’s March 31 organizational meeting, Haynie said she had received numerous well wishes from optimistic residents.

    “I sense the excitement, that there is a new beginning in our city today,” she said.  

    Voters chose Haynie over council member Anthony Majhess by 57 percent to 43 percent. Her margins of victory were higher still on the barrier island.

    Haynie commanded 59 percent in Precinct 4172, the north beach area now home to the city’s pilot dog-beach program that she championed. She won 67 percent of the vote in Precinct 4226, the part of the island from Palmetto Park Road to the Boca Inlet; 63 percent in Precinct 4228 from the inlet to Seminole Drive; and 57 percent in Precinct 4230 from Seminole Drive south to the city limits.

    Majhess won 75 percent of the vote in Precinct 4190, which goes from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center south to Palmetto Park Road, but also includes the Golden Triangle neighborhood west of the Intracoastal Waterway, Majhess’ stronghold.

    Haynie scored big in Precinct 4224, which covers Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club and its environs, Whelchel’s neighborhood. The former mayor endorsed then-Deputy Mayor Haynie, who took the precinct by a 71-29 margin.

    Haynie said at the organizational meeting that firefighter and police pensions, growth and economic development are challenges the city still has to solve. 

    “We need … to maintain our quality of life that makes Boca Boca,” Haynie said.

    Voters re-elected council member Michael Mullaugh to a second full term with 52 percent over corporate treasurer Craig Ehrnst (31 percent), Lynn University student Eric Gooden (11 percent) and Lynn University admissions counselor Mohamed Abdalla (5 percent).

    Elected to the remaining year on Majhess’ term was Robert Weinroth, the biggest vote-getter of all the candidates with 6,868 ballots (67 percent). Political activist Rosetta Bailey drew 16 percent and mortgage broker Yaniv Alcalay got 17 percent.

    Majhess, a county firefighter, had to resign his council seat early to run for mayor.

    Lawyer and real estate investor Scott Singer won Haynie’s former seat in January when no one filed to campaign against him.

    Council members chose Scott as deputy mayor and Singer to chair the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency. Weinroth will be the CRA vice chair.

    County Commissioner Steven Abrams, who preceded Whelchel as mayor, remembered the first time he met her 20 years ago as a potential candidate making a public comment at a council meeting.

    “She’s wearing like some tennis togs, some like dark sunglasses, she starts yammering on. I’m thinking, ‘This is who they’re sending me?’ ” Abrams recalled.

    Abrams, who spoke at the council’s March 25 meeting, congratulated the winners and praised Whelchel’s years of public service.

    “I think it’s a legacy that is going to serve the community well,” he said. “It’s a record of accomplishment that certainly the new council will be able to build on.”

    Majhess, who made his farewell comments March 25,  said he hoped the new council will protect Boca Raton from overdevelopment but fretted about the lack of articulation and Mizner-esque spires and towers on some buildings under construction downtown.

    “They’re sheer walls still on their way up,” Majhess said.

Tim Stepien/2011 Coastal Star file photo

Fire Wire surfboards have decks of sustainably grown wood.

Synergy offers sustainable, organic and fair trade beach-to-dinner fashions.

Patagonia’s Men’s Special Edition Front-Zip Full Wetsuit has a micro-grid

recycled polyester thermal lining and high-stretch recycled polyester jersey.

Lifefactory sells BPA/BPS-free and phthalate-free polypropylene-safe glass bottles

covered with BPA/BPS-free silicone sleeves.

Photos provided

By Teresa Bono

    Eco chic is what’s new for spring, and surf and swimwear companies are leading the way with hot new lines that show their love for the planet.

    This season’s fashion-forward bikinis and board shorts made from reclaimed and repurposed fabrics, sleek-looking surfboards constructed from sustainably grown wood and funky-colored recycled glass water bottles were light-years away from the Birkenstocks that once defined earthiness.

    By minimizing consumption, using Earth-friendly materials and practicing responsible sourcing, these companies are significantly reducing the release of toxins into the air, water supply and soil.

    And while it’s impressive that they’re all becoming increasingly eco-sensitive, with high-quality products and style that can keep up with the Kardashians, it’s their community advocacy and outreach that’s really creating a buzz. 

    Surfers can be proud that there are companies representing their culture like Hendrick Boards, which donates 20 percent to 40 percent of every purchase of their products to 300 animal rescue organizations nationwide; Sun Bum, which runs a program that teaches kids with autism how to surf; and Synergy Organic Clothing, which provides employment for Nepalese women.

    But for folks who have never strolled through a surf shop or who aren’t well-versed in e-lingo, a good place to start is to find out how and where your clothes, food and cosmetics are created and how and where they’ll go when you’re ready to toss them.

    Don’t despair if it all seems too labor intensive or idealistic. Many of the companies on The Coastal Star’s “Top 10 List” do double duty.

    Shopping for a new tankini? Check out Eco Swim. Not only is Eco Swim a company with a very small carbon footprint, but it also  supports beach cleanup initiatives, too.

    Along with its beach cleanup partner, United By Blue, Eco Swim has cleaned up four tons of trash in three years.

    Even household names like Billabong and Patagonia are doing their part.

    Patagonia, whose employees regularly roll up their sleeves for the community, uses alternative fibers such as recycled polyester to make wetsuits.

    And Billabong’s recycled boardies are made out of good ol’ plastic bottles.

    Being green has never been easier. Someone call Kermit!

Top 10 Green Surf Products

1. Hendrick Boards (www.hendrickboards.com) Soft, fashionable tees with rescue slogans. Maple and bamboo skateboards with handmade, water-based paints and stains derived from coffee grains. Every purchase gives back 20 percent to 40 percent to animal charities. 

2. Sun Bum Pro (www.trustthebum.com) Vegan and cruelty-free sunscreen with high SPF. Among its numerous charity affiliations are “Surfers for Autism,” “Boarding for Breast Cancer” and “The Skin Care Foundation.”

3. Fire Wire (www.firewire surfboards.com) Lightweight boards with sustainably grown wood decks. One of the least toxic of all commercial surfboards.

4. Synergy (www.synergy clothing.com) Sustainable, organic and fair trade beach-to-dinner fashions. Provides employment for women in Nepal.

5. Lifefactory (www.lifefactory.com) BPA/BPS-free and phthalate-free polypropylene-safe glass bottles covered with colorful BPA/BPS-free silicone sleeves. Reduces slipping and breakage.

6. Patagonia (www.patagonia.com) Men’s Special Edition Front-Zip Full Wetsuit has micro-grid recycled polyester thermal lining and high-stretch recycled polyester jersey. Employees clean up parks in The Backyard Collective and raise money for bike advocacy during Bike-to-Work Week.

7. Billabong (www.billabong.com) Platinum X Recycler Board Shorts Series are made from a fabric created out of recycled bottles. More than 40 million bottles have been saved from the landfill.

8. Eco Swim (www.ecoswim.com) Swimwear made of sustainable materials. Company “Green Team” bans Styrofoam, recycles all paper, light bulbs, color cartridges and plastic. Partners with Ocean Blue to do beach cleanups.

9. Ipanema (www.ipanemaflipflops.com). Made with melflex plastic, Ipanema flip flops are easier to recycle than traditional rubber flip flops. Nearly 100 percent of the company’s waste is recycled.

10. Surf Nano Products (www.surfnanoproducts.com). Alternative surface sealant that reduces friction and increases board speed without dissolving or flaking into the ocean. Owned by local surf enthusiast Tom Warnke, who volunteers at the Eastern Surfing Association, the Surfrider Foundation and the Palm Beach County Surfing History Project.

Former LPGA golfer Meg Mallon, who suffers from back, neck and shoulder pain, receives

shockwave therapy from Dr. Erich Menge at Boca Delray Pain & Rehabilitation.

Mallon says the therapy has helped her feel better.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Paula Detwiller

    Like many retired professional athletes, champion LPGA golfer Meg Mallon of Ocean Ridge is no stranger to orthopedic pain. 

    “A golf swing is an unnatural movement, so you get a lot of wear and tear on your body,” she says.

    Mallon, 50, still has numbness in her left leg from 2012, when she completely herniated two lumbar discs during a golf event in Phoenix. She has sporadic soreness in her neck and shoulders, too, which limits movement.

    But she has a new ally these days: a type of therapy administered by her chiropractor that delivers low-energy sound waves directly to the source, or trigger point, of her pain. The result is a focused and precise deep-tissue “massage” that removes soreness, increases blood circulation and restores range of motion.

    Mallon’s Delray Beach chiropractor, Dr. Erich Menge, uses an Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) device called the PiezoWave2. The machine — which was invented by the same German company that pioneered the use of acoustic shockwaves to break up kidney stones — creates lower-energy shockwaves that pulse rhythmically through a handheld applicator and into a patient’s body. 

    The machine makes a metallic click, click, click as the pulses are created. 

    When the shockwaves make contact with the trigger point in the muscle, biochemical changes are thought to occur at the cellular level that can stimulate healing and relieve chronic pain. 

    A standard course of treatment is seven to 10 sessions over a period of three weeks. Each 20- to 30-minute session costs $75. The procedure is covered by some, but not all, insurance plans.

    “We’re treating shoulders, hips, knees, necks, elbows — any kind of musculoskeletal injury,” says Menge, who owns one of only a few PiezoWave devices being used in Palm Beach County today. Patients who have benefited from his therapy include well-known professional golfers, people with plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel sufferers and plenty of weekend warriors who just want to keep active.

    ESWT therapies have been used successfully in Europe since the 1990s to manage chronic pain. With advances in technology, the method is now believed to be not only rehabilitative, but also regenerative: studies suggest that ESWT can “jump start” the healing process in chronic, non-healing injuries and reintroduce the acute phase of healing.

    “A retired gentleman came to me with a swollen Achilles tendon that looked like a pin cushion on the back of his ankle,” Menge says. “He couldn’t walk. His MRI indicates the tendon is frayed. But since he’s been receiving treatment, the swelling is 75 percent gone and he’s walking on the beach again.”

    Menge is particularly excited about the PiezoWave’s prospects for treating fibromyalgia, a stubbornly painful autoimmune condition that can flare up and get worse after a regular, hands-on massage. 

    “I’ve had fibromyalgia patients come through, and this is changing their lives,” he says. “We’re finding that the low-level, focused shockwaves do not trigger the inflammatory reaction that leads to more pain.”

    Success rates for treating orthopedic injuries with ESWT range from about 50 percent to 80 percent. 

    After a recent PiezoWave treatment on her lower neck and upper back muscles, Mallon breathed a (literal) sigh of relief. She could rotate her shoulder again without pain.

    “It’s not a medication, which can have so many side effects,” she said. “My feeling is, why not try this first before you throw a bunch of pills in your body?”

Paula Detwiller is a freelance writer and lifelong fitness junkie. Visit her at www.pdwrites.com.

Anita Thorstad, a deacon at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton, has led

the church’s joint efforts with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach to open

and operate a K-6 school in Bondeau, Haiti, which now serves 275 students.

Photo provided

By Tim Pallesen

    The South Florida Haiti Project began 10 years ago when a then-interior decorator from Boca Raton went on a mission trip. Anita Thorstad — stunned by the poverty and need for education — alerted the Episcopalians back home.

    Today, their school in Bondeau, Haiti, has 275 students.

    St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach together pay for the teachers and for the food to nourish the students.

    Children being on the brink of starvation is hard for most Americans to imagine. Thorstad found families living in one-room shacks with dirt floors and no running water.

    “I thought it would be great for St. Gregory’s to have an overseas outreach to connect spiritually and learn about poverty in third-world countries,” she said. “Your spirituality grows if you can relate to the very, very poor.”

    Thorstad quit her interior decorating job, became a deacon and inspired other Episcopalians to open their hearts, too.

    Members of St. Gregory’s responded first by purchasing a truck so a Haitian priest could travel to Bondeau.

    Thorstad saw 100 children squeezed into a one-room school there and asked how they could learn when they were sleeping. The teacher explained that the children had no energy because they hadn’t eaten.

    St. Gregory’s contributed $50,000 to build a K-6 school with eight classrooms in 2009.

    “We’re there to help the children rise above the poverty of their parents,” Thorstad explained. “They needed to have a decent school, and kids need nutrition or else they can’t study.”

    St. Paul ’s Episcopal Church responded the next year by pledging to provide a nutritious meal every day for the schoolchildren.

    Word about Thorstad’s mission to save the children spread and a donor built a guest house for mission trips. Students at St. Andrew’s School donated used shoes.

    Donors responded even more after an earthquake killed 100,000 and left 1.5 million homeless in Haiti four years ago.

    “After the earthquake, people wanted to give generously,” said the Rev. Andrew Sherman, the pastor at St. Gregory’s. “But we see ourselves as a continuing partner whether there is an earthquake or not.”

    So the miracles in Bondeau continue. An anonymous donor has given $100,000 to build a church plus another $100,000 to start a village of new homes.

    Thorstad built a home for herself that she quickly filled with 13 children whose parents couldn’t support them. 

    “Her work is truly a calling from God,” Sherman said. “It’s a beautiful and inspiring thing.” 

    The Rev. Ken Roughton is retiring after 20 years as senior pastor at First Methodist Church in Boca Raton.

    “The thought of leaving this community is terrifying,” Roughton said. “This is a wonderful church filled with wonderful people.”

    Two decades is an unusually long stay for a Methodist pastor. Roughton’s tenure began with First Methodist turning down a Mizner Park developer’s offer to buy the church property on Mizner Boulevard.

    “We decided that God placed us in the heart of the city for a reason,” Roughton said.

    The congregation built a $4 million fellowship hall in 2000 that generated a surge of new members. An architect then designed plans for a new $10 million sanctuary.

    But church members decided against the expenditure after their pastor led them in six weeks of prayer. That was right before the housing market collapsed and the nation went into recession. 

    “We really believe God was in that. We could have been crippled,” their pastor reflected.

    Roughton, who leaves in June, will deliver his 12th and final Easter sermon at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre at 9 a.m. on April 20. First Methodist has sponsored the community worship service since 2003.

    Also retiring after a long ministry is the Rev. Randall Gill, the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Boynton Beach for 25 years.

    “It’s so unique to be a pastor for 25 years in the same congregation,” said the Rev. Sam Rutland, his longtime friend and colleague. “He was an example of a pastor who was faithful.”

    Gill was the leader of Boynton Beach ’s community Easter sunrise service on the beach during that time. He also has been active in the Boynton Beach Historical Society, co-authoring the book Images of America: Boynton Beach.

    He oversaw 150 pastors in 47 churches from Fort Pierce to Key West as moderator of the Presbytery of Tropical Florida this past year.

    The Chabad of East Boca plans to build a synagogue and Jewish history museum at 770 E. Palmetto Park Road.

    The 18,000-square-foot Boca Beach Jewish Center-Chabad will include 7,000 square feet for the museum, which will focus on Israel from an historical and spiritual perspective with interactive exhibits and a three-dimensional model of the Jewish nation.

    The orthodox congregation has been renting space on Northeast First Avenue for the past 12 years.

    A permanent synagogue in downtown Boca Raton is expected to attract observant Jews who prefer to live close to their synagogues so they can walk to services on the Sabbath.

    Rabbi Ruvi New and his congregants hope the museum will attract Jews and non-Jews from throughout the country.

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

FAU honors student Ben Arsali, center, with Diana Stanley,

CEO of The Lord’s Place, left, and Jeremy Morse, vice president

of social enterprise at The Lord’s Place.

Photo provided

By Paula Detwiller

    When you’re a college kid, getting a text message from your mom isn’t always a big thrill. 

    But the message 19-year-old Benjamin Arsali of Hypoluxo Island received from his mom on Feb. 3 made his day — and probably his year, he says.

    “Congratulations!” it read. “You’ve won the $15,000!” 

    The news meant that Arsali, a business major at FAU Jupiter’s Wilkes Honors College, won the top prize in a scholarship competition among his fellow classmates: $15,000 in seed money to start a new business.  

     But not just any business. Students competing for the Kenan Social Engagement Scholarship wrote business plans for a “social enterprise” — a business that addresses a pressing social need — as part of a class in social entrepreneurship. 

    Their assignment was to design a viable business that could be implemented at The Lord’s Place, a West Palm Beach organization that provides supportive housing, job training and other services to homeless individuals and families. 

    “When I visited The Lord’s Place and sat in the cafeteria with volunteers, staff and homeless clients, I could not tell who was who,” Arsali says. “Homeless people are just like you and me. I asked them, what are your needs? They all said, ‘We want jobs.’ ”

    He went home and thought about it. What kind of low-startup-cost business could provide steady employment for formerly homeless people? He did some research and hit upon an idea.

    “Currently in Palm Beach County alone, there are thousands of foreclosed and bank-owned homes,” Arsali says. “Banks hire out companies to paint, pressure-wash, cut the grass at these vacant homes — simple tasks.

    “Meanwhile, you have 3,200 people sleeping on our streets any given night in Palm Beach County. They’ve lost their jobs or become unable to work, so they’ve got no employment history, and some have criminal records. 

    Now they can’t find a job. This is where my company, Maintenance Magicians, will come in,” he says.

    Under the guidance of Jeremy Morse, vice president of social enterprise at The Lord’s Place, Arsali is starting to set up the business. 

    First, he says, he will purchase equipment and train a small “starter group” of Lord’s Place clients; they’ll learn the ropes by doing basic maintenance on the organization’s own buildings. Next, Arsali will appeal to local banks’ sense of corporate responsibility, pitching them on the merits of hiring Maintenance Magicians to keep up appearances at their foreclosed properties.

    Morse, who participated in the judging, says he chose Arsali’s plan because it could be implemented right away, and replicated in other areas if successful.

    One of Arsali’s FAU professors, Dr. Christopher Strain, says the best social entrepreneurs are the ones who don’t allow their dreams to become crushed.

    “That’s Ben,” Strain says. “If he wants to, he certainly has the skills and energy to further this project and take it in new directions.” 

The herb garden at The Breakers in Palm Beach is tucked between the croquet court and the 13th hole.

Chef Joey Tuazon gathers nasturtium blooms to dress a salad.

INSET BELOW:  June plum is one of the many fruit trees.

Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

    At The Breakers in Palm Beach, you can expect towering royal palms, gently falling fountains and blankets of colorful flowers virtually everywhere. But if you head to an area between the resort’s croquet court and the 13th hole of its Ocean Golf Course, you can expect the unexpected.

    This is the resort’s organic herb and vegetable garden. Outlined by hedges of podocarpus, trinette and rosemary, this 40-by-60-foot plot is just as carefully designed and maintained as the rest of the property; there’s not a weed in sight. But it’s the plantings that are different.  

    In 14 raised beds fashioned from wood, you’ll find small bouquets of tender fresh basil; red-veined leaves of blood sorrel; purple-edged “scarlet frills” mustard greens; tiny leaf oregano; spikes of garlic chives; and gaillardia or Indian blanket, a wildflower with rust blooms that make unusual plate garnishes.

    Although the landscaping crew maintains it, executive chef Anthony Sicignano and the other resort chefs use the harvest for garnishes and seasonings in their restaurants.

    When there’s a gentle breeze, it makes a pleasant place for visitors to sit peacefully on one of the two wooden benches. If the timing is right, you may even be serenaded by the bells from a nearby church tower.

    “When I have a really hectic day ahead of me, I stop out here for five minutes just to have some peace,” says Sicignano, who was the impetus behind the garden planted in this location about a decade ago. 

    Nearby, clay pots hold three small trees with aromatic leaves. Smell them and you may recognize the spicy bite of allspice, the herbaceous scent of bay leaf and the aroma of lemon bay rum reminiscent of aftershave.

    There also are concrete flower boxes filled with fresh mint. 

    Although there are both spearmint and wintergreen varieties, a staff tasting determined the wintergreen to be too antiseptic for use in the resort kitchens. 

    In this garden, Sicignano likes to experiment. He is trying to sprout agretti from seeds that were imported from Italy, where he traveled and discovered this annual succulent. He describes it as tasting like a cross between a chive and a pine needle. “But it really is delicious,” he adds.

     Now stroll down the path that leads west from the garden. It used to be blacktop, but last fall the resort decided to redo it “Breakers’ style,” explains Sicignano. They replaced the macadam with a pattern of red bricks. Along it they planted tropical fruit trees as a test to see if they do well. If so, you may find them being planted all over the property.

    Although there hasn’t been any fruit harvested yet, Sicignano is looking forward to variegated pink lemons that are already forming their striped green fruit on the tree. 

    There also will be avocado, loquat, lychee, breadfruit, Barbados cherry and two types of mangoes plus others.

    Of course, The Breakers does millions of dollars in food and beverage revenue each year. And to supply that food they’d have to have a farm. “But to grow and share a little of what we use is kind of neat,” Sicignano 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.

Beachgoers admire the new Delray Beach Pavilion before its official ribbon-cutting

on March 26 at Atlantic Avenue and A1A.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The Grass River Garden Club donated native landscaping for the beach pavilion in Delray.

Pictured are Grass River Garden Club Pavilion Chairwomen Tina Smith, left,

and Christina Benisch with landscaper Carl Terwilliger.

Photo provided

Rita Golder, left, and her daughter Beth Monarch, center, of Boca Raton look

at the flower arrangment by their friend and Boca Raton Garden Club member Marie Young, right,

who won a third place award of excellence ribbon in Division II, Class 4, during the

‘Our Beautiful Cities’ Standard Flower Show at the Boca Raton Garden Club.

Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star

Jason Bagwell and Jason Maret hold the 36.4-pound kingfish caught by Bagwell on Craigg Maret’s boat

Get Sum that won top overall boat and heaviest kingfish honors in the 19th annual Mark Gerretson

Memorial Fishing Tournament out of Boynton Beach Inlet in August 2013.

File photo/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    The warming weather of spring usually improves fishing for three popular ocean fish off the coast of South Florida: kingfish, dolphin and wahoo.

    With the fish come a flurry of ocean fishing tournaments along the coast of Palm Beach County — known as “KDW” tournaments because competing anglers target kingfish, dolphin and wahoo.  Some tournament organizers add snapper, cobia or other ocean fish to their events.

    The KDW tournament season usually begins in April and continues well into the heart of the hurricane season in September.

    Most of the spring and summer KDW tournaments benefit charitable causes such as scholarship funds, animal rescue operations, services for children or programs that teach fishing skills to kids.

    Teams of anglers who catch the largest fish, or combined weight of fish, win cash prizes in KDW tournaments. 

    Most tournaments offer discounts for early registration, so it pays to dust off your calendar and plan ahead for the spring and summer fishing tournaments.

    Here is a partial list of upcoming fishing tournaments in Palm Beach County. (Details of other tournaments will be released in the weeks ahead. Check area tackle shops for tournament brochures.)

APRIL 12: Jupiter vs. Dwyer Fishing Tournament. Open to everyone. Benefits schools’ baseball programs. Weigh-in at Burt Reynolds Waterway Pavilion, Jupiter. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. April 10 at Corners Ocean Bar & Grill, 71 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter. Details: 339-1282.

APRIL 19: Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament  & Firehouse Chili Cookoff. Based at Harvey E. Oyer Park, 2010 N. Federal Highway. Captain’s meeting 7 p.m. April 17 at Bru’s Room Sports Grill, 1333 N. Congress Ave. Details: www.boyntonbeachfirefighters.com.

APRIL 26: The 34th Annual Offshore Challenge presented by the West Palm Beach Kiwanis Club and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. Based at Sailfish Marina, 98 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. April 25 at the Buccaneer, 142 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores. Details: 683-3287 or www.pboffshorechallenge.com.

MAY 3: 20th Annual Lantana Fishing Derby. Captain’s meeting 5:30 p.m. May 1 at Benny’s Lantana Grill, 224 N. 3rd St., Lantana. (Free kids tournament under Lantana Bridge, 9 a.m. to noon.) Discount for registration before April 17. Details: 585-8664 or www.lantanafishingderby.com.

MAY 17: Boynton Beach Kiwanis 33rd Annual Fishing Tournament. Based at Palm Beach Yacht Center, 7848 S. Federal Hwy., Hypoluxo. Captain’s meeting 5-7 p.m. May 16 at Palm Beach Yacht Center. Details: 736-0568 or www.boyntonbeachkiwanis.webs.com.

MAY 31: Palm Beach County KDW Classic. Based at Riviera Beach Marina, 200 E. 13th St. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. May 30 at Bicentennial Park (north side of Riviera Beach Marina). Benefits Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation. Details: 832-6780 or  www.kdwclassic.com.

MAY 31: Sail Inn Tavern KDW. Based at Veterans Park, Delray Beach. Captain’s meeting 5 p.m. May 29 at the Sail Inn Tavern, 657 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach. Details: 276-5147.

MAY 31-JUNE 1: Greater Palm Beach Offshore 440. Based at Lake Park Harbor Marina, 105 Lake Shore Drive. Two-day tournament. Captain’s meeting 4-8 p.m. May 30 at Lake Park Harbor Marina. Details: www.fishska.com or (904) 819-0360.

JUNE 21: 15th Annual Horizons Fishing Tournament organized by Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation. Based at North Palm Beach Marina. Captain’s meeting June 19. Details: 273-2242 or www.hpbcf.org.

JUNE 28: Sixth Annual Lake Worth Fishing Tournament based at Palm Beach Yacht Center, 7848 S. Federal Highway, Hypoluxo. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. at Tuppen’s Marine & Tackle, 1006 N. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth. Awards party June 29 in downtown Lake Worth. Details: www.lakeworthfishingtournament.com. Email: LWFT@earthlink.net

JULY 12: Big Dog & Fat Cat KDW Shootout. Based at Sailfish Marina, 98 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores. Captain’s meeting 7 p.m. July 11 at Sailfish Marina.  Details: www.bigdogfatcat.org or 315-3722.

AUG. 9: Mark Gerretson 20th Anniversary Fishing Tournament. Based at Veterans Park, Delray Beach. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Delray Beach Elks Lodge, 265 NE Fourth Ave. Details: www.mgmft.net or 859-2771.

SEPTEMBER: X-Generation KDW Challenge. Date and location to be announced. Details: 296-7637.

    Rare catch: Anglers Michael Sanchez and Mike Ashberry caught and released two rare longbill spearfish Feb. 22 while trolling in 850 feet off Boynton Inlet with Captain Geno Pratt on the Geno IV. Pratt first thought the fish were similar-looking white marlin, also a relatively rare catch in our waters. The full-day charter on Geno IV, based at Boynton Harbor Marina, also produced three wahoo and a dolphin.

    Fishing yard sale: The West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s annual marine yard sale is set for 7 a.m. until noon April 12 at the club’s headquarters, Fifth Street at Flagler Drive, downtown West Palm Beach. Used fishing rods and reels, boating and diving gear, clothing, lures, coolers and related gear will be for sale. (Regulars often arrive well before 7 a.m.) 

Proceeds benefit the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation, which supports the club’s annual Kids Fishing Day in August. Donations of used gear are accepted before the sale. Call 832-6780 or go to www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.

Fishing TV host to speak to Boynton Beach Fishing Club:

    George Poveromo, editor at large for Salt Water Sportsman magazine and host of the television show George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing, will speak to the Boynton Beach Fishing Club April 22. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Coast Guard Auxiliary building (near the boat ramps) at Harvey E. Oyer Park, 2210 N. Federal Highway. 

    Tip of the month: Look for spring kingfish to show up in the waters north and south of Boynton Inlet. Sloan’s Curve, north of the Lake Worth pier, has been a kingfish hotspot in years past. Fishing for kings tends to be best in low-light conditions (early morning or dusk). Try fishing in 80 to 120 feet. 

    Fish with a dead sardine on triple hooks tied to 50-pound monofilament (or fluorocarbon) leader. Or try a variety of live baits such as  sardines, greenies, blue runners or goggle-eyes. With live baits, use a No. 4 or No. 5 wire leader with a trailing treble (stinger) hook. Scale down to lighter leader in exceptionally clear water. Use a big bait such as a blue runner for a big tournament kingfish. If you plan to take a kingfish home for dinner, use smaller baits to target smaller kings. 

    The state places consumption warnings on kingfish for pregnant women and young children because of mercury, especially the larger fish. Minimum size: 24 inches to the fork of the tail. Bag limit: two kingfish.

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

Kellie Stenzel, director of instruction at the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course.

Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star

By Steve Pike

    It’s unusual for a par 3 golf course to have five highly respected teaching professionals. It’s even more unusual when that facility’s director of instruction is a member of Golf magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America, Golf for Women magazine’s Top 50 Teachers and Golf Digest magazine’s 50 Greatest Women Teachers.

    Such is the partial résumé of Kellie Stenzel, director of instruction at the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course, which isn’t your usual par 3 course. Its 18 holes sit along the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway; and its new clubhouse features a second-floor restaurant (Al Fresco) that offers some of the better ocean views in Palm Beach County.

    “This place has really changed in the 12 or 13 years I‘ve been here,’’ said Stenzel, who splits her time between the Palm Beach Par 3 and Palm Beach Country Club. “The community has really been behind the entire project, from the re-design of the golf course (by World Golf Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd) and now with the clubhouse. It’s a totally different place.

    “The golf course always has been good, but since we opened the restaurant and pro shop, it’s just become a destination. A lot of people are getting introduced to the facility for the first time and realize we have something special something.’’

    A native of Geneva, N.Y., and a graduate of Furman University, where she played on the women’s golf team, Stenzel has been around golf her entire life. Her grandfather, Robert Stenzel Sr., was head professional at Churchville Golf Club near Rochester, N.Y., and her father, Robert Jr., played briefly on the PGA Tour and was coach of the University of North Carolina men’s golf team.

    Stenzel, 48, played professionally, mostly in Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia, before she turned to teaching more than 20 years ago, guided by such well-known instructors as Mike Adams (former director of instruction at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens), Todd Anderson (former director of instruction at The Breakers Palm Beach) and legendary teacher Bob Toski. 

    “I’ve been lucky to work with my dad and some great teachers and learn a lot about the golf swing,’’ Stenzel said. “My teaching philosophy is that everybody has different strengths and different body types. I kind of a build a swing around each individual and change as few things as possible. I allow the students to make the changes they want.’’

    To match her teaching philosophy, Stenzel hires teaching professionals with different strengths and methods of instruction.

    “I don’t want cookie cutter teachers who do the same things,’’ she said. “We have some great teachers here at the Par 3 with excellent people skills. Everybody has a different personality. One teacher is going to mesh with one personality and another teacher with another personality.’’

    Stenzel has authored three books: The Women’s Guide to Golf: A Handbook for Beginners; The Women’s Guide to Consistent Golf; and The Women’s Guide to Lower Scores.

    “I’m in the process of getting the ‘Beginner’ book re-done,’’ she said. “Surprisingly, it’s still doing pretty well, but is hard to find right now, so it’s time to get it re-done.’’

Simon Goldman and Calypso, whose flea allergy led to Simon’s creation of a line of pet shampoos.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Arden Moore

     All it took was connecting with a pair of large, sad eyes inside a cage at an animal shelter to inspire an 11-year-old Boca Raton boy to not only adopt this senior dog but also to become one of America’s youngest entrepreneurs. 

    Meet the very likeable and very determined Simon Goldman, president of Simon’s Happy Pet Shampoo Company. His endeavor has already been pitched to Hollywood’s pet-loving A-list stars.

    This home-schooled sixth-grader has had a lifelong love of animals. His persistence to adopt a dog finally paid off a couple years ago when he convinced his mom, Diane, that he was ready to handle the responsibilities of caring for a dog. That day, he walked into the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach in search of the right dog.

    He resisted the adorable antics of available puppies and chatty Chihuahuas.

    “I saw a little ball of fluff in the back of a cage,” recalls Simon. “The minute he raised his head and looked up at me with his big eyes, I fell for him. I knew instantly that he was the dog for me.”

    He dubbed this dog, now estimated to be about 12, Calypso after the boat used by Jacques Cousteau in his nautical adventures. At the time of adoption, Calypso sported bald spots and itchy skin because of allergic reactions to fleas on his poodle-Maltese coat.

    “I tried every kind of shampoo and nothing worked — he was still itching and he was miserable,” says Simon. “I realized that the chemicals in these products were doing more harm than good.”

    Determined to help his new four-legged friend, Simon reached out to a chemist friend and researched the Internet for a viable solution. He concocted organic shampoo blends containing key ingredients, such as organic coconut oil, olive oil, neem oil, rosemary extract, Shea butter and lavender to restore Calypso’s coat. 

     “In school and through my research, I’ve learned that coconut oil is very good for doggy odors, cuts and sores. I have also learned that neem oil repels mosquitos and fleas and that lavender is very good for calming dogs,” says Simon. 

     He knew other dogs with skin and coat issues could benefit as well, so he calmly informed his mom that he was ready to launch a pet shampoo business.  With a couple of shampoos created (retailing each for $14.99), he boldly entered the Paw Depot in Boca Raton and made his sales pitch to the owner, Matt Aschendorf.

    “I simply told him that I have a product that he needs for his store — a product that doesn’t contain any artificial dyes or perfumes or chemicals that strip the oils from a dog’s skin,” recalls Simon. “He said, ‘I’ll take three and try it out.’ Then I was interviewed on WPBF-TV,  and since then, so many people are calling and placing orders for my shampoos.” 

    He then pitched the person in charge of filling swag bags for stars attending the Academy Awards and persuaded her to include his shampoo, which sports an image of him and Calypso wearing aviator sunglasses.

    “She liked my shampoos,  and so celebrities like Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Leonard DiCaprio left the Oscars with swag bags containing my shampoos,” he says. These days, Simon maximizes every minute of every day, juggling the need to fulfill product orders and expand his product line with doing school work and finding time to play games and work out at the Fun Spot Fitness center in Boca Raton — and of course, chilling with Calypso.

    “He is very smart and he likes to get things done quickly,” notes Julie Sobeck, his teacher. “His brain is always running and he enjoys doing science experiments.”

    Adds mom Diane, “I’m from Switzerland and Simon’s first language is French. He is very interested in dogs, science and business and he is following these passions. He reminds us every day of the importance to follow your passion no matter your age.”

    After speaking with Simon, I’m betting you will walk away motivated and inspired by his ageless can-do approach to life. He also stays focused on his objective.

    “If I can help one dog and stop his suffering and feel better, my job is done,” he says. “When I went to the shelter that day, I wanted a dog who was calm and would hang out with me like a best friend. I found those qualities in Calypso. I like that he is like a little old guy who can still be fun.”  

Learn more about Simon and his pet shampoo company at  www.simonshappypet.com.

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

By Dan Moffett

    About once in every generation, voters in Gulf Stream actually get the chance to go to the polls and select the people who run their government.
    The town’s last contested election for a commission seat was in 1993.
    Gasoline cost $1.10 then, people rented VCR tapes at Blockbuster, Bill Clinton hadn’t met Monica Lewinsky, photographers put film in cameras and cellphones were called “mobile phones” and were the size of patio bricks.
    Nobody had heard of Google, but that didn’t matter because few people had heard of the Internet.

    In Gulf Stream that year, two political novices turned up to challenge the five incumbents on the commission, which included the venerable Bill Koch, a man who would serve 46 years as mayor.
    The race sparked some excitement — it was the town’s first contested election since 1978, after all — but things stayed very civil and, frankly, downright cordial.
    “Everyone got along back then, even when they disagreed,” remembers Rita Taylor, who has served as town clerk since 1990. “They had their differences. It wasn’t like today. Things didn’t get personal.”
    Today, things have gotten very personal in Gulf Stream, which is embroiled in one of the most contentious campaigns in South Florida.
    Commercial real estate magnate Martin O’Boyle, who got so annoyed with the town’s government he filed close to 20 lawsuits and a federal case against it, is one of six candidates running for the five seats on the Town Commission.
    O’Boyle says he has no choice but to set his business commitments aside and plunge into the political arena. “This town is such a train wreck that if I don’t do it, no one’s going to do it,” he said. “Although it will probably cost me millions of dollars, I think it’s worth it because it’s a beautiful, wonderful town.” So far, he has put up $10,000 in his bid for office, spending $2,100 on campaign materials and newspaper ads. The other five candidates have neither raised nor spent any money on their races as of the latest reporting deadline. 
    O’Boyle’s feud with the town began when officials rejected his home remodeling plans, and has escalated into political and litigious warfare. So much so that he painted signs on his house assailing town officials and cartoons that portrayed them as asses.
    “They were a little snooty with me back then, and I think they just said ‘We’re not going to listen to him,’ ” says O’Boyle of the beginnings of his contempt for town leaders.
    He settled his legal cases out of court in July: O’Boyle agreed to remove the signs and cartoons on his house; in return, he got $180,000 compensation for legal fees, removal of his code violations and a formal apology from the commission.
    Lining up alongside O’Boyle in this campaign is Chris O’Hare, who has also feuded with the town. O’Hare also has resorted to anti-commission cartoons, posting them on his front yard and on the website he runs that lampoons Gulf Stream officials.
O’Hare’s falling out with the town began with a dispute over trees at his home and has escalated into allegations of police harassment, privacy violations and corruption. He also has filed suit against the town.
    “These two men are tearing at the fiber of the town of Gulf Stream,” says Commissioner Robert Ganger. “Somehow, we have to find common ground with them and make them feel included in the process. Any commissioner elected in this election will have to deal with this situation.”
    O’Hare contemplated running for the open commission seat himself, but decided not to run. Instead, he has filed a complaint with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections against the other political newcomer in the race, lawyer and businessman Scott Morgan, charging that he should be disqualified because of filing incomplete and inaccurate candidate documents.
Morgan, 57, lists dealing with O’Boyle and O’Hare as his top priority if elected. “The most important problem facing Gulf Stream is the onslaught of litigation brought by two of its residents, which is depleting the town’s finances and is undermining the effectiveness and morale of the town staff,” Morgan said. “I believe a proactive approach to these lawsuits is necessary to prevent further harm to our town.”
    O’Boyle, 61, says if elected, he will work to put an end to “Big Brother government” that interferes with the rights of individual residents. He said he can get beyond personal hard feelings and work collegially with the commission and town staff.
 

Meeting disrupted
    O’Boyle and O’Hare both attended the Feb. 14 Town Commission meeting.
    O’Hare brought his mother, Gloria O’Hare, into the chamber in her wheelchair and from the podium asked if someone could assist her to the restroom. Minutes later, he went to the podium again, interrupting commissioners’ discussion, and declared that his mother was unable to use the Town Hall’s restroom because it was not wheelchair accessible.
    “May I please request that the police take her to the hospital so she can relieve herself, because she can’t get in the bathroom,” O’Hare said. “It’s very embarrassing.”
    Mayor Joan Orthwein asked the woman whether she wanted to go to the hospital, and she said, “No.”
    “Please don’t address my mother,” O’Hare snapped.
    “Would you please sit down,” Orthwein told him. “Now!”
    Town Attorney John Randolph told O’Hare he was “out of order” and that he’d be removed if he didn’t take a seat.
    As a sobbing caregiver wheeled Gloria O’Hare to an SUV in the parking lot, O’Boyle rose to rebuke the commission.
    “I would just like to remind the commission, and the chairwoman, Mrs. Orthwein, that we must maintain decorum here,” O’Boyle said. “I think the display we just saw … did not fit in the scope of decorum.”
    After the stormy meeting, Commissioner Tom Stanley said to improve the town’s political climate, the commission should work to promote awareness and inclusion.
    “Part of representing a town, no matter how large or how small, is that you have to be aware,” Stanley said. “You have to be able to explain why certain things are happening to the residents. And you’ve got to respect people’s right to the political process. I think that’s a major focus. If certain residents have a voice, you’ve got to respect that.”
    History suggests that O’Boyle will have his hands full trying to persuade Gulf Stream voters to break with incumbents.
    Back in 1993, the two challengers got clobbered, claiming less than 8 percent of the total vote. Since then, incumbents have gone unopposed and commissioners have appointed replacements for open seats, with no challenger emerging until now.
    O’Boyle has hired an airplane to fly banners over the town, urging voters to pick him in March. Meanwhile, O’Hare has put signs disparaging Orthwein on a boat and anchored it behind her waterfront home. It has gotten very personal in Gulf Stream.
    “I’m not a good candidate really,” O’Boyle said, smiling. “But I’m probably the best candidate.” 

By Dan Moffett

    Ocean Ridge residents who have complained about too many people coming to their beaches are starting to notice a new wave of nonresident visitors: Ocean Ridge police officers.
    Chief Chris Yannuzzi says his officers checked the Beachway Drive walkover 286 times in January after he ordered extra patrols of the area on every shift.

    “We’ve been asked to provide additional patrols because of the allegation that there’s been a lot of bad behavior going on there,” he said. “I’ve been providing officers to that area, to the detriment of patrolling other areas of town.”
    The increased scrutiny has grown out of the town’s internal debate over how to manage access to the public beaches and whether to allow “private beach” signs oceanfront residents have posted to keep people off their backyards. Property owners have complained about litter and drug paraphernalia left by rowdy beachgoers, but so far, the extra patrols haven’t turned up much.

    “When we do find something, it’s usually dog-related,” Yannuzzi said. A town ordinance requires dog owners to keep their pets on leashes and clean up after them.

    What the chief has discovered is a change in the behavior of beachgoers who see the signs — “an intimidation factor,” he says.

    “I personally have noticed more people standing on that crosswalk than ever before because they don’t go further down,” Yannuzzi told town commissioners at a Feb. 3 meeting. “I’ve engaged in numerous conversations with people wanting to know, ‘Where can we go?’ and ‘Why can’t we go down to the beach anymore?’ ”

    This is the reaction opponents of the signs have complained about. They believe the signs are turning away the public from public beaches and could make the town vulnerable to lawsuits.

    Commissioners asked Town Manager Ken Schenck to research how neighboring coastal towns handle the problem, and his report didn’t provide much guidance. Ocean Ridge has small public beaches and oceanfront backyards abutting each other in ways unlike most communities.

    Commissioner Zoanne Hennigan thinks there might be something to learn from Manalapan, however.

    “Manalapan has a no-drinking ordinance,” Hennigan said. “We do not. That is one of the things I think we should consider.”

    Yannuzzi said the only restriction on alcohol use is if it’s in a glass container, which is prohibited.
    “There’s nothing wrong with drinking alcohol in Ocean Ridge on the beach,” he said. “There’s not a town ordinance with regard to open containers.”

    Commissioners also received a report from Lewis Longman & Walker,  the law firm of Town Attorney Ken Spillias. The report highlighted some of the complications municipalities encounter in trying to manage public beach access. Among the key findings:

    • In Florida, the state owns the beach below the mean high water line and “public beach access is a protected right.” The courts could consider even inadequate parking a restriction on public beach access in some circumstances. 

    • Private landowners may own land above the mean high water line, but their rights “cannot be exercised so as to injure others in their lawful rights.”

    • Renourishment can actually change the line between public and private beaches. “Once the beach is nourished, it is possible for the public to have rights in the ‘dry sand’ portion of the beach without entering onto any private property.”

    • Dealing with trespassing can be a tricky problem for police. “Municipalities may not give police officers blanket authority to ask people to leave property that is known to be private. Private property owners are similarly prohibited from permanently authorizing police to remove others from their land.”

    According to the report, police have to deal with trespassing incidents on a case-by-case basis, in other words, and “cannot be pre-authorized by municipalities to remove possible trespassers on sight.”

    Commissioners reversed themselves and decided against kicking the beach sign issue down to the planning and zoning board. Instead, they are leaning toward handling it themselves after holding a special public hearing or workshop, perhaps as early as April. 

    Seven candidates running for two Delray Beach City Commission seats will take part in an interactive panel discussion March 3 on sustainability topics including sea-level rise, economic development, energy /water conservation and responsible development.  

    The event, open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.

    The Green Forum seeks to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable decision-making across all aspects of city governance.  

    Yalmaz Siddiqui, senior director, Environmental and Supplier Diversity Strategy at Office Depot, will be the moderator. 

    The Green Team of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Delray Beach Green, non-profit Sow Share and Nancy Schneider, consultant, are sponsors.

By Jane Smith 

    In the race to reclaim their City Commission seats in the March 11 election the two Delray Beach incumbents have collected more than half of their campaign war chests from one main group: development interests.

    Seat 4 incumbent Angeleta Gray raised $30,260 including $16,500 from development interests — real estate, developer, construction, attorney, architect or property management. That amounts to nearly 55 percent of the total money she raised as of Feb. 7, the final reporting deadline before The Coastal Star went to press.

    Seat 2 incumbent Al Jacquet raised $33,310 from 72 contributors. Development interests contributed $19,325 or 58 percent of his campaign contributions. 

    Both incumbents voted in favor of several downtown development projects, including the mega Atlantic Crossing project, with over 150,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space and 383 apartments and condos.

    Gray’s contributors include the Walsh family, which owns the Delray Beach Marriott and Boston’s restaurant, and Tom Laudani, owner of Seaside Builders. She also has received $100 from an unlikely donor, one of her challengers, Victor Kirson.

    Touting her experience as a commissioner, longtime city residency and economic development programs, Gray said her contributors are from all parts of the community, not just the development segment. “Doctors, teachers and business owners have contributed to me,” she said. Gray has owned the Top Notch Beauty Spa and Suites for 21 years.

    Challenger Jordana Jarjura has raised $41,590, including a $10,000 loan from herself. She has received $12,600 from development interests or 33 percent of her total. A land-use lawyer, she has received contributions from 16 lawyers. She also received $500 from Commissioner Shelly Petrolia, who often is on the short side of 3-2 commission votes in favor of downtown development, including Atlantic Crossing. 

    Jarjura said she made an effort not to accept contributions from local developers and businesses, “(unless I had a previous personal relationship with them) and to only accept contributions from residents.” She is a partner in Conrad & Scherer, a law firm based in Fort Lauderdale.

    Challenger Kirson, a retired dentist, has loaned himself $13,800 and received another $1,500 from two contributors. “I’m running as an independent candidate. Most of the others belong to power brokers,” he said. “It’s the only way for residents to get a fair shake.”

    Challenger Pamela Brinson, whose main issues are education and employment, raised $283 from three contributors. The self-employed consultant is paying for her campaign “out of my own pocket” and is selective about who contributes to her campaign. 

    “I’m doing it from the heart,” she said. “Money gives you access, but I will take substance over money any day.”

    Seat 2 incumbent Jacquet raised more money this campaign from development interests than he raised in all during his first campaign two years ago. That election, he raised $3,295 from development interests, compared to nearly $20,000 so far this election. 

    Among his contributors: The Walsh family, The Seagate Construction group, which operates the Seagate Hotel and Spa, the Seagate Club and the former Hamlet golf club as well as several law firms involved in government affairs and real estate law.  

    He could not be reached for comment.

    His challengers are Chris Davey and Rick Burgess. Davey, who deals in commercial real estate, raised $11,150, with $900 from development interests. Among his contributions is $500 from City Commissioner Petrolia. Davey could not be reached for comment. 

    Burgess, who operates a valet parking stand in downtown Delray Beach and works in the auto industry, loaned himself $10,000. He has said that is because no one could accuse him of favoritism if elected. He could not be reached for comment.

Boca Raton as well:

    In the Boca Raton campaigns for mayor and two council seats, the 10 candidates raised a whopping $364,795, as of Feb. 7. 

    The biggest money race is for mayor, where Deputy Mayor Susan Haynie took in $109,131, with more than 40 percent coming from development-related interests.

    George Elmore, founder and president of Hardrives Inc., said he donated $250 to Haynie based on her experience. “She’s the best one to keep the city moving forward. Not like in Delray where they are tearing it apart.” Hardrives is a countywide paving contractor based in Delray Beach.

    Haynie’s opponent, former City Councilman Anthony Majhess, raised $74,494. He received 13 percent of his total from development-related contributors. He also received more than 150 contributions from  firefighters, police officers and their unions. He is a driver/engineer for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

    Al Zucaro, a Majhess backer who donated $200, said he likes the careful and deliberate manner that Majhess has shown at the council meetings. “I feel he would manage the unbridled growth that the other council members seem to favor,” said Zucaro, a former West Palm Beach city commissioner.

Campaign report analysis by Price Patton

    Residents who live in waterfront townhomes are asking a Circuit Court judge to block the city approval of Atlantic Crossing. 

    The homeowners association for Harbour House, where townhomes sell for $2.85 million, say they will be trapped by Atlantic Crossing’s traffic pattern approved by city commissioners in a 3-2 vote on Jan. 21.

    Several neighbors want an access road off Federal Highway into the mixed-use project to relieve traffic into residential neighborhoods. Commissioners didn’t require the road.

    Harbour House residents, who overlook the Intracoastal Waterway at the eastern end of Northeast First Street, also object to the commission’s decision to temporarily close Northeast Seventh Avenue north of First Street.

    “If an accident occurs at that corner, we can’t get out,” Harbour House homeowners president Bruce Leiner said. 

    A hearing date has not been set.

— Tim Pallesen

    Two city commissioners will be chosen for three-year terms in the March 11 election. Also on the ballot is a charter-revision proposal to clarify the voting procedure by commissioners at meetings.

Seat No. 4

Pamela Brinson

    Personal: 43; bachelor’s degree in American studies from Lynn University; single mother of son and daughter.

    Professional: Customer service for 20 years, medical field for 10 years.

    Political experience: No elective office. Public relations director for Delray Mothers Against Violence.

    Position on issues: Main issue is the quality of education that children are receiving. Are they learning the fundamentals that will provide a strong foundation? Other issues are employment in the city and crime. Wants to bring common sense and integrity back into politics. Also wants to maintain small-town charm and uniqueness of this city, which she says will diminish with greed.

    Quote: “My goal is to help my community and to be a voice for those whom otherwise will not be heard.”

Angeleta Gray (incumbent)

    Personal: 48; attended Grambling State University; married with three children.

    Professional: Owner of Top Notch Beauty Spa and Suites.

    Political experience: City commissioner since 2009, vice mayor 2011-2012. Community Redevelopment Agency board member.

    Position on issues: Attract new business and higher-paying jobs. Support economic development on West Atlantic Avenue and Congress Avenue corridors. Work to brand Delray as a sports destination. Lower property taxes further. Protect and preserve our neighborhoods and quality of life.

    Quote: “Delray Beach is on the move. New businesses are opening, housing prices have stabilized and established businesses are seeing improvements to their bottom line. I would love to continue to serve to keep our city moving forward.”

Jordana Jarjura

    Personal: 34; master’s and law degrees from Pepperdine University; single.

    Professional: Attorney and partner with Conrad & Scherer.

    Political experience: No elective office. Planning and Zoning Board member.

    Position on issues: Demands efficient, transparent and fiscally responsible city government. Respects unique character of Delray and supports objectively defined land development regulations. Supports responsible economic development. Advocates better local schools. Public safety and code enforcement issues will be a priority.

    Quote: “I am running because I believe the current commissioner shows a lack of understanding of significant issues … and has put our character and success as a community at risk.”

Victor Kirson

    Personal: 74; bachelor’s and dental degrees from Temple University; divorced with two children.

    Professional: Dentist for 34 years in Pennsylvania.

    Political experience: Ran for commission unsuccessfully in 2012. Past vice chairman of Police Advisory Board. President of homeowners association.

    Position on issues: A revised plan is needed for Atlantic Crossing. Growth in our city is inevitable, but it must be monitored closely. Supports a balanced budget with fair business practices, new jobs and safe neighborhoods for families. Opposes no-bid contracts, downtown parking meters and the expansion of sober houses. 

    Quote: “I am an independent thinker — no special interests own me. I will listen to concerns and work to do what is best for all the residents.”

Seat No. 2

Rick Burgess

    Personal: 42; graduate of Iona College; divorced, two children.

    Professional: Automotive body and mechanics.

    Political experience: No elective office.

    Position on issues: Police salaries must be increased to be competitive with other agencies. Every resident should feel safe and comfortable in their homes and community. Supports a drug task force plan to create an advisory board to eliminate the sober houses that cause problems. Improve the image of schools so families with children will move here. The city should follow the guidelines of its federal highway traffic studies. 

    Quote: “I love and believe in Delray Beach. I want to make this city a better place to live, work and play.”

Chris Davey

    Personal: 48; bachelor’s degree in political science and international business from Ramapo College; single.

    Professional: Real estate agent for 18 years, previously an aide to the speaker of the
New Jersey Assembly with eight years of government experience. 

    Political experience: No elective office. Member of the city Planning and Zoning Board, president of homeowners association.

    Position on issues: Delray must continue to pursue economic growth and healthy development, but in a way that preserves the unique character of our community, limits traffic and protects our residential neighborhoods. City government can do a better job of managing tax dollars with a more transparent and responsible procurement process. Competitive bids necessary for city contracts. 

    Quote: “Family, friends and clients know I get great satisfaction in giving back and helping others, always doing more than what is expected in all tasks.”

Al Jacquet (incumbent)

    Personal: 34; bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and law degree from St. Thomas University; single.

    Professional: Attorney, Florida House legislative aide 2009-11.

    Political experience: City commissioner since 2012, vice mayor since last year. Former Planning and Zoning Board member.

    Position on issues: Supports economic development and bringing good-paying jobs to the city. Property taxes need to be lowered more. City needs creative ways to reduce downtown traffic congestion. City contracts must go out to competitive bids. Opposes parking meters in the downtown. More must be done to improve neighborhoods and quality of life.

    Quote: “It has been my honor to serve as city commissioner the past two years and be a voice for our residents. I would like to continue to be your voice while keeping our city moving in the right direction.” 

Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. March 11. For information, visit www.pbcelections.org.

Compiled by Tim Pallesen/The Coastal Star

Related story: O'Boyle, Delray settle dispute over campaign signs   

Town Commission candidate Martin O’Boyle, long embroiled with Gulf Stream officials over the town’s codes, took on neighboring Delray Beach last month in a federal lawsuit alleging the city violated his First Amendment right to free speech by removing his campaign signs from city streets. 

    The lawsuit, filed Feb. 24 and assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, sought an emergency ruling since the election was so close.

    O’Boyle’s suit said his workers saw city employees remove his signs along the city right of way in late February but left untouched the cluster of signs planted by Delray Beach City Commission candidates. 

    City officials first told O’Boyle his signs were removed because he was not a candidate in the March 11 Delray Beach election, the suit claims. He protested, but the city kept removing signs. 

    He then contacted the city attorney’s office and was told that signs in the public right of way abutting private property would be removed unless the candidate had the permission of the property owner, according to the suit.

    His employee asked four business owners if the other candidates had the owners’ permission, and the owners all replied no, the suit alleges.

    Most of the signs he placed in Gulf Stream have been removed because they violated the town’s strict policy regarding placement of political signs, Town Clerk Rita Taylor said. Signs must be on private property, no less than five feet from the road, cannot be within 10 feet of a neighbor’s property and must have the permission of the property owner.

— Price Patton

By Tim Pallesen    

    Two Delray Beach bars will be allowed outdoor parties during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade — but a ban on outdoor drinking along the parade route remains.

    City commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 11 to allow O’Connor’s Pub and Bru’s Room to serve alcohol in outdoor roped-in areas during the March 15 parade.

    But a push to permit drinking from open containers on Atlantic Avenue failed when only two of five commissioners wanted the green beer to flow.

    City police requested the ban after an estimated 100,000 attended last year’s parade.

    “This will be the first parade in 40-plus years that will be alcohol free,” Police Chief Anthony Strianese told commissioners.

    Commissioners Adam Frankel and Al Jacquet questioned the ban. “There’s a tradition on St. Patrick’s Day,” Frankel said. “People drink beer and watch a parade.”

    But Mayor Cary Glickstein and Commissioners Shelly Petrolia and Angeleta Gray supported the ban. “If that makes it a bummer, I’m sorry,” Petrolia said.

    Resident Eileen Burns gave commissioners a petition with 462 signatures asking that the alcohol ban be lifted. About 30 bar patrons carrying empty red beer cups attended the meeting.

    “I know we look like party animals,” Burns told commissioners. “But this ban would prevent children from attending the parade because their parents need a beer once in awhile.”

    Strianese opposed the waivers to allow the two off-street bars to serve alcohol outdoors, saying private security guards have been unable in past years to stop drinkers from carrying alcohol outside the roped-in areas.

    “Bars haven’t done well in keeping patrons from roaming,” the police chief said.

    The owners of O’Connor’s Pub and Bru’s Room promised to do better this year.

    “Everyone at this event is either Irish or they want to be Irish,” said David Schmidt, the attorney for O’Connor’s. “They’re going to want to find an Irish bar if they can.”

    The city also has granted a permit that allows Festival Management Group to serve beer after the parade at the Center for the Arts at Old School Square.

    For the second time in two months, Ocean Ridge public safety officers were called upon to assist the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the search for a missing swimmer whose body was later discovered several miles north of where he first disappeared.

    The body of Billy Jeudi, 23, was discovered on Feb. 14, in the Intracoastal Waterway near the 7000 block of Dixie Highway in Hypoluxo, the day after he was reportedly caught in a rip current and swept into the Boynton Inlet. 

    After a woman who was swimming with Jeudi reported him missing at 6 a.m. on Feb. 13, sheriff’s deputies instigated a large-scale search that included the sheriff’s marine patrol, helicopter, the U.S. Coast Guard and officers from Ocean Ridge.

    A month earlier, the body of another swimmer, 15-year-old Sebastian Francois, was found at the Boynton Inlet after he disappeared while swimming in the area.

— Rich Pollack