The 15th Circuit Court last month ruled that a citizens group opposed to the Boca Raton City Council’s approval of Archstone, a 378-apartment complex planned for Palmetto Park Road, can put the development on the ballot.
A closed-door City Council meeting was scheduled for Oct. 31 so that the city could discuss whether to appeal the ruling.
Earlier this year, residents who organized the lawsuit collected 1,100 signatures asking for a referendum, which the council refused.
— Staff Report
The vultures are spiraling, the tides are high and the auto-transport trucks are blocking traffic on A1A. This can only mean one thing: “Season” has begun. Welcome back, snowbirds!
Thanks to you, dear readers, the signs of an improved economy are filling our pages with increased advertising. To accommodate this growth, we are debuting several new features with this November edition. We hope you find them useful and entertaining.
• We have rebranded our Coastal Life section as Home, Health & Harmony. In this section you’ll find stories to help you better enjoy our coastal lifestyle. All your favorite columnists will be found in this section, as will our popular House of the Month feature. We hope you find useful the mini-event calendars we’ve appended to each column and will appreciate the juxtaposition of topical content and related event listings. If you have events you’d like to see listed in any of our calendars, please email our calendar editor, Michele Smith, at thecoastalstarcalendar@gmail.com.
• We’ve added a new feature focusing on philanthropy called Pay it Forward. This will highlight events in the community that raise money for worthy nonprofit causes. To send pre- or post-event photos and announcements for this section, please contact our philanthropy editor, Amy Woods, at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.
• We’ve added a Secret Gardens column. Even if you never get your hands in the dirt, you’ll enjoy the tours of area gardens provided by Certified Master Gardener Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley and our photographers.
• We’ve moved Thom Smith’s popular column into its own Around Town section. This allows us to add more stories and photos from area events and expand our popular month-at-glance Community Calendar listings. As resources allow, we hope to plan even more features for this section in coming months.
We add these new features as The Coastal Star moves into its fifth year of publication. It’s been a labor of love for all us here at the newspaper and we send a sincere “thank you” to all of our advertisers and readers for making our little venture along the coast so successful.
Here’s to a great season for everyone along the shore.
—Mary Kate Leming, Executive Editor
Peg Greenspon’s variety of experiences — from stewardess
to chef to management to real estate — is helpful in her service
to the Downtown Boca Advisory Committee. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Paula Detwiller
Peg Greenspon left her hometown of Canton, Ohio, to become a flight attendant — or stewardess, as they were called at the time — for United Airlines. She was 20 and it was the late ’60s, when women’s lib hadn’t yet reached the “friendly skies.”
“This was the era when you had to agree to resign when you hit 32 or got married,” she said. “They were so strict. Before each flight, we checked in at the hangar where they weighed us and inspected our uniforms. If you didn’t have your hat and gloves on, you were considered out of uniform and sent packing!”
It was the first of many career adventures for Greenspon, who left flying behind but remained in New York City. She became a chef, opened a gourmet food store in midtown Manhattan, and then expanded it into a 100-seat French restaurant.
Later, she joined the food service industry, overseeing employee food services for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, Chemical Bank and Prudential Securities.
Those experiences led to lucrative executive management positions in Manhattan, including vice president of operations for Restaurant Associates’ many properties at Rockefeller Center. Greenspon’s climb up the corporate ladder — and her experience selling real estate when she arrived in Florida in 1995 — serves her well as she helps the city of Boca Raton reinvent its downtown.
For two years, she’s been serving on Boca’s Downtown Advisory Committee, which provides input and recommendations to the City Council and Community Redevelopment Agency regarding the present and future development of downtown Boca Raton.
And she’s now chairing the committee tasked with developing a downtown Business Improvement District. “We’re putting together the framework for downtown business owners to become masters of their own destiny, to form this organization where they become the board members and they establish their goals and priorities for the downtown,” she said.
City planners are in the process of making downtown Boca Raton more pedestrian-oriented, with public promenades to funnel foot traffic past shops, restaurants and offices. New residential developments slated for downtown will include street-level retail and other businesses.
Greenspon, who lives in coastal Boca Raton, says the idea is to create a place where people live, work and play — without needing a car. “I think we’ll end up with more of a cosmopolitan downtown,” she said, “instead of these Vacant, For Rent signs.” Greenspon is on the board of trustees of the Boca Museum of Art and is president of the museum’s Collectors’ Forum.
She’s a member of Impact 100, an organization made up of professional women who contribute annually to support worthy causes. And she raises money for Palm Beach/Treasure Coast 2-1-1, a Lantana-based phone hotline providing crisis intervention, information and referral services to those in need.
She and husband Lee Greenspon, a semi-retired CEO of a Chicago plumbing supply company, are patrons of the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, Florida Atlantic University (the medical school and stadium in particular), Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Lynn University Conservatory of Music, the Palm Beach Opera and the Kravis Center.
A resident of Mizner Grand condominiums since 2005, Greenspon, who’s in her early 60s, said she’s “just getting started.” “I really feel that at this point in my life, I’ve got time for things that really interest me. Being part of this community, downtown Boca Raton, is very near and dear to my heart. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s about? If you’re living in a community, don’t you want to be part of it?”
By Cheryl Blackerby
The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commissioners discussed the need for tablet computers at their Sept. 22 meeting.
Commissioners, who presently use their private computers for district business, quizzed Bob Pawa, representative from Experis Technology Group, about the pros and cons of Apple, Google and Microsoft devices.
The district’s legal counsel, Arthur Koski, advised commissioners that they should use district tablets for public business, and not personal computers, to make complying with public records requests on Sunshine Law issues easier. Commissioners risk having forensic teams going through their families’ private computers or even their professional work computers if there’s an investigation, he said.
Koski told commissioners he would bring back a proposal with prices on the tablets at the next meeting.
Commissioners discussed the need to place district meeting agendas and other timely information on the district website — www.mybocaparks.org — for the public. Now, residents have to call to find out any date changes in meetings. As of Oct. 24, the Web notices were a month behind. A notice of a Sept. 24 budget hearing was still on the website. The week earlier there was no mention of the Oct. 22 meeting, which was postponed from the regular meeting date of Oct. 15.
Regular meetings are at 5:15 p.m. the first and third Mondays of each month in the community center at Sugar Sand Park. Call 347-3900 for meeting information.
Another issue at the meeting was raising the pay for commissioners (they make $80 per meeting) and for Koski.
“You guys are serving basically as volunteers,” Koski said. “When I talk to people in the community, they ask if it’s a compensated position. If you consider all the work necessary outside the two meetings a month, it is not compensation. I would like to do a little bit of analysis as to how much time each of the commissioners spends in this job — because it is a job — compared to other districts out there.”
Commissioner Robert Rollins then brought up the need for more money for Koski. “We keep piling on responsibilities (for Koski),” said Rollins. “We should consider some additional compensation for the work he’s doing. He’s not asking for it (more compensation). I want everybody to know that.”
Chairman Earl Starkoff said that the budget included a commission seat that has been empty since January, and Koski had been doing some of those duties. He asked Koski to discuss his duties with Rollins, the commission’s treasurer, and asked Rollins to report back to the commission.
Starkoff recognized Countess Henrietta de Hoernle, who turned 100 in September. She attended the grand opening Oct. 13 of the 80-acre Countess de Hoernle Park, an athletic park that includes four soccer fields and four softball/baseball fields next to a lake. The park is a joint project between the city of Boca Raton and the Beach and Park District. It’s part of a 175-acre tract of former IBM land along Interstate 95.
“The countess came out not just because it was named after her. She thought it was a worthwhile civic asset. She hadn’t gotten involved in athletic endeavors before, and she was really happy about it, ” said Starkoff, adding that the countess sat with members of the boys rugby team.
At the next meeting, commissioners will look at annexation issues.
The calendar allows Highland Beach residents and fans to enjoy
sights from the beach town12 months a year. Photo provided
By Rich Pollack
Sports Illustrated has one. So does the Nature Conservancy.
Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Prince William and Princess Kate have one.
Now you can add the town of Highland Beach to the list of organizations and celebrities that have 2013 wall calendars.
Beginning this month, residents and visitors can get their copy of the 2013 Town of Highland Beach Calendar, a collection of photographs and information designed to show off all that the small coastal town has to offer.
“The theme is ‘I love Highland Beach,’ ” said Carol Stern, who along with two other volunteers — Ruth and Stu Samuels — created the wall calendar as a way to raise money for projects benefiting the community.
With its collection of photographs, many shot by Stern and Ruth Samuels, the calendar highlights everything from the services provided by the town to activities residents can enjoy, including boating along the Intracoastal Waterway.
“Highland Beach is like a little village in Maine with the sophistication of Monte Carlo,” Samuels said. “We want people to know how unique our town is, and this calendar helps get that message across.”
In addition to photographs of the Town Commission, Town Hall and other municipal buildings, the calendar also includes a collage of images showcasing the town’s turtle rescue program and pictures of the dozens of flags resident Sue Epling and her son put up throughout the town in July in honor of Independence Day.
Along with an eye-catching sunrise photo by resident Marsha Gandy on the cover and a moon-over-the-ocean image on the back cover shot by Ruth Samuels, there is also a brief history of the town, as well as key phone numbers and important dates.
“This is a visual way to communicate important information to our residents,” said Samuels, an 11-year resident of Highland Beach who serves on many town boards and committees. “Here we have everything all compiled in one place that people can hang on the wall.”
While Stern — wife of Town Commissioner Lou Stern — and Samuels were the driving forces in creating the concept for the calendar, it was Stu Samuels, a graphic designer, who brought the ideas to life.
Often working late into the night, he made sure everything was perfect before the draft of the calendar was sent to the printer last month.
“If it weren’t for him, I don’t know what we would have done,” his wife said.
Stern said she got the idea to create the wall calendar after receiving calendars from nonprofit organizations.
“We keep getting all these calendars in the mail, and I said, ‘We should do this for our town,’ ” she said. “I thought it would be fun.”
In order to produce the calendar, the organizers received a pledge from the Town Commission to cover upfront costs incurred in printing 1,000 calendars, with that money — most likely less than $3,000 — being repaid from proceeds if possible.
Selling for $10 each, the calendars can be purchased at Town Hall.
Although the project took a lot of time and required a lot of work, both Stern and Samuels say they would gladly work on a 2014 calendar if this inaugural version is a success.
“We had a good time doing this,” Stern said. “We even got to know the town a little better.”
By Rich Pollack
Valerie Oakes
Valerie Oakes knows how to help Highland Beach residents get answers. As deputy town clerk, Oakes serves as the right hand to Town Clerk Beverly Brown and is often the first person to greet residents coming to Town Hall seeking information about everything from codes and ordinances to agendas and taxes.
“We’re the first point of contact for residents,” she said. “Our job is to lead them in the right direction.”
Often behind the front desk and behind the scenes, Oakes is about to get a little higher-profile inside Highland Beach and throughout surrounding areas, having recently been installed as president of the Palm Beach County Municipal Clerks Association.
As president, she will lead an organization that brings town and city clerks and assistant clerks from all of Palm Beach County together every other month to share best practices and keep members abreast of any law changes or other issues that have widespread impact.
Many of those clerks were in Highland Beach last month, some for the first time, for the installation of Oakes and other association officers, including the new vice president, Crystal Gibson of Lantana.
A member of the association since 2008, Oakes served as secretary and then as vice president before taking the reins. She also served on several committees and was instrumental in developing the association’s first website.
She also led a team from the clerk’s association in last month’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Boca Raton.
As deputy town clerk in Highland Beach for almost four years, having previously served in a similar position for the small Palm Beach County community of Haverhill, Oakes has had an opportunity to interact with many residents, whom she enjoys helping.
“I don’t think people grow up saying I want to be a municipal clerk,” she said. “But when you’re in government and you see what a clerk does, you say to yourself, ‘That’s what I want to do, I want to help people.’ ”
By Tim Pallesen
County and municipal officials are warning voters to brace for higher property taxes if they approve tax breaks for homes that don’t have tax exemptions now.
Amendment Four on the Nov. 6 ballot would give property tax exemptions to snowbirds, first-time home buyers and owners of rental property.
Coastal communities are most concerned about the reduction in tax revenue from their many winter homes.
County government would lose $80 million over four years if voters approve the amendment to the state constitution.
“I think the Board of County Commissioners would end up raising the tax rate on all property owners to make up for the shortfall,” County Administrator Bob Weisman said.
Coastal communities don’t know potential losses yet. But the League of Cities, which is urging voters to reject Amendment Four, says all towns would have to cut services or raise taxes.
“Just when the housing market looks like it is stabilizing, we have these exemptions. It could be the death knell,” said Richard Radcliffe, executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities.
Amendment Four was intended to boost Florida ’s lagging real-estate sales when legislators put it on the ballot in 2011 as an incentive for first-time home buyers. Sales have picked up since then.
Local governments have been cutting their budgets since the economic downturn caused a drop in property values and tax revenues three years ago. They say they can’t cut any more.
“We’ve cut, cut, cut for three years. We don’t have any other place to cut except personnel,” Ocean Ridge Town Manager Ken Schenck said.
“Everyone is running on fumes,” Radcliffe said. “How do they expect us to keep pace?”
Snowbirds who own primary residences up North account for 40 percent of Ocean Ridge’s residential properties.
“Tax breaks for non-homesteaded residents have the potential for a good-sized effect on our income,” Schenck said. “If they cut our income, the only option would be to raise the millage.”
More than half of the homes in Gulf Stream are owned by snowbirds who would qualify for the new exemption to save taxes.
“We would lose several hundred thousand dollars over four years,” Town Manager Bill Thrasher estimated. “Homeowners who are homesteaded now would be required to shore up that shortfall.”
Water rates would have to be increased to compensate for lost revenue in Briny Breezes, where snowbirds own the majority of homes, Mayor Roger Bennett said. “We don’t want to do that,” he said.
Amendment Four would take $1.2 billion over three years statewide from Florida counties and cities if voters approve it.
The exemptions would be a shift from past years when tax breaks favored year-round Florida residents.
The Save Our Homes amendment in 1992 granted homestead exemptions to protect long-time homeowners who were being taxed out of their homes because of increasing home values.
Now, the tax burden would shift back to those owners of homesteaded property, county and city officials agree.
“Tax exemptions historically had impact on long-term residents,” Weisman said. “These new exemptions say forget about those people.”
Florida Realtors, the group behind Amendment Four, has spent $3 million in a campaign to get the referendum passed.
John Sebree, the group’s president, counters that the new exemptions would “smooth out our system and make it more fair” while boosting the economy. Ú
For information on all the amendments on the November 6 ballot, go to www.thefloridavoter.org
Mitt Romney leads the cheer in a football huddle with debate prep coach Sen. Rob Portman and his senior staff members. The game was held down the beach from the Delray Beach Mariott. Members of Romney’s traveling press corps formed the opposing team. AP Photo
Sen. John McCain tweets before another interview in the 'Spin Room' at Lynn University. Thom Smith/The Coastal Star
The morning after the debate at Lynn University, President Barack Obama spoke to a capacity crowd at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
President-elect George H.W. Bush fishes in the surf off Gulf Stream after his ’88 win. Photo by Jim Virga
Michiganders in Briny Breezes prepare to welcome Gerald Ford in 1976. Courtesy of the Briny Breezes Historical Preservation Committee
Tom Gustafson walks to find some political magic along A1A. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
Ellyn Bogdanoff bicycles to find some political magic along A1A. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
John Ferber poses for a picture with his girlfriend, Jenna Wehner, during
‘Dinner in the Sky’ above downtown Delray Beach on Oct. 20. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Jenna Walsh and Grant Stateman’s wedding party watches
Mitt Romney’s motorcade pass as the trolley taking them to the
Delray Marriott is stopped by a roadblock at Woolbright Road
and A1A. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
The wedding party with Romney (left), Jenna Walsh, Grant Stateman,
Billy Walsh and Mary Walsh at the Delray Marriott.
Photo provided
By Thom Smith
Food for thought: A media colleague wondered recently if the presidential debate was the biggest event ever to occur in Palm Beach County.
Let’s see. Henry Flagler’s decision to create Palm Beach was certainly notable, though its importance grew over decades. The exploits of the bootlegging, bankrobbing Ashley Gang in the Roarin’ ’20s became fodder for Hollywood movies. Rock-and-rollers might tout the muddy, cold 1969 Palm Beach Pop Festival that attracted more than 40,000 for sets by the Stones, Joplin, the Airplane, The Byrds, among others. The Pulitzer divorce trial back in ’83 certainly copped a few headlines, as did the William Kennedy Smith trial in 1991.
In 2000, Bush vs. Gore and the Ballad of the Hanging Chads hit No. 1, but that, too, developed over a period of several weeks.
Obama-Romney 3 was hardly spontaneous. Planning began years ago. Lynn University anted up millions. The campus looked like the back lot at a huge circus. Traffic snarled. We’ll never know if it changed the course of history — for good, or for bad — but the fact that it happened at all is good PR for Lynn, for Boca and for Palm Beach County.
For one thing, a lot more people now know how to pronounce Bocuh Ruh-TONE, including NBC political wunderkind Chuck Todd, who grew up in Miami and whose mother lives in Delray Beach. After saying Ruh-TONN Monday, he made special note of the proper pronunciation Tuesday.
The debate certainly didn’t hurt business at local hotels and restaurants, although it did create a few problems. After performing in Live Oak, Bonnie Raitt had hoped to bed down in Boca before Sunday’s show at Mizner Park but had to settle for a place “up the road.” Still she managed to take a swim, only to hear John Lee Hooker’s One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer coming across the waves with a Jamaican dancehall beat. “Only in Florida!” Raitt howled.
A longtime supporter of liberal causes, both domestic and international, Raitt isn’t afraid to speak her mind, acknowledging the debate and her take on Mitt Romney early in her set, with a quick, “Yeah, I’ve got binders of women for that guy.”
No accommodation problems for Ann Romney, who appeared at a Mizner Park rally Saturday night and then headed right back to the campaign’s local debate HQ — the Delray Beach Marriott.
Early risers who powered up their TVs to MSNBC’s Morning Joe on debate Monday and Tuesday found themselves in Boca with hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski holding forth before a packed Rack’s in Mizner Park. The show had to be a boon to Gary Rack and Co., since the bistro usually opens at 11:30.
Among those with a choice booth in frequent camera view: Boca Mayor Susan Whelchel (both days), City Council member Constance Scott (Monday) and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch (Tuesday). The party at Mizner continued Monday night with a Rock the Vote concert and debate-viewing on giant screens in the amphitheater.
Hmmm, let’s see: A concert in the oh-so-Republican city of Boca Raton (not the Democratic unincorporated west side); Romney in the neighborhood, and music by the Neon Trees, a band from Provo, Utah, with Mormon roots. No conspiracy, just coincidence. Neon Trees is one of many bands involved with Rock the Vote. Its music is a far cry from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or Donnie and Marie.
“Neon Trees has never set out to be a Mormon or Latter Day Saint band,” front man Tyler Glenn told a Pittsburgh newspaper. “We’re a rock ’n’ roll pop band and in our lives, music is just one thing that we do.” Glenn, in fact, fell off a stage last year and chipped a tooth but not because he was drunk. No Jim Beam or Bacardi backing for the Trees: Their tour is sponsored by Starbucks Frappuccino … and their dressing room was stocked with a large supply of Red Bull.
***
And it’s not like everything else stopped while the debate was in town. The Saturday before, while Romney was prepping at the Delray Marriott, with five police boats patrolling just off the beach and squads of cops walking the streets, the ballroom was packed with 450 family and friends attending the wedding reception for Jenna Walsh and Grant Stateman. Jenna is a niece of Michael Walsh, boss of Ocean Properties, the hotel’s parent company. Romney stopped by and posed for a photo with Jenna, Grant and her parents, Billy and Mary Walsh.
No confirmation that a Secret Service agent caught the bouquet. In fact, except for news reports, hotel guests wouldn’t have known of Romney’s presence. “It’s a very controlled environment,” Ocean Properties spokesman Kerry Morrissey said. “(Romney’s) movement is restricted. He comes and goes out a back door. It’s very low key.”
But when he wanted to be seen … Well, you can bet the TV cameras that capture Romney’s coin toss for the staff touch football game on the beach or dinner at BurgerFi just “happened” to be there.
Fans who had hoped to get a glimpse of their candidates were out of luck: no waves to the public; nothing to see from the barricades at the motorcades whizzed by; nothing to see on campus as the entourages passed the afternoon in separate but microscopically equal (down to the same number of drinking glasses in each) motor-home-style suites, adjacent to the auditorium.
Political spin was left to lesser figures — senators, congressmen, party operatives and the occasional celebrity — who filed through the gym that had been converted into the press center, aka “Spin Room.” John McCain arrived early in the afternoon, and made stops at most of the TV media cubicles in the hall, his entourage bowling over one anchor who was delivering an early report.
Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reiterated their positions that Obama should come clean on Benghazi; while Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Beau, now attorney general of Delaware, and Democratic National Committee Chair and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, defended the president.
Other visitors: Sen. John Kerry, former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (briefly), and former Florida governor and senator Bob Graham.
A rumor floated that George Clooney had been seen on campus. Alas, it was a TV reporter who resembles the actor.
And then there was the vaguely familiar guy in the navy blue suit, red tie and black sneakers. Is that a congressman? Is he a staffer? What party? No. No. And no. Just actor/comedian Pauly Shore, sans the Kenny G hair. He was holding (uncharacteristically low-key) court to promote Pauly-Tics, his soon-to-be-released documentary. Shore teased that he might run for office some day — maybe mayor of a small Southern town.
***
More food for thought. In the spirit of the election, Legal Sea Foods has a plan to predict the winner by allowing customers to vote with their stomachs. The Boston-based chain, including its southernmost restaurant in Boca’s Town Center, is conducting its first “Fishing Poll.” Diners can vote for their candidate by ordering a Blue or Red Plate Special featuring entrees identified with the candidates’ home states.
For supporters of Hawaii-born Obama, the “Blue Plate” offers macadamia-coconut crusted mahi-mahi with roasted Brussels sprouts in a lime butter sauce. Inspired by Romney’s adopted home state of Massachusetts, the “Red Plate” features pan-seared cod with steamed spaghetti squash in bourbon lobster cream sauce. “We just wanted to have some fun and give our customers a little something extra to talk about over the next couple of weeks,” Legal’s culinary director Kevin Watson said during a recent visit to Boca. A Maine native who prefers to remain nonpartisan — in the kitchen, at least — Watson will only say, “They’re both good.”
***
More food for thought. Candidates may offer pie in the sky, but for a few dozen adventurous souls a few blocks west of the Delray Marriott at Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square, the attraction was Dinner in the Sky. At four seatings, a maximum of 22 diners were strapped into grand prix-style car seats that were bolted to a platform. With chefs and servers, they were hoisted 180 feet up by cranes for a gourmet meal with a view. Caffe Luna Rosa and a new restaurant, Candyfish, provided the food. Main courses: filet mignon and Maine lobster.
Tickets initially were offered at $500 each, but a few days before, the price was cut to $350 for Delray residents. By Saturday afternoon, seats were being sold at Groupon-style levels — $150, and sources report a few bystanders were offered late dinners for free.
Good food. Good wine. Good time. No casualties, not even a nosebleed. But no descents for potty breaks either.
***
Actually, I guess we’re not supposed to just call it Old School Square anymore. To better reflect its mission, the board has renamed it the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square. Locals may know what Old School Square is, but lots of others, including tourists, don’t.
***
Newly attracted is the Entr’Acte Theatrix, which lost its home at the now closed Caldwell Theatre in Boca. Its staging of The Rocky Horror Picture Show opened Oct. 25 and closes Nov. 4. Executive Producer Vicki Halmos hopes to return with more shows. Entr’Acte is a semi-professional company that gives young performers and craftsmen the chance to work with seasoned pros.
***
Back to food, the first Delray Beach Wine and Seafood Festival kicks off Nov. 10 and 11 on Atlantic Avenue east of the Intracoastal. Sponsored by the Delray Chamber of Commerce, the festival offers food, drink, live entertainment, and seminars. Guests may stroll among vendors or relax in the New World Wine Garden. Free admission, but special packages and seminars will cost you. (delraybeach.com).
Luna Rosa and Candyfish will be back to earth as participants, along with La Cigale, Sundy House, Concha y Toro and Boston’s, which, in addition is offering on Nov. 12, Veterans Day, a complimentary meal (up to $16) to anyone who’s served in the military, present or past.
***
Bridge closing! What bridge?
Plaza Del Mar in Manalapan isn’t letting a little bridge replacement project dampen its spirit, even if it will take two years. John G’s, recently arrived from reconstructing Lake Worth Beach, still attracts regulars and visitors, Ritz-Carlton guests love to hop across A1A for an afternoon sundae, and Thaikyo and Lantana Pizza offer international variety. To enhance the plaza’s image as a destination, management is reaching outward. On Nov. 10, it will host a food truck festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“With the bridge out, we have sort of a captive market, plaza spokeswoman Stephanie Young said. “We want to be more of a food destination.”
Jochen Esser, of Gourmet Food Truck Expo in Deerfield Beach, expects to dispatch 15 trucks. “We’ll have barbecue, Mexican, Asian, Italian, Philly cheese, Mediterranean, lobster rolls,” he said. “It should offer something for everyone.”
***
Across the street, Jason Adams, described as “fun, savvy, creative, the ultimate neighbor” is the new executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan. Born in England, trained in Europe, Adams joined Ritz-Carlton in 1998 at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and comes to the Palm Beaches from Aspen.
After that meal at the Ritz, pampering is recommended at Eau Spa, which was just tapped by readers of SpaFinder Wellness for four awards in its annual survey of spas around the globe: best beach spa, best interior design, best for weddings and the delicious best for girlfriend getaway and bachelorettes.
***
Up the road, other parts of the Lake Worth Casino renovation may not be ready, but Mulligan’s is open and serving food. Two blocks north, the Omphoy continues its effort to attract locals as well as out of town guests. Newest addition is Wednesday blues nights with the likes of Joey Gilmore and Bobby Nathan, cocktail specials, a half-priced appetizers.
***
No blues across the bridge in Lake Worth, however, when it comes to a place to live and to work. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency is building a fledgling artists community of a dozen “Urban Arts Lofts” along Lucerne near the city shuffleboard courts. The two-bedroom/2½-bath townhomes range from 2,275 to 2,653 square feet, and include work space and a garage on the ground floor. Prices range from $115,000 to $133,000. The lofts are part of the CRA’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and restrictions apply. Call 493-2550.
The lofts are a far cry from the first homes in Lake Worth 100 years ago, as residents will be reminded for the next six months as the city celebrates it centennial. Festivities begin at 2 p.m. Nov. 10 with a centennial-themed Veterans Day parade. Other related events include a family beach party Jan. 19; a homecoming dance Feb. 16 in the Casino Ballroom, the Taste of Lake Worth on Feb. 22, a three-day scavenger hunt for city historic treasures in late May, and the final celebration on July 4. (www.lakeworth100.com)
***
All quiet on the southern front … and Kravis Center management doesn’t expect any noise on Nov. 10 and 11. There was a time when certain political groups would have had pickets all along Okeechobee Boulevard the day after the shows were announced, but they’ve received not the first protest about the upcoming appearance of the National Symphony of Cuba. Could art have triumphed over politics?
Thom Smith is a freelance writer. Write him at thomsmith@ymail.com.
The Junior League of Boca Raton held its 25th luncheon to honor 25 women volunteers for their contributions to the community. Debbie Pruce Abrams from the Boca Raton Historical Society was named 2012 Woman Volunteer of the Year. Above are Lou Ann Such, Debbie Abrams and Jennifer Barner.
Photo provided
Sabin Robbins’ love of Africa led him to jobs as a writer at National Geographic
and as a director at the National Zoo. People often ask him about his college love
interest — Jane Fonda. They dated for a year and still correspond. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Sabin Robbins’ life reads like a book and — in fact, it is one, an autobiography that he co-authored with his two sons.
A true adventurer whose travels have taken him to the remotest jungles as well as the world’s busiest cities, Robbins’ professional life has included everything from working for the U.S. government preparing ultra-secret intelligence for the State Department to writing for newspapers and the National Geographic Society. He also served as executive director of the National Zoo and director of development and marketing for the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
With a soft spot in his heart for Africa inspired by Tarzan, which he read while growing up in Cincinnati where his family’s paper company is based, Robbins has led dozens of safaris to the continent. While there for National Geographic he had the opportunity to spend time with some of the world’s best-known animal behaviorists, including Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall.
But it is a third inspirational Jane, not the one of Tarzan fame or the naturalist whose work with chimps is legendary, that Robbins is often asked to talk about.
That would be actress Jane Fonda, who he dated for about a year when she was just 16 and he was a 21-year-old college student at Yale.
They met during the summer of 1954 in Hawaii, where the Fondas were staying while Henry Fonda was filming Mr. Roberts. Over time the relationship got pretty serious, with Jane visiting Robbins’ family in Cincinnati for a week and Robbins visiting her family in New York.
“We were thinking about picket fences and kids,” Robbins recalls.
Eventually the romance between romantic young lovers came to an end. But even today, almost six decades later the two still stay in touch.
Robbins’ friendship with those in the spotlight continued long after he graduated from Yale and spent three months traveling throughout Africa.
Years after returning to the U.S. and to Washington, D.C., — where he worked for the National Geographic Society and the National Zoo — he and his wife settled into a home where neighbors included journalists David Brinkley, Ben Bradlee and Art Buchwald.
In fact, Robbins will tell you that aside from being asked about Jane Fonda, he’s often asked to explain how he became David Brinkley’s “father-in-law,” an unofficial title he received when he walked Brinkley’s wife, Susan, down the aisle in 1972.
Although he is retired and close to reaching his 80th birthday, Robbins is still on the go and traveling the world, now as a lecturer on cruise ships. And he’s still writing, having put together a compilation of his lectures titled Amazing Wonders of the Ocean.
— Rich Pollack
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school?
A. Appropriately for an animal lover, I grew up in the “wilds” of Cincinnati, Ohio, where my pets included a crow and a raccoon. I graduated from Exeter, the Lawrenceville School, and Yale University with a post-graduate year as an Oxford scholar.
Q. What are some of the highlights of your life?
A. Thanks to a career as a writer at National Geographic, a director at the National Zoo and a cruise-ship lecturer in my retirement, I’ve had nonstop highlights around the world that include tracking tigers by elephant-back in Nepal, watching gorillas mate in Africa, charming a cobra in India, and swimming with piranhas in the Amazon jungle. I’ve also authored several books, including a new popular guide on the amazing wonders of the oceans from whales and dolphins to sharks and pirates.
Q. How did you choose to make your home in Highland Beach?
A. My parents retired to Delray Beach and so I moved just a few miles south in an ocean-fronting condo.
Q. What’s your favorite part about living in Highland Beach?
A. I love the water, so when I’m not cruise-ship lecturing on the ocean, I’m watching the ocean from my balcony, walking the shoreline, doing 50 laps in the pool and checking out loggerhead turtles during the nesting season.
Q. If someone made a movie of your life, who would you like to play you and why?
A. Peter Fonda, of course! I’ve got to stick with my almost brother-in-law and he exudes the joys of an adventurous life.
Q. What music to you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
A. As an author, I listen to Bach, Haydn and Mozart for inspiration. As a sentimental romantic, I revel in Gershwin and Cole Porter because their music and lyrics take me back to the first loves of my salad days.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. Actually, two: “We don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing.” And: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll be among the stars.”
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. Yes, great teachers at Yale and Oxford. Because I revere good writers, other mentors have been my editors at the Washington Daily News and the National Geographic, as well as Jane Goodall and Jack Hanna.
Q. What is the last book you read and would you recommend it?
A. Jim Kern (good friend, great photographer, and founder of the Florida Trail Association and American Hiking Society) has just written a must-read book for outdoors lovers, Trail Reflections — 50 years of Hiking and Backpacking.
Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
A. TV comic Jon Stewart provides me with a daily dose of belly laughs. And recalling old escapades with old friends seems to get funnier the older we get.
Pay it Forward is our new calendar designed to celebrate the many philanthropic events in the community from October through April each year. Events in this listing are current as of 10/25. Please check with organizers for any changes.
Allegro Society
Delray Beach Club
November 9: Boca Raton Symphonia’s support group, Allegro Society, is tuning up its instruments for the third-annual Musical Luncheon and Music Scholarship Award. A performance by members of the Symphonia and the presentation of a $1,500 grant to a high-school student will highlight the event. The location is the Delray Beach Club, 2001 S. Ocean Blvd. Time is 11:30 am. Tickets are $75. For information, call 866-687-4201 or visit www.bocasymphonia.org. Photo: Committee member Joan Gallo and scholarship sponsor Marie Iandoli stand outside the Delray Beach Club. Photo provided
Dinner Cruise Aboard ‘Lady Atlantic’
Veterans Park, Delray Beach
November 9: Veterans’ Pathway to Business Success embarks on its first fundraiser as it sets sail on a mission to provide grants to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking funding for their businesses. Dinner Cruise Aboard ‘Lady Atlantic’ includes a reception, dinner, open bar and dancing under the stars. The location is Veterans Park., 802 NE First St., Delray Beach. Time is 6 p.m. Tickets are $500. For information, call 235-4584 or visit www.veteranspathway.org. Photo: Herb Romanow; Veterans’ Pathway to Business Success founder, Jerry Kramer; retired Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto and Gerry Goldberg plan the dinner cruise. Photo provided
Christmas Designer Showcase House
Cason Cottage Museum, Delray Beach
December 1: The Delray Beach Historical Society’s special preview of the 2012 Christmas Designer Showcase House will feature decorations dating back to 1915 that were artistically crafted by eight accomplished South County designers. Proceeds will help support society projects, including education programs for elementary-school students. This year’s house is Cason Cottage, 5 NE First St. Opening party at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $75. The house will be open to the public Dec. 2-Jan. 1. Times are noon-4 pm Sundays, 10 am-4 pm Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 pm Jan. 1. Tickets are $15. For information, call 274-9578 or visit www.delraybeachhistory.org. Photo: The designers of the 2012 Christmas Designer Showcase House include Sharon Koskoff, Marsha Love, Karen McClaren, Gus Martinez, Virginia Courtenay, Hazel McGuire, Kim Baguley and Annette Smith. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Holiday Trunk Show
Seagate Hotel & Spa, Delray Beach
December 3-5: This year’s Holiday Trunk Show will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club, as more than 30 vendors offer everything from jewelry and accessories to Christmas ornaments and holiday décor. Funds raised will go toward programming for the 300-plus children who attend the club. A Preview Cocktail Reception on Dec. 3 kicks off the show at The Seagate Hotel & Spa, 1000 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Time is 6-8 pm. Tickets are $85. The public can peruse the gifts and goodies Dec. 4-5. Time is 9 am-5 pm. Admission is free. For information, call 683-3287 or visit www.bgcpbc.org. Photo: Holiday Trunk Show chairwomen include Kari Shipley, Susan Mullin and Melissa De Baptiste. Photo provided
Wee Dream Ball
Woodfield Country Club, Boca Raton
November 30: Florence Fuller Child Development Centers’ signature fundraising gala will be an affair as energetic and unique as the children the center helps. The ball is projected to raise more than $400,000 for programs that target low-income youths ages 6 weeks to 12 years. The location is Woodfield Country Club, 3650 Club Place, Boca Raton. Time is 7-11 pm. Tickets are $250. For information, call 391-7274, Ext. 128, or visit www.florencefullercenters.org. Photo: (front row) Co-Chairwoman Carrie Rubin and Honorary Chairwoman Denise Zimmerman and Co-Chairwoman Stacey Packer are planning the Wee Dream Ball with committee members (middle row) Lauren Johnson, Suma Farsedakis, Heidi Johnson, Tiffany McDonnell, Kelly Thill, Eda Knopf, (back row) Rosa Feeney, Linda Behmoiras, Kathy Adkins and Tracy Louv. Photo provided
NOVEMBER 3
Saturday - 11/3 - 5th Annual Denim, Diamonds & Dice Casino Night is held at The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan. Gaming complimented by hors d’ oeuvres and an open bar. Benefits the Unicorn Village Academy in Boca Raton. 7-11 pm. $125/general, $225/VIP, $250/Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. 620-9377.
NOVEMBER 4-10
Sunday - 11/4 - Caring Hearts Auxiliary Keep Memories Alive at Town Center at Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Road. Participate in the seventh-annual walk and help raise money for Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University. 9 am. $30-$40. 297-4066 or https://fauf.fau.edu/memories.
Tuesday - 11/6 - Bethesda Hospital Foundation’s Magnolia Society Brunch at The Ocean Club, 6849 N. Ocean Blvd., Ocean Ridge. Join a society that supports Bethesda Hospital Foundation’s Women of Grace Luncheon. 10 am. $250 for renewing members, $500 for new members. 737-7733, Ext. 84445 or www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org.
Friday - 11/9 - David T. Harden Preservation Award at Delray Beach Golf Club, 2200 Highland Ave. Honor Delray Beach’s retiring city manager at a dinner sponsored by Delray Beach Preservation Trust.
6 pm. $50. 276-8968 or www.delraybeachpreservation.org.
Saturday - 11/10 - “Make Waves on the 50” Gala at Florida Atlantic University Stadium, Palm Beach Avenue, Boca Raton. Support the FAU President’s Scholarship Fund at a black-tie event that will be capped by a fireworks display. 6:30 pm. $250. 297-3010 or www.fau.edu/2012gala.
NOVEMBER 11-17
Wednesday - 11/14 - Women of Grace Luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan. Honor five volunteers for their work and accomplishments and support Bethesda Hospital Foundation and Center for Women & Children. 10:30 am. $100. 737-7733, Ext. 84445 www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org.
Thursday - 11/15 - Palm Beach Closets Fashion Show & Luncheon at Boynton Woman’s Club, 1010 S. Federal Highway. Ten club members will model clothes, jewelry and accessories from Second Time Around Consignment Boutique to benefit Crossroads Program at Palm Beach State College. 11:30 am. $20. 737-3392 or www.boyntonwomansclub.com.
11/15 - National Philanthropy Day at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Recognize philanthropists Harry and Deborah Sargeant III for their contributions to society. 11:30 am-1 pm. $100. 848-7200, Ext. 3250 or 3286 or www.afppbc.org.
11/15 - “Best of Boca & Beyond” at The Shops at Boca Center, 5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton. Join Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation to kick off the social season in the shopping center’s newly renovated courtyard. 6-9 pm. $50.
494-6888 or www.hpbcf.org.
Friday - 11/16 - Delray Beach Stiletto Race at SE Fourth and Atlantic avenues. Strap on those stilettos and race to support Achievement Centers for Children & Families Foundation. 5-8 pm. $25. 266-0003 or www.delraychild.org.
NOVEMBER 18-24
Monday - 11/19 - End Hunger at DIG, 777 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Savor the five serving stations and sip soft beverages to help C.R.O.S. Ministries’ hunger programs. 5-8 pm. $35. 233-9009, Ext. 106.
NOVEMBER 25-30
Thursday - 11/29 - Grand Opening at Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service Food Pantry, 430 S. Congress Ave., Delray Beach. Share the vision, work and generosity of those who make feeding the hungry possible. 5:30 pm. Free. 852-3333 or www.ruthralesjfs.org.
11/29 - Havana Nights Exclusive Poker Event at Boca Raton Resort & Club. Cocktail reception at 6 pm, tournament begins at 7 pm. Benefits the Achievement Centers for Children & Families. $1,000 per player. 266-0003 or www.HavanaNightsPoker.com
DECEMBER
Saturday - 12/1 - Hair Saving Event in Support of Cancer Patients at Lifestyles of Lynne, Royal Palm Place, 284 Esplanade, #52B, Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Volunteers will have their heads shaved to show support of everyone that has ever been diagnosed with some form of cancer. 10 am-1 pm. Free: Donations go to St. Baldrick’s. 347-2933. www.royalpalmplace.com.
12/1 - “Lady in Red” Gala at The Mar-a-Lago Club, 1100 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach. Tonight Show host Jay Leno and Sultans of Swing headline a fundraiser for Leaders in Furthering Education. 6 pm. $700. 865-0955 or www.life-edu.org.
Thursday - 12/6 – Sandler Family Major Gifts Event at St. Andrews Country Club, 17557 W. Claridge Oval, Boca Raton. Listen to presentations by a CBS News correspondent and an Israeli intelligence expert while lauding Harvey and Phyllis Sandler for being the largest donors in the history of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County’s Annual Campaign. 6 pm. $125. 852-3333 or www.jewishboca.org.
12/8 - River of Grass Gala at The Colony, 155 Hammon Ave., Palm Beach. Support the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for the Everglades by attending a “green-tie” affair. 6:30 pm. $350. 233-9004 or www.artmarshall.org.
12/8 - 12th Annual Caridad Center “Wrapping up Your Holiday Wishes” Gala at Four Seasons Resort, 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach. An evening of auctioning, dining and dancing will honor four dentists for their 20 years of volunteer efforts at Caridad Center. 7 pm. $250. 582-2800 or www.caridad.org.
Friday - 12/14 - Jingle Bell Ball at The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach. Participate in a festive evening of dinner and dancing to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. 7 pm. $600. 683-3287 or www.bgcpbc.org.
January
Saturday - 1/5 - Your Medical School Gala at The Royal Palm Yacht Club, 2425 Maya Palm Drive W., Boca Raton. A black-tie-optional reception, auction, dinner and dancing will benefit the “Compassionate Care Through Education” Medical Scholarship Campaign at the Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. $295. 6:30 pm.
699-7198.
Wednesday - 1/9 - Bell Society Dinner at Colony Hotel, 155 Hammon Ave., Palm Beach. Enjoy a black-tie event to benefit Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County, Inc. 7 pm. $500. 832-2755.
Friday - 1/11 - Caron and Hanley Treatment Centers Gala 2013 at The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach. Ring in the beginning of a new year and stay through the night for the Young Friends After Party. 7 pm. gala; 10 p.m. after party. $500-$1,000. 841-1048 or www.hanleycenter.org.
Saturday - 1/12 - 51st Annual Boca Raton Regional Hospital Ball at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real. Pay tribute to Elaine J. Wold and celebrate the Wold Family Center for Emergency Medicine. $400. 955-4142 or www.brrh.com.
Friday - 1/18 - Iron Chef Competition at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real. Teams compete to benefit Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum. 6:30 pm. $175. 395-6766.
Thursday - 1/24 - Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Gala at Mar-a-Lago Club, 1100 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach. A four-course gourmet dinner with wine pairing and silent auctions benefits Food for the Poor. 7:30 pm. $450. 888-404-4248 or www.foodforthepoor.org.
Monday - 1/28 - 20th Anniversary Luncheon of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton. The celebration will include a keynote speaker, a reception, lunch and a presentation. 11:30 am-1:30 pm. $125. 995-6773 or www.ushmm.org.
To submit your event, please contact Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.
Ryan Dillon, Richard Pollock, Jean-Marc Casanave and Troy McLellan participate in the 24th annual tournament that raised more than $38,000 for the George Snow Scholarship Fund.
Photo provided
Co-Chairwomen Dawn Zook, Lisa Vander Ploeg, Diane Robertson and Lindy Harvey organized the successful dinner-by-the-bite tour of the city’s restaurants that started with champagne and appetizers and ended with dessert and dancing. A fundraiser for the Boca Raton Historical Society, the event brought in more than $20,000.
Photo provided
Getting their pets blessed was a family affair for the Warren family of Boca Raton. Catherine and Chris brought their children Reese, Max and Elise, along with two dogs, Cupcake and Pierre, cat Bonnie Prince Charlie, two birds Duck and a Half and Ralph, and their turtle Luke.
Declan Conroy brought his three terriers, including Danny, seen here licking his chops, for a blessing.
Photos by Jerry Lower/
The Coastal Star
Alyce Erickson, Judi Asselta and Barbara Schmidt attend the Soroptimist International of Boca Raton/Deerfield Beach Women of Distinction Champagne Reception, a traditional celebration leading up to the Women of Distinction Breakfast. The breakfast took place Oct. 3 at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, where four winners from a field of 25 nominees were announced. The event raised $20,000 for programs that aid disadvantaged women and their families. Photo provided
The Boca Raton Garden Club was one of 20 local organizations participating in Boca Raton’s Community and Culture Expo at the Mizner Park Amphitheater Oct. 5. The club displayed a fresh flower arrangement in the shape of the American flag, fashioned with more than 200 carnations for the stripes and white paper cutouts for stars. Garden Club president Carol Brown said the flag was designed in to promote the event’s goal of creating a sense of community in honor of Lynn University’s hosting of the Oct. 22 presidential debate.
Photo provided
A fountain highlights the Formal Garden area of the Society of the Four
Arts in Palm Beach. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
For more photos, click here
Welcome to Secret Gardens, a seasonal series by certified Master Gardener Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley about great gardens that are open to the public. She can be reached at debhartz@att.net
By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley
Take a seat on the curving bench in the shade of the Japanese privet. Now thumb through the artful brochure you took from the white mailbox hanging beside the front gate.
From its map, you’ll learn that you are sitting in the Moonlight Garden. At night, its white blooms reflect the glow of the celestial body. Explore further and you’ll find a Chinese Garden, a Formal Garden and the Madonna Garden with its fountains and greenery designed to showcase a relief of the Madonna and Child.
This is just part of what you’ll discover when you visit the Society of the Four Arts Garden in Palm Beach. It’s set into a cozy corner just outside the larger Philip Hulitar Sculpture Gardens.
If you’ve driven down Royal Palm Way, chances are you didn’t know you were passing this oasis tucked behind a stucco wall. Towering bamboo stands sentry at this spot that has attracted visitors from as far away as China, Germany, Canada and Peru.
A water lily in the pond of the Madonna Garden glows in the late afternoon light.
Once inside, you’ll leave the bustle behind to discover natural beauty. Red dragonflies hover over a pond studded with blue, yellow and white water lilies.
The air is perfumed — literally — by a ylang-ylang tree that has flowers used to make Chanel No. 5 and the Michele champaca, a variety of magnolia that’s the basis for Joy perfume.
The garden was first planted in the 1930s by members of The Garden Club of Palm Beach. The women hoped to help people moving from the North learn to landscape their new homes in the subtropics. The different “rooms” were designed to showcase styles popular at the time and many of the plants are labeled.
The garden suffered neglect during World War II and later was damaged by three hurricanes — Frances, Jeanne and Wilma. In fact, the garden was closed for two years after Hurricane Frances in 2004. “I couldn’t get onto the island for a week after that storm,” says Joanna Kitson, who has worked in the garden for 11 years.
A lion-face door knocker is part of the Spanish Facade Garden.
But all that has changed. The garden, still maintained by the garden club, is back to its former beauty with lush greenery shaded by plenty of towering trees and palms.
You’ll smile when you see the Old Man Palm with its body-like trunk covered with shaggy growth resembling a curling beard. At ground level, bromeliads look like works of art. Their leaves are painted with neon pink, dark purple, yellow and lime green in all sorts of patterns from stripes to polka dots.
And be sure to enjoy the aptly named Sausage Tree that’s been here since 1956. When in bloom, its wine-colored bell-shaped flowers hang from the branches on long flexible stems. Their sweet nectar attracts a flock of thirsty green parrots living on the island, Kitson says.
In time, the flowers give way to fruits that actually look like sausages hanging on strings. These can grow to 3 feet long.
An agave plant.
The Chinese Garden is a tranquil area entered through a red gate decorated with blue ceramic tiles and carved wooden panels. The entry is guarded by two marble foo dogs. You can tell the male from the female: Mom protects her puppy under her front paw, Kitson explains.
Your children will enjoy helping Kitson feed the guppies living in the many of the garden’s ponds and fountains. She explains that guppies are small enough to be ignored by the egrets and ospreys that fly overhead looking for dinner.
Youngsters also may like the pancake plant growing in the well in front of the Spanish façade. Its flat, pad-like leaves earn the plant its name.
Those who like things neat and orderly will enjoy the Formal Garden.
Here, a central fountain is surrounded by decorative tufts of mondo grass and small bushes neatly crafted into horseshoe patterns.
When it’s time to return to the chaos of modern life, don’t worry. The garden is waiting for you to return. It’s open year round.
The Society of the Four Arts Garden, at the northeast corner of Royal Palm Way and Four Arts Plaza in Palm Beach, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. You enter through the gate next to the Gioconda and Joseph King Library on Four Arts Plaza. For information, visit www.fourarts.org or call 655-2766. Closed major holidays.
By Cheryl Blackerby
Should private development, such as members-only beach clubs, be allowed on public beaches?
Voters may soon have their say.
The citizens group Keep Your Beaches Public got the green light from the Fourth District Court of Appeal in September to put on the ballot a charter amendment prohibiting private development on public beaches. The three-judge panel upheld a lower court ruling that requires the city of Boca Raton to go forward with the citizens’ initiative.
The legal battle between the citizens group and the city of Boca Raton and the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District started in 2009 when Penn-Florida Companies proposed a members-only cabana club for the public-owned Ocean Strand as part of a $1 billion redevelopment and luxury hotel project in downtown Boca Raton.
The citizens group wants the Strand land to be used as a park or conservation area that is available to all.
The prime beachfront property, which stretches across 15 acres between the Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean, was bought by the Beach and Park District in 1994 for $11.9 million and has remained vacant, a windswept parcel of sand and scrub.
The citizens group started collecting signatures in 2010 for a ballot referendum that would bar all private development on all of the district’s public beaches. The group got more than the 976 signatures it needed, but the city attorney declared the petition unconstitutional and told the city clerk not to process it.
The citizens sued, and in April 2011, Circuit Judge Lucy Chernow Brown sided with them, ruling that the initiative should go forward. She denied the district’s motion to intervene in the case and the city’s request for a rehearing.
The city has since changed the zoning on Ocean Strand from multifamily R5 zoning to public lands, which the park district officials hope will settle the matter.
“There’s no need for the amendment since the city initiated rezoning,” said park district attorney Arthur Koski. “It would be foolish to spend the money to put it on a March ballot. It’s too late for the November ballot.”
But the amendment is still necessary, says the citizens group’s lawyer, Ralf Brookes. The group wants to protect all beaches in the district, not just Ocean Strand, and the citizens say they don’t want public land to be subject to the mercy of public officials.
“They’re not making any more beachfront property. We have to protect what we have,” Brookes said.
The city ordinance doesn’t ban all private development on the district’s coastal lands, he says, and city and district officials could change their minds about development at a later date.
“We want to make sure public beaches remain public no matter what. It shouldn’t depend on who’s in office,” Brookes said.
City officials seem more willing to seek privatization of public space, he says. “They give up a portion of a beach because the developers say they will fix up the rest of it. But then we’ve lost that beach,” he said.
“We’re delighted that the judges took the time to write the five-page unanimous decision saying the amendment is certainly something that can legally be done, and they explained why it’s an issue of great public importance,” he said.
With the ruling from the appeals court, the group will submit the petition and wants the proposed amendment to be placed on the ballot in March or in a special election. Ú
By Margie Plunkett
A row of unruly Australian pines, once a kempt hedge bordering a Cocoanut Road home, will be preserved after winning a reprieve on a sentence of eradication for the designated invasive species.
The Boca Raton City Council voted to save the trees after hearing the second appeal by the owner of the barrier island property at 1271 Cocoanut Road, who brought evidence that Australian pines have been allowed to thrive in other areas of the city: at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Beach Club, at the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club and in the same neighborhood where his trees had been condemned.
In documents supporting eradication of the trees — in keeping with city goals of ridding Boca Raton of invasive, exotic species — the city pointed out that those areas are not under its control. In the case of FAU, the land is owned by the state.
Charles Putman, who represented property owner Joseph Ligouri, noted that the FAU land is actually owned by the Department of Environmental Protection.
“I think that’s humorous because they’re the ones who have created the legislation they asked all of you to enact,” Putman said. “If there was a real concern about getting those trees out of there, they would have been gone.”
Putman also pointed out that there are homes constructed in the early 2000s whose Australian pines had not been removed. He noted that Ligouri had consulted with a landscaper who said most of the trees in his yard were healthy, but suggested removing a couple that were not and trimming the rest back to 25 feet.
Mayor Susan Whelchel said she supported keeping the trees — otherwise the city would have to go back and demand that others in the neighborhood remove theirs. “How can you do that?” she asked.
The council asked Ligouri to clean up the stand of trees, although it did not include the request in the resolution.
“We would ask that the developers consider the fact that (the Australian pines) had grown wild from what was a nice hedge at one time,” said council member Michael Mullaugh. “Maybe they could be dressed up a little bit. I don’t want to make a demand on the owner, but it would be nice if it happened.”
The issue first came up in January when Ligouri wanted to preserve the trees on the vacant lot where he planned to build a new home. Ordinances intended to rid the city of Australian pine and other invasive species require that the trees be removed before a certificate of occupancy can be granted.
The city manager denied Ligouri’s request in April, and the property owner appealed to the Environmental Control Hearing Board. The board denied the appeal in June, upholding the city manager’s decision.
The vacant lot once held a home that fronted on Spanish River Road, with the Australian pine hedge in place until 2007. The home was razed and the property went unmaintained, according to city documents. The 30-foot Australian pines have grown unrestrained. The property owner argued that the trees are consistent with the area, pose no environmental danger and are no more susceptible to wind threat than other trees, according to the documents.
City staff challenged all three arguments. Ú
