BM announced its plans to open a plant in Boca Raton in 1967.
Courtesy of the Boca Raton Historical Society

By Mary Jane Fine

Earlier this summer, the Boca Raton Historical Society opened an exhibit showcasing IBM’s Boca Raton years.

Far earlier than that, Glenn Anderson lived and worked them.

Together, the Historical Society and Anderson tell a pretty thorough, and thoroughly compelling, saga. This is IBM’s centennial year, an apt time for Boca Raton to count the ways in which it has felt the company’s significance and clout.

“IBM had a very big influence on this community,” says exhibit curator Susan Gillis, approaching a framed front page of the March 16, 1967, Boca Raton News with its lead headline: IBM to Hire 400 by Year’s End. “In the 1980s, Boca was known as Silicon Beach because [thanks to IBM’s presence] it attracted so many high-tech companies.”

“I don’t think Boca knew what hit ’em,” says Anderson. “It’s an understatement to say IBM made a huge impact on this area. Those first few years, those of us who came in early, it was probably the highlight of our lives: doing challenging work, changing the community.

And change it did. Anderson had been working in the company’s development lab in San Jose, Calif., when he was offered a managerial position at the soon-to-be Boca site — and given 24 hours to accept or not. He hurried to a bookstore and bought a Florida map. Boca Raton wasn’t on it. 

“I had no idea if it was in the Panhandle or near Orlando or what,” he says. “I flew into Miami and rented a car, but I-95 ended at Fort Lauderdale. I drove the rest of the way up Federal Highway. The houses were all boarded up then; the beaches were empty. It was like a ghost town.”

The “small, sleepy town” he encountered in May 1967 woke up quickly once the new workforce began arriving and building homes, enrolling children in school, bringing a sophisticated appetite for good wines and gourmet restaurants, theater and art. 

Soon after his initial visit, he brought his wife, a California native, to Boca to look around.

“When she stopped crying, I took her into Lum’s for a sandwich and a beer,” he says. “On Saturday, we bought a lot. On Sunday, we picked a model. I lined up a mortgage. It was one whirlwind weekend.”

An even bigger whirlwind came with IBM’s technological advances. The Historical Society exhibit chronicles those in framed photos that line a hallway; original packaging saved by an employee; a roomful of computers that track its progression, each one smarter than its predecessor; memorabilia that includes the Charlie Chaplin logo, a nod to his Modern Times film.

Boca rode wave
of PC’s success

The firm introduced its pièce de résistance in 1981: the IBM PC, the first pre-assembled personal computer, one that could be lifted from the package and plugged into the wall. “It’s really exciting that it was developed right here in little Boca Raton,” says Susan Gillis. “The glamorous era was the 1980s.”

It was the massive-growth era, as well: IBM boasted more than 10,000 employees in that decade to keep up with the demand for PCs. “You could hardly bring people in fast enough,” Glenn Anderson says.

In 1983, Time’s Jan. 3 cover ran a “first.” It named the computer “Machine of the Year,” the first time an object took the place of the magazine’s “Man of the Year.” 

The accompanying story, however, was a faux-folksy essay by Roger Rosenblatt, rather skeptical in tone: “Ever see one of these before, mister? Yes, you. I’m talking to you, ma’am. Ever work one of these Commodores or Timex Sinclairs or Osborne Is or TRS-80 IIIs? How do you like them Apples? Just a joke, son. Good, clean fun. But you look so skeptical, like you’re from Missouri, and I want to sell you one of these beauties, ’cause you need it and ’cause you want it, no matter what you say.”

Still, PC sales outweighed PC skepticism. During the IBM PC’s initial 18 months, sales were twice the estimated 250,000. “Once, I could never envision having to use a computer,” says Gillis, “but now try to live without one.”

Down(sized) but not out

Ultimately, IBM’s success in Boca led to its downsizing in Boca. In the late 1980s, the company opted to shift its hardware manufacturing to Raleigh, N.C., and its software manufacturing to Austin, Texas. What once was corporate center land now is now to T-Rex, the Boca Corporate Center and Campus just off Yamato Road. 

IBM still maintains a four-story building on Congress Avenue — software development and service-and-sales are the main activities there — says Rick Qualman, vice-president of strategy and business development, but the firm won’t divulge the number of current employees “for policy reasons.” He estimates that some 12,000 IBM retirees still live in Florida.

Many, as they approached retirement age in the late 1980s, were offered buyouts. Anderson, then 59, was one.

“It was a little scary,” he says. “I didn’t know what I was gonna do with myself.” But the severance package was a generous one, and he and his wife decided to remain in Boca. Their daughter and younger son — 4-year-old twins when the family moved to Florida — stayed as well. Their older son, 6 at move time, lives in Colorado. 

He works for IBM.             Ú

By Steve Plunkett

Fields at a park being built in Boca Raton will have natural grass, not artificial turf, despite the stated goal of city officials to install turf to save money and increase playing time.

The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District decided in June to stick with grass at DeHoernle Park, under construction on Spanish River Boulevard west of Interstate 95. The 3-2 vote followed a report that, rather than saving money, turf would cost an additional $100,000 over 10 years.

Beach and Park District Attorney Art Koski and Executive Director Bob Langford recomputed city figures that estimated annual savings of $339,000 to include the $2.1 million initial cost of turf.

“There is no discernible financial advantage in utilization of artificial surfaces,” Koski concluded.

Beach and Park Commissioner Earl Starkoff said he had studied the natural-vs.-artificial issue for more than 10 years and there were other considerations besides turf’s lower operating and maintenance costs.

Particularly troublesome in South Florida, he said, was the manufacturer’s statement that reflective heat makes grass fields almost 10 degrees hotter but boosts turf temperatures 20 degrees.

“The irrigation systems will cool down the field for about 15 minutes of play time,” Starkoff said. “So I don’t find that an acceptable solution.”

Commissioner Robert Rollins agreed that temperature was an issue.

“I don’t know how many of those folks [at City Council] have gone to Dade County and stepped on one of those fields at noon as I did and found there was just one player out there and he could hardly wait to get off because his feet were burning from the heat,” Rollins said.

He said he also worried about children and referees having more ankle injuries on artificial fields.

“When you put your foot down and you turn, your foot stays there,” Rollins said.

At their joint meeting in May, Boca Raton Council members emphasized their desire to have artificial turf installed at DeHoernle Park. City parks officials say turf saves water and the fields do not have to be periodically closed for re-sodding.

The city has two soccer fields with artificial turf at Sand Pine Park, at 300 Newcastle St.; Boca Raton High School and Florida Atlantic University also have turf fields.

Brian and Don Clinton, co-founders of the Boca Jets Lacrosse league, had lobbied to have turf put in DeHoernle. Their teams travel to the South County Regional Park west of U.S. 441 to find available fields.

“There is limited opportunity and resources to develop additional ball fields within the community,”  Don Clinton said. “If the wrong decision is made on Spanish River, we will lose this golden opportunity.”                        Ú

By Steve Plunkett

Fields at a park being built in Boca Raton will have natural grass, not artificial turf, despite the stated goal of city officials to install turf to save money and increase playing time.

The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District decided in June to stick with grass at DeHoernle Park, under construction on Spanish River Boulevard west of Interstate 95. The 3-2 vote followed a report that, rather than saving money, turf would cost an additional $100,000 over 10 years.

Beach and Park District Attorney Art Koski and Executive Director Bob Langford recomputed city figures that estimated annual savings of $339,000 to include the $2.1 million initial cost of turf.

“There is no discernible financial advantage in utilization of artificial surfaces,” Koski concluded.

Beach and Park Commissioner Earl Starkoff said he had studied the natural-vs.-artificial issue for more than 10 years and there were other considerations besides turf’s lower operating and maintenance costs.

Particularly troublesome in South Florida, he said, was the manufacturer’s statement that reflective heat makes grass fields almost 10 degrees hotter but boosts turf temperatures 20 degrees.

“The irrigation systems will cool down the field for about 15 minutes of play time,” Starkoff said. “So I don’t find that an acceptable solution.”

Commissioner Robert Rollins agreed that temperature was an issue.

“I don’t know how many of those folks [at City Council] have gone to Dade County and stepped on one of those fields at noon as I did and found there was just one player out there and he could hardly wait to get off because his feet were burning from the heat,” Rollins said.

He said he also worried about children and referees having more ankle injuries on artificial fields.

“When you put your foot down and you turn, your foot stays there,” Rollins said.

At their joint meeting in May, Boca Raton Council members emphasized their desire to have artificial turf installed at DeHoernle Park. City parks officials say turf saves water and the fields do not have to be periodically closed for re-sodding.

The city has two soccer fields with artificial turf at Sand Pine Park, at 300 Newcastle St.; Boca Raton High School and Florida Atlantic University also have turf fields.

Brian and Don Clinton, co-founders of the Boca Jets Lacrosse league, had lobbied to have turf put in DeHoernle. Their teams travel to the South County Regional Park west of U.S. 441 to find available fields.

“There is limited opportunity and resources to develop additional ball fields within the community,”  Don Clinton said. “If the wrong decision is made on Spanish River, we will lose this golden opportunity.”                        Ú

By Steve Plunkett

Town commissioners approved a contract that enabled their interim town manager to drop “interim” from her title effective June 30, the day before new state rules tightened pension requirements for public employees.

The vote to make Kathleen Dailey Weiser town manager was 4-1, with Mayor Bernard Featherman dissenting. Featherman, who with Town Attorney Tom Sliney negotiated the contract, opposed paying Weiser $125,000 a year and contributing more than the 6.2 percent the town will pay toward its other employees’ pensions.

“It would be reprehensible if I said that I agree with everything in the contract even though I like the woman herself and she’s done a good job,” Featherman said. 

Weiser defended the agreement, saying she told Featherman she would want a $125,000 salary the first week he was in office. “With the exception of the automobile allowance, all monetary items were negotiated downward from my initial proposal,” she said. 

Commissioner Dennis Sheridan questioned why the contract was on the June 6 agenda if Featherman was not happy with it. “If it was not agreeable … why should it be submitted to us at all?” he asked.

Effective July 1, town employees are paying 3 percent of their salaries into the Florida Retirement System and Highland Beach is paying 6.2 percent. In Weiser’s case, the town will pay 15 percent and increase its contribution by 1 percent each year for five years.

The state’s new rules also limit severance packages to 20 weeks of pay. Weiser negotiated one month of severance pay for each year she works up to a maximum six months. 

“Change is never easy, but I hope I have your support as together we continue to make the town of Highland Beach the best it can be,” Weiser said.

Commissioners also decided to turn in the Nissan Murano the town had been leasing for suspended Town Manager Dale Sugerman when his contract expired June 30. The town was paying $500 a month on the lease and $208 a month on maintenance, fuel and insurance.

Weiser will get $600 as her monthly automobile allowance.

Sugerman was suspended in January after commissioners learned he planned to put Town Clerk Beverly Brown on a one-month unpaid suspension for forwarding racist emails on the town’s computer system. A hearing officer decided in April a written reprimand was enough punishment for Brown.

Sugerman continued to be paid $12,000 a month during his five-month suspension and kept the leased SUV. Weiser was named interim town manager Feb. 22 and paid $6,000 a month.                    Ú

By Skip Sheffield

In troubled economic times, it is tougher than ever to convince people to give to any charity. In its 29^th year of operation, the George Snow Scholarship Fund defies the odds.

At an annual awards reception at Royal Palm Yacht Club, the George Snow Scholarship Fund gave out a record $433,000 to 63 Florida scholars. The beauty of the gala event, attended by more than 300 adults and young people, was that it was produced at no cost to the fund, its scholarship recipients or their guests thanks to underwriters the Steve Bagdan Charitable Foundation, the R.A. Ritter Foundation, BNY Mellon Wealth management and other donors.

It began with a tragedy: a 1980 helicopter crash that took the life of teacher-turned builder and developer George Snow. Tim Snow, George’s eldest son, founded the memorial fund in 1982 with brother Jeff and sisters Lisa and Jennifer. George Snow Scholarship Fund is now one of the largest sources of educational grants in Palm Beach County, with 266 four-year scholarship recipients currently attending college. The fund is a broad-based association of individuals, businesses and charitable organizations. Some perpetuate the memory of a deceased person. Others are religious, professional or civic groups. All are dedicated to providing educational opportunities to youth who may not otherwise be able to continue their higher education.

Not only does the George Snow Scholarship Fund give out monetary grants, it provides scholars with a backpack loaded with useful goodies, including an HP laptop computer. In addition, the fund’s management and volunteers provide year-round moral support, guidance and advice to its scholars, many of whom are leaving home for the first time.

The Snow Scholarship Fund, which has only four full-time staff, has become so successful it now administers scholarships for than 50 individuals, organizations and corporations.

One such organization is Propel, which awarded scholarships for the first time this year to three deserving students.

“Tim Snow and his staff have the know-how and experience to expedite the process,” said Propel executive director Tolliver Miller. “Most small non-profit just don’t have the staff to do such a good a job. There are additional benefits for our kids, because George Snow Scholarship Fund is a year-round resource for education, funding opportunities and practical advice.”

Miller is the sole paid employee of Propel, founded in 2003. Propel serves about 65 disadvantaged or at-risk youth in Palm Beach and Broward Counties. Through George Snow Scholarship Fund, Propel awarded three scholarships to Tyrone Brooks, a junior at Florida A&M University; Kenneth Stephens, a sophomore at Bethel (Minn.) University, and Joselito Rivera, an incoming student at Florida Barber Academy.

Tyrone Brooks is a perfect example of a bright, underprivileged youth who has overcome obstacles to earn an education taken for granted by many. Now 23, Brooks grew up in the Pearl City section of Boca Raton with his single-parent mother. He worked while attending Palm Beach State College and Tallahassee Community College. For the first time he has the advantage of being a full-time student.

“The way the scholarship is set up, it helps me with my rent too,” says Brooks. “I feel blessed. The laptop and supplies will come in real handy too.”

Most Snow Scholarship recipients have similar stories, but not all are from disadvantaged or single-parent homes. Some scholarships are set up for specific subjects or interests, such as medicine, banking, law or music. Dreyfoos School of the Arts graduate Carly Gordon received two scholarships this year from musical foundations to offset her considerable expenses at Eastman School of Music in New York.

Ben Carter became the first recipient of a $10,000 George Snow Graduate School Scholarship to help him complete his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree at University of Florida.

“I have been working in veterinary clinics ever since high school,” Carter told the audience of more than 300. “I will continue to work while attending the University of Florida graduate school. Work is what I do. I hope to return to Boca Raton when I get my degree and either go to work at a clinic or start one of my own. If it were not for George Snow Scholarships, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”                      Ú

George Snow Scholarship Fund is at 1860 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton. Call 347-6799 or visit www.scholarship.org.

Dinner by the Bite

Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center

Festival of the Arts BOCA held an encore “Dinner by the Bite” and fundraising concert May 21 at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center.  Quartetto Gelato provided entertainment.

ABOVE: Jim and Helen Ballerano, Yvonne Boice and Al Zucaro Jr.

RIGHT: Bill and Sharon Shubin and Dick Schmidt

Photos provided

-----

Congratulations

Boca Raton High School Valedictorian

John Doyle, son of John and Andrea Doyle of coastal Boca Raton, has graduated from Boca Raton High School. John was one of the 2011 State Science Olympiad Champions, a Science Pathfinder nominee and a National AP Scholar. He plans to study biomedical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

Guests stay close to nature — and elephants — at Sanctuary Baines’ Camp,
near the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. Photos provided

Learn more about travel options at Beer Bon Voyage and Caligo Ventures

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

African Gems 

Travel Inc.

Delray Beach, 243-2119 (888-290-1099); www.africangemstravel.com/

If destinations such as Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and the Seychelles beckon, you might want to meet Ann Rene McDonnell. She’s owner of African Gems Travel Inc., which she runs out of her condo in east Delray Beach.

Although she specializes in ecologically friendly luxury travel, she says, “We work with all budgets and our clients’ wishes.” 

For example, Sharon Dick who lives near Baltimore wanted to go on night hikes in remote jungle areas to see frogs. McDonnell made it happen. 

“She customizes and personalizes,” says Dick, who has planned two trips online through AGT.

McDonnell has been in the travel-to-Africa business since 1991. She started her own company in 2006 that books hotels, resorts, camps and lodges.

“Hands down, people go to Africa for the animals,” she says. So she also books safaris in Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania. These feature private tours in four-wheel-drive vehicles. At night, you can stay in lodges or in tents.

 But don’t think the Boy Scout variety. 

The 10 white tents at Joy’s Camp in the Shaba National Reserve of Kenya are decorated with native fabrics and handmade glass. Each sits on a raised platform and includes a bedroom, a bathroom with stone floor, flush toilet and shower with hot running water. You can step out onto a private veranda to see the surrounding hills. 

And the five tented accommodations at Sanctuary Baines’ Camp set near the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana feature four-poster beds covered in mosquito net that can be moved outside so you can sleep under the stars. There also are hair dryers and minibars in the “rooms.”

Guests stay close to nature — and elephants — at Sanctuary
Baines’ Camp, near the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. Photos provided

If you want some surf with your safari, there are plenty of choices. The Seychelles is a 115-island archipelago in the Indian Ocean. 

To get up close and personal, sailors may want to charter a bareboat.

McDonnell can arrange one up to 50 feet out of Port Louis in Mauritius or Victoria Harbor in the Seychelles. There are also cabins available on crewed trips.

Elsewhere on the continent, oenophiles can enjoy a wine tour of the vineyards outside Cape Town in South Africa. And those who want to experience nature but not give up luxury can stay at Crater Lodge perched on the edge of the Ngoronjoro Crater in Tanzania. 

The lodge rooms feature bathtubs with views of the volcanic expanse, leather-backed chairs in front of a fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows dressed in raw-silk curtains and hand-beaded chandeliers. You even get a butler to run your bath and keep the fire going.

“It’s a real contrast,” McDonnell says.

Her personal choice? Namibia. She likes its dunes and coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean. 

“It’s a less traveled area with fewer crowds,” she says.

But McDonnell is about more than just travel to Africa.  She donates 10 percent of her profits to Partners in Health, a nonprofit that brings medical care to Rwanda, Malawi and Lesotho.  

Guests of Sanctuary Baines’ Camp tour the countryside, including the Moremi Game Reserve. 

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Even if you can’t leave South Florida during these
hot and humid summer months, it’s a good time to plan a future getaway.
South Florida companies offer a variety of niche tours and accommodations
in some very different destinations. 

Here’s a toast to beer, birding and Botswana.

BIRDING:

Birdwatchers can see about 400 species at the Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge in Trinidad including birds like this female green honeycreeper seen below. Photos by Jerry Lower

BOTSWANA

Guests stay close to nature — and elephants — at Sanctuary Baines’ Camp, near the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. Photos provided

BEER

Mike Arra and Ruth Berman have created Bon Beer Voyage, a beer-oriented travel company. Photo by Susan Mann

Learn more about Beer Bon Voyage, African Gems Travel Inc., and Caligo Ventures

Birdwatchers can see about 400 species at the Asa
Wright Nature Centre and Lodge in Trinidad including
birds like this female green honeycreeper seen below. Photos by Jerry Lower

Learn more about travel options at Beer Bon Voyage, African Gems Travel Inc.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Caligo Ventures

Key West, 800-426-7781 (305-292-0780); www.caligo.com/

If you are big into birding, you’ll want to know about Caligo Ventures Tour and Travel, based in Key West. In business since 1983, the company offers packaged trips for those who want to get close to nature.

“We are for birders who want to see stuff they haven’t seen or who want to see something again,” says co-owner Mark Hedden.

Some past clients who have enjoyed their tours include the Boston Museum of Science, the Louisiana Ornithological Society, the National Audubon Society, the New York Botanical Garden and the Burpee Museum.

Simon Calle of Highland Beach, a birder for 25 years, went to Trinidad, Tobago and Costa Rica with the company. “You can go wherever they go and count on having a good time,” he says. “They leave nothing to be desired.”

Their most popular destination is the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad. “It’s the kind of place you can sit on the front porch of the lodge with a cup of locally grown coffee and see 40 species of birds before lunch,” says Hedden, who has visited the center a dozen times. 

But Caligo also offers trips to Tobago, Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Peru, Guyana, Ecuador and Mexico. And it teams up with partners in France, Scotland, England, Spain, Iceland, Hungary and Turkey to arrange your visit to those countries. 

Hedden, who has bird-watched for 20 years, favors Guyana. “People can hardly find it on the map, but it’s the greenest place I’ve ever been. There are thousands of acres of pristine rainforest that isn’t about to be developed,” he says.

Trips are organized for groups of up to 14 people or for as small as a single person or a couple. Guests are paired with local guides who are rooted in the community.

 “They have the expertise that comes with living in the country they are showing, and they can give you an idea of the local culture,” Hedden says. Caligo guides in Trinidad are second and third generations of the same family leading people into the preserve.

Female Green Honeycreeper

Accommodations are comfortable but not luxurious. “Birders don’t tend to be as conscious of luxury as some other travelers,” says Caligo co-owner Larry Lebowitz. “They are more interested in habitat preservation and access to the birds.” 

For example, the Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge is set at 1,200 feet above sea level on the grounds of a former coffee plantation. The ecologically conscious accommodations include twin-bedded rooms with private baths in the main estate and in nearby cottages on the garden-like grounds. 

Meals featuring local foods are included with the tours. At the Asa Wright Lodge, the food reflects the diversity of the local cuisine including West Indian, Creole, Asian, Indian and European dishes. Meals are served family-style, and people with vegetarian diets are easily accommodated. 

“It may not be the Ritz-Carlton,” says Lebowitz, but it’s perfect for people out to see the more than 400 bird species that live in the preserve. Expect to view squirrel cuckoos, toucans, parrots and tufted coquettes. And that’s just from the lodge.

Although birding does require some walking, most Caligo tours are not physically demanding. “Birders tend to move slowly and quietly so they can see nature. We do some walking but not a lot,” Hedden says. Most are conducted with the use of wheeled vehicles. And they attract a variety of people from ages 20 through retirement. 

“Our tours are for people with a little time and a little money,” Lebowitz says.          Ú

Disclosure: Coastal Star publisher Jerry Lower owns a minority share in Caligo Ventures. 

Dinner by the Bite

Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center

Festival of the Arts BOCA held an encore “Dinner by the Bite” and fundraising concert May 21 at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center.  Quartetto Gelato provided entertainment.

Bill and Sharon Shubin and Dick Schmidt

Jim and Helen Ballerano, Yvonne Boice and Al Zucaro Jr. photos provided

-----

Congratulations

Boca Raton High School Valedictorian

John Doyle, son of John and Andrea Doyle of coastal Boca Raton, has graduated from Boca Raton High School. John was one of the 2011 State Science Olympiad Champions, a Science Pathfinder nominee and a National AP Scholar. He plans to study biomedical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mike Arra and Ruth Berman have created Bon Beer Voyage,
a beer-oriented travel company. Photo by Susan Mann

Learn more about travel options at African Gems Travel Inc., and Caligo Ventures

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Bon Beer Voyage

Boynton Beach.
888-U-Go-Beer  (888-846-2337);
www.bonbbeervoyage.com

A passion for travel and a taste for craft beers have combined to form a second career for Ruth Berman and Mike Arra. 

They have created Bon Beer Voyage, a beer-oriented travel company. 

“We love what we do,” Berman says. “People get crazy when we take them where the best beers in the world are made. It’s like bringing them to mecca.” 

And a visit to their website may give you some Father’s Day ideas for that beer-lover in your life.

The husband and wife team, who are chiropractors in Boynton Beach, met when they were going to school in Atlanta. From there, they moved to Florida where they opened their practice 22 years ago. 

Over the years, Berman became so interested in travel that she worked with a travel agency to arrange high-end travel packages and went to school to become a certified tour director, leading groups in Washington, D.C., and Miami.

“We love to travel,” she says with great enthusiasm.

In 2009, the couple were vacationing in the Dordogne region of southwest France before embarking on a bike/barge trip. Seeing an outdoor market in the town where they were staying, Berman decided to explore. Here she found a brewer selling his Cross of the Rat beer. 

“It was at 8:30 a.m., and I was drinking beer. I wondered who am I and how did I get here?” she laughs.

She bought four big bottles of different beer styles and packed them on the barge trip.

It turned out it was their tour guide’s first time leading this itinerary, and as they biked through the countryside between barge stops, he kept getting lost.

“He just didn’t have this tour down,” says Berman, who as a professional tour guide knows what it means to prepare for a trip. 

But it didn’t matter. They had a good time sharing their beer with fellow travelers and seeing the French countryside. That’s when the couple realized: “We could do this.” 

So in 2009, they started organizing their own beer-related tours.

Their next trip, beginning in Amsterdam, is scheduled Oct. 22-29 for a maximum of 24 people. They’ll board the barge Iris for a seven-day cruise to Bruges, Belgium, stopping at 10 breweries along the way. These include La Trappe, the only Trappist brewery in the Netherlands, and Gruut, which is run by a woman who makes a hopless beer following a medieval recipe. They’ll be joined by Jason & Todd Alström, editors of The Beer Advocate magazine and website.

“It’s the beer-geek trip of a lifetime,” Berman says. They are also offering a trip to Ireland (Aug. 21-27). A trip to Italy (Oct. 15-21) sold out, but there’s a waiting list.

Last year, Bill McFee of Boca Raton, who is a radiologist by profession and a beer brewer by passion, went with his wife, Maria, on a Bon Beer Voyage trip to Belgium.

“They made all the arrangements. It was well-coordinated, and they made the travel easy and enjoyable. We also got into breweries we wouldn’t have been able to on our own,” he says. 

Bon Beer Voyage also offers weekend Beer Safaris: tasting tours in places such as St. Augustine and Tampa. And it hosts local events where craft beer lovers can taste special brews, make new friends and talk about their first love — beer.

“We’ve gone on private tours by ourselves,” says Maria McFee. “But going with Bon Beer Voyage is like a traveling party. They make it so easy because you don’t have to think. Just
go.”                                                            Ú

Flutist Karen Dixon (left), bassoonist Michael Ellert
and clarinetist Michael Forte founded the Palm Beach
Chamber Music Festival in 1992. Photo provided

By Greg Stepanich

In 1992, the cultural scene in South Florida was on the verge of a new phase of growth.

The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts opened that year, a year after the Broward Center for the Performing Arts opened in Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, which had assumed that name only about a year earlier, was making plans for its first recording.

That same summer, three woodwind-playing members of the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra came together to play some chamber music, ostensibly as nothing more than a friendly gathering. But the Duncan Theatre offered the three — flutist Karen Dixon, clarinetist Michael Forte and bassoonist Michael Ellert — a hall for public performance, and a concert series was born.

This month, the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival will open its 20th season of concerts, and as in years past will offer four different programs, each played three times, in West Palm Beach (Persson Hall at Palm Beach Atlantic University, 8 p.m., Fridays), Palm Beach Gardens (Eissey Campus Theatre, 8 p.m. Saturdays) and Delray Beach (Crest Theatre, 2 p.m. Sundays).

On tap are some of the towering masterworks of the chamber literature, including the Mozart Clarinet Quintet, Arnold Schoenberg’s pivotal string sextet Verklärte Nacht, and Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. And while the occasion provided an opportunity to do a “best of,” revisiting of pieces that have proven successful in earlier seasons, the musicians for the most part are looking ahead.

“We haven’t even actually done that many before,” Ellert said of the pieces on this summer’s program. Instead, the group is finally getting to some long-cherished selections such as the Schoenberg and the Gran Partita (K. 361) of Mozart, which calls for 13 wind players.

The dozen core members will be joined this summer by about 20 guest artists, including three narrators for the Stravinsky and conductor Alexander Jimenez. Many of these musicians have appeared on the festival’s six excellent recordings on the Klavier label, based in Boca Raton. 

Because it was started by three woodwind players, Palm Beach’s chamber fest favors wind repertory more than it does string quartets, and its programs always contain fresh, underappreciated repertoire. This season’s programs will include music by the American composers Eric Ewazen and Robert Muczynski, Frenchmen Philippe Gaubert and Eugène Bozza and the Czech Bohuslav Martinů. 

Choosing that kind of repertory  offers something special to listeners and players alike, Ellert said, and it’s been a guiding principle of the festival since that first concert in July 1992. 

“It’s not fair to the audience, it’s not fair to the musical world, to just play Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. And that would be really easy to do,” he said. 

The concerts are scheduled for July 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, and 29-31. Tickets for the concerts are $25 apiece, with a four-week subscription for $85, a $15 discount. Call 800-330-6874 or visit www.pbcmf.org.

This also is a milestone year for the Boca Raton Museum of Art, which this month is hosting the 60th edition of its all-Florida juried show. The exhibit, which features 101 artworks by as many Florida artists, opened June 29 and runs through Sept. 11 at the museum in Mizner Park.

The museum’s senior curator, Wendy Blazier, said interest in the competition has grown in the past four years, which is when the museum switched its application method to email. This year, 583 artists from across the state submitted 1,840 works, a 30 percent increase over last year, she said.

“It boosts our attendance every summer, and it’s always an interesting show with a broad variety of styles and approaches,” Blazier said of the exhibit. “It’s a way that we can provide for the inclusion of area artists in a museum setting, where their work can be reviewed and judged by a professional in the field.”

The art was judged this year by Valerie Ann Leeds, an expert in the Ashcan School painter Robert Henri, who is an adjunct curator at the Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Mich. Blazier said the process of getting the juried show together takes the museum about six months, and was overseen by Assistant Curator Kelli Bodle. 

But while other museums have dropped juried shows, Boca’s remains a central part of the museum’s educational mission, Blazier said.

“Part of that education, we believe, is creating awareness and appreciation for those rare individuals in South Florida who are artists. It’s a difficult thing, an extraordinary direction, that an individual takes,” she said. “And the museum plays a primary role in providing support. It’s very, very important in any community that there be an institution that shows support, and continues that support, for the artistic community.”

Tickets for the juried show are $8, $6 for seniors 65 and older, and $4 for students. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and until 9 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month. Call 392-2500 or visit  www.bocamuseum.org.

Arts notes: Delray Beach’s Arts Garage has added a ceramics exhibit to its home at 180 NE First St. The exhibit, viewable by appointment (info@delraybeacharts.org, or call 243-7129). Clay From Earth is open through July 30 and features the work of 13 artists including Jeff Leedy, whose credits include ceramics for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway … The Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History in Boynton Beach has announced its Saturday summertime tours of historic Delray Beach. The first one was June 25; the next two are set for July 23 and Aug. 27. The tours board at the Boynton Beach Mall at 11 a.m.  and last two hours as the buses travel through Delray’s five historic districts (email  tour@delraybeachbustours.org, visit  www.delraybeachbustours.org, or call 243-2662).

Greg Stepanich is the editor/founder of the Palm Beach ArtsPaper, available online at www.palmbeachartspaper.com

James T. Heverin

BOCA RATON — Gumbo Limbo Nature Center was near and dear to James T. Heverin’s heart. He spent many hours there as a volunteer.

So when Mr. Heverin died last month, the family asked that donations in his memory go to the nature center.

Mr. Heverin, 70, of Boca Raton, died at Hospice by the Sea on June 3.

Before moving to Boca Raton, Mr. Heverin lived in Bergenfield, N.J., where he was known for his volunteer work. He coached basketball, soccer and Little League, and was a volunteer with the Cub Scouts and the town’s ambulance service.

A graduate of St. Francis College in Brooklyn, Mr. Heverin worked at CIT Group in New York, where he retired as vice president.

A devout Catholic, Mr. Heverin was active with the Knights of Columbus at St. Joan of Arc  Church and a member of the men’s club at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. He was a volunteer at the Boca Raton Police Department.

Survivors include his wife, Anne; son, Tim, with his wife, Allison, of Chicago; daughter Anne Marie Heverin of Hoboken, N.J.; and grandchildren Patrick, Katy and Nora. 

Glick Family Funeral Home, Boca Raton, was in charge of arrangements.  A Mass in his honor was held on June 7 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Deerfield Beach. 

To donate in Mr. Heverin’s  memory to Gumbo Limbo, see gumbolimbo.org or call 338-1473.

  — Staff Report

Susan Epling’s son Brandon was 4 when the pair first
began planting flags throughout Highland Beach to mark the
Fourth of July. It’s been a patriotic tradition for 20 years now. Photo by Tim Stepien

Highland Beach residents who awaken on the Fourth of July to a sea of red, white and blue flags, have Susan K. Epling to thank. She and her son, Brandon, began the patriotic tribute 20 years ago, and haven’t missed a single year since. 

Brandon, 23, was just 4 when they began pitching American flags in front of residents’ homes.

“I wanted to teach him patriotism and giving back to his community,” said Epling,  a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate on Ocean Boulevard in Boca Raton.

“Brandon and I have put flags in yards, on the docks and the entire 3½-mile stretch of A1A in Highland Beach,” she said. “We planted about 2,500 flags one year, but on the average about 1,500 are put out every year. This is a ritual we both look forward to every year.  The residents of Highland Beach call us and send us thank-you notes. They love to see old glory waving proudly!” (If you’d like to thank the Eplings, email Sepling1@aol.com)

The mother-son team’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by town officials. There was an offer for the town to help pay for the flags, but Epling said she and Brandon, a student at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale studying video/film production, want to do it on their own, although Brandon’s friends sometimes help place the flags. 

Residents are welcome to keep the flags, but some are retrieved and recycled, if they’re in good enough condition. The town collects those that remain and stores them.

Brandon Epling at age four.

“We’re very particular about them,” Epling said. “I’ll iron them if they need it and if they’re tattered they will be replaced” with hundreds of new flags she buys each year.

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Epling, a Baby Boomer who enjoys arts and crafts, said she has always been very patriotic.

“My two brothers were both in the Army,” she said.  “My youngest brother served in the Vietnam War and older brother in secret intelligence. I can remember when they came home on leave. It was such a happy occasion, but when they had to return, my heart would go out to all of the men and women who were keeping us safe. I have always felt a strong appreciation for those that serve our country.”

One year, she and her son, with the help of some of his friends, put the flags on A1A, too, but this year, like most years, they concentrated on the entrance to the town from Delray Beach and Boca Raton, the Town Hall, and all the side streets.

“This year is the 10th anniversary of all those who lost their lives in 9/11,” Epling said. “We honor them, as well.”

— Mary Thurwachter

Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? 

A. I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. I went to Akron University for my real estate and also to Kent State University. Went to Hammel Business College for court stenography.

Q. What are highlights of your professional life? 

A. I have met some very interesting people who have become life-long friends through my real estate business. I am a very competitive and compassionate person. I love the challenge of the accomplishments.

Q. Is the Fourth of July your favorite holiday? 

A. The Fourth of July is a special day and time to reflect on what a great country we live in, our freedom and what our Constitution stands for.  The decorating of the red, white and blue, the American flags waving and fireworks lift my spirits and make me feel proud to be an American. 

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Highland Beach?

A. I actually had a client looking to move to Highland Beach. In showing him property, I thought, this is where I want to live — in this peaceful charming town. That was 33 years ago!

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Highland Beach?

A. Highland Beach offers Florida lifestyle at its best.  You have the beach, boating, biking, jogging, sunrises, sunsets and you can drive to the busy city life within half an hour north or south. The town only has one piece of commercial property — the Holiday Inn — where I like to meet with friends for a little wine, song and entertainment!

Q. What got you interested in real estate?

A. In growing up, my family owned a Century 21 real estate firm in Ohio, which was very successful. Because I was around it all the time, I was quite intrigued with the interaction with people and the sales aspect. I also worked for a real estate investment trust that gave me great knowledge of the real estate industry.  

Q. Have you had famous clients over the years? 

A. Yes, several NFL players, Leona Helmsley and Robert De Niro. Baseball legend Carl Yastrzemski used to live on my street.

Q. If someone made a movie of your life, who would you like to play you and why?

A. Julia Roberts, because she is adventurous, daring and gutsy!  I have truly had circumstances in my life that are novel/movie material. It would be No. 1 on the charts!

Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?  

A. Inspirational music to make me keep going — Chariots of Fire — love the movie and the story. 

Relaxing — I have a collection of antique music boxes, love to wind them up and listen to them, string instruments, piano — Kenny G a favorite.

Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions? 

A. A risk so small is worth a reward so great!

Members of the Israeli Scouts Friendship Caravan performed recently at Abbey Delray North. Photo by C.B. Hanif

By C. B. Hanif

The Israeli Scouts Friendship Caravan rolled into Abbey Delray North on a June morning, 10 teens showing off great voices while singing of love for their country through a medley of songs in Hebrew, English and Yiddish. 

Their energy was amazing, their routines deftly choreographed beneath exquisite harmony and outstanding solos. 

Also present, and trying not to look like a proud papa, was Shelly Weil, who for 38 years has been hosting the exemplary cultural program.

“Every year I look forward to getting a new group of scouts because they’re 17-year-old kids, and I don’t see them again unless they come back as a leader,” said Weil, of Delray Beach.

“We have four such caravans that are going to cover the United States, probably about 35 to 40 different states, as ambassadors, and that’s their prime purpose of being here,” said the member of the Israeli Scout International Board. 

To pull off the visit of the scouts, or Tzofim, each year, “I make a lot of calls, visit a lot of people, bring them pictures, CDs and so forth, and try to get them to a diverse population rather then just going to synagogues, where obviously people know Israel,” he said.

“For example, we’ll take them to a church on Sunday morning. Sometimes I like to bring them to a Baptist church or an Episcopal church. On Saturday we’re going up to Palm Beach Juvenile Detention Center, where we were asked to come up and talk to the kids who are incarcerated, for major crimes.”

Said Ori Zeltzer, one of the caravan’s leaders, “Though our main thing is to put on as much of a show as we can for the communities that we pass through, the main issue here is being the best ambassadors Israel can get, and showing people here that sometimes Israel is much more different than what you see in the newspapers, or TV, or the local media. These are the kids of Israel.”

Zeltzer said he too was a scout from age 9, then at 18 went for six years to the Israeli army, from which he was discharged two months ago. Similarly, for these youths, “Next summer they’re going to be recruited to the army,” and, after multiple years of service, “Maybe one of them will become a caravan leader.”

From their Abbey North audience of more than 100 the troupe garnered rave reviews, such as Scott Wang’s: “It was upbeat, nice, pleasant, positive, no political messages. Young people, I think they just want to enjoy life, and have peace.”

If there wasn’t a subtle message in the choice of one of the closing songs, there at least was a hint of future possibilities. 

“I learned in Tzofim,” said the youth who introduced the tune, “that there is no such thing as a change that is too hard to make. And the lyrics of the next song say it all. ‘If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change’,” he said, as the troupe moved into Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror.

When the teens concluded with the Israeli national anthem, there was a contrast between the mainly gray-haired audience and mainly dark-haired youths, yet solidarity in that most seemed to know the lyrics.

Afterward, the teens accepted donations and sold T-shirts and CDs of their music. 

It makes one wonder what ambassadors we’re sending to other countries. And why other countries’ ambassadors aren’t working as hard as Shelly Weil.

C.B. Hanif is a writer and inter-religious affairs consultant. Find him at www.inter
faith21.com.

           Veterinarian Marty Becker recently published Your Dog:
The Owner's Manual. Up next is a guide for cat owners.

By Arden Moore

Cars, flat-screen television sets and even irons come with owner’s manuals to explain how they operate and how to make them perform at their best. Alas, our pets do not. 

But Marty Becker, D.V.M., best known as “America’s Veterinarian,” is on a mission to change that.

He just completed a six-week national bus tour called “Healthy Pets Visit Pets” that included three stops in Florida. He also just penned his 19th book — one that I regard as his best work —called Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual. It contains hundreds of tips, surprises and solutions for raising a happy, healthy dog.

During his stop at a Petco store near my home, I surprised my long-time veterinarian friend by showing up not only with my dog, Cleo, but also my very canine-savvy cat, Zeki. My harness-wearing Turkish Van-mix feline eyed the canine crowd, who stopped yapping and sat at attention — and in awe. She commands that type of dog respect. 

“Only you, Arden, could pull off bringing a cat to a dog event,” he laughed. “Hey, Zeki is just ahead of the game. My next book, Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual, comes out later this year.”

I came to support Becker on his mission to educate the pet-loving public of the need to have the right tools to be responsible health allies for their pets. He has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 30 years and has been the veterinary correspondent to ABC-TV’s Good Morning America for 10 years and serves as the resident veterinarian on The Dr. Oz Show and the pet expert for AARP.  

He stays current on advances in veterinary medicine while never turning down a doggy kiss or a friendly head-butt from a contented cat. Every day, he does his best to champion the people-pet bond. 

Let me share with you some of his creative tips and strategies designed to bring out the best in dogs all over America:

• Ditch the food bowl — on occasion. Face it, our dogs aren’t grabbing our car keys and sneaking out to chow down on super-sized meals at a fast-food restaurant. Far too many dogs have more waddle than wiggle and struggle with being overweight. Becker’s solution: Bring out a dog’s natural hunting skills by replacing the food bowl a few times a week with food puzzles designed to dole out small amounts of food when the dog makes the puzzle move or open in some way. Becker recommends the Kong Wobbler, Busy Buddy line and Nina Ottosson’s Dog Pyramid.

• Fend off wolfing down food with stones. Some dogs seem to behave like furry vacuums, inhaling their meals so quickly that you wonder if their taste buds had time to engage. Counter this by placing two or three washed, smooth stones in their food dish at meal time. They are forced to slow down in order to eat around these heavy stones.

• Jazz up that game of fetch. For dogs who love to chase after balls, try tossing the ball up or down a hill or in the water for an extra fulfilling workout. For little, active dogs, select a right-sized stuffed animal that you can toss safely in the house without knocking over a lamp. Other fetch game variations: Hide the ball and then let your dog find it. Or play “monkey in the middle” by having family members toss, roll or kick the ball and reward your dog with a treat each time he intercepts it and gives it back.

• Keep yourself dry at doggy bath time. We’ve all experienced that “big shake” when our saturated dog unleashes a full-body wiggle and sprays us with water. Becker’s solution to staying dry: Hold your dog’s nose. He can’t shake. Towel him dry and then usher him to a “shaking-allowed zone” and your clothes won’t be drenched.

• Keep your dog healthy without taking a big bite out of your wallet. To accomplish this, Becker urges you to never skip your dog’s wellness exams. The reason? The majority of health problems that can be identified in their early stages are far cheaper and easier to treat than those that are left to fester and worsen before a veterinarian can intervene and take action. If your dog needs a medication, work with your veterinarian on how to shop around for the best price. Veterinarians can write prescriptions and you may find considerable savings at a pharmacy, especially for generic drugs. 

Becker provides hundreds of more canine-care insights in his book, which caters to both the seasoned dog owner as well as those adopting a puppy for the first time. 

You can learn more by tuning in to Dr. Becker’s guest appearance on my Oh Behave show on PetLifeRadio.com and by visiting  www.drmartybecker.com. 

And, to get your “paws” on an autographed copy of his book, Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual, be the 10th person to email me at Arden@fourleggedlife.com with the code words: America’s Veterinarian. Trust me, your dog will thank you for doing so. 

Arden Moore, Founder of Four Legged Life.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and certified pet first aid instructor. She happily shares her home with two dogs, two cats and one overworked vacuum cleaner. Tune in to her Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com and learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.

 Jeanne Bice

v

By Emily J. Minor

BOCA RATON — Jeanne Bice, who took her love for glitter, paired it with a young widow’s instinct to provide for her children and then parlayed all that into QVC fame and fortune, died June 10. Mrs. Bice was 71.

While the family has not come forward with a cause of death, several of Mrs.  Bice’s followers posted online tributes, mentioning that Mrs. Bice had been suffering from uterine cancer and blood clots in her lungs. Her last QVC appearance was by Skype interactive video over Memorial Day weekend.

A resident of coastal Boca Raton since 2005, when she bought a home on Spanish River Road, Mrs. Bice started her fashion wear after her husband, Butch, died at 42. A housewife from Wisconsin, Mrs. Bice moved herself and her two children, Tim and Lee, to Florida and began selling her wares at flea markets. 

She is survived by both her children, and it appears from property records that her son lives in Delray Beach. But neither could be reached.

In 1995, Mrs. Bice broke in to the QVC market and was an immediate hit. Callers — and shoppers — loved her can-do attitude, her self-deprecating humor and her jeweled fashions.

After her death, QVC posted a eulogy on its website: “Jeanne chose to love. She loved what she did — creating Quacker Factory clothes, with ‘sparkle and shine’. Clothes that made people Happy. She loved QVC. Everything about it. She loved the people: the executives who ran it, and the production people who worked so hard to make every show perfect. She loved the famous stars who appeared there, and had to pinch herself when others considered her one.”

The New York Times dubbed her “the undisputed queen of Christmas sweaters.” But her fans — called “Quackers,” who would often quack like a duck when they called to talk to her, live, on QVC — knew the truth.

Jeanne Bice could sparkle any occasion: Valentine’s Day. Mother’s Day. Fourth of July. And how she loved to celebrate Halloween, wearing her orange and black sequins.

     Mrs. Bice’s funeral was June 14 at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach.

BOCA RATON — Jeanne Bice, who took her love for glitter, paired it with a young widow’s instinct to provide for her children and then parlayed all that into QVC fame and fortune, died June 10. Mrs. Bice was 71.

While the family has not come forward with a cause of death, several of Mrs.  Bice’s followers posted online tributes, mentioning that Mrs. Bice had been suffering from uterine cancer and blood clots in her lungs. Her last QVC appearance was by Skype interactive video over Memorial Day weekend.

A resident of coastal Boca Raton since 2005, when she bought a home on Spanish River Road, Mrs. Bice started her fashion wear after her husband, Butch, died at 42. A housewife from Wisconsin, Mrs. Bice moved herself and her two children, Tim and Lee, to Florida and began selling her wares at flea markets. 

She is survived by both her children, and it appears from property records that her son lives in Delray Beach. But neither could be reached.

In 1995, Mrs. Bice broke in to the QVC market and was an immediate hit. Callers — and shoppers — loved her can-do attitude, her self-deprecating humor and her jeweled fashions.

After her death, QVC posted a eulogy on its website: “Jeanne chose to love. She loved what she did — creating Quacker Factory clothes, with ‘sparkle and shine’. Clothes that made people Happy. She loved QVC. Everything about it. She loved the people: the executives who ran it, and the production people who worked so hard to make every show perfect. She loved the famous stars who appeared there, and had to pinch herself when others considered her one.”

The New York Times dubbed her “the undisputed queen of Christmas sweaters.” But her fans — called “Quackers,” who would often quack like a duck when they called to talk to her, live, on QVC — knew the truth.

Jeanne Bice could sparkle any occasion: Valentine’s Day. Mother’s Day. Fourth of July. And how she loved to celebrate Halloween, wearing her orange and black sequins.

     Mrs. Bice’s funeral was June 14 at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach.

By Steve Plunkett

The folks planning a park at Ocean Strand want a few creative ideas on what to put there.

The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, which owns the coastal parcel, launched a new website, www.mybocaparks.org, which it hopes the public will use to keep up to date on Ocean Strand. Ideas can be sent to the district by clicking “Contact Us.” 

District commissioners in May received their first report on the proposed park from consultants Curtis + Rogers Design Studio and promptly posted it on the website.

“This is really quite a unique site — to have frontage on both the Intracoastal and the ocean — very, very unique,” said Gerald Marston, the firm’s director of design.

He divided the 15 acres of beachfront property that straddles State Road A1A, and is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway on the west, into ocean, meadow and Intracoastal zones.     

“Topographically, it’s a big bump on the ocean side and a big flat plane on the Intracoastal portion,” Marston said.

Environmental consultant Christy Brush said the parcel actually was four areas when it came to seeking permits: beach-dune, upland, mangrove wetlands and submerged lands. The submerged portion might support eight to 10 powerboat slips if commissioners decide that’s what they want, she said. 

“I think what we’re looking for at this time is some guidance from the commission,” Marston concluded.

He said he had met briefly with Boca Raton parks officials.

“They said we have enough beachfront, we have enough access for the public to go to the beach,’’ Marston said. “They don’t have at this point in time a survey of what they might suggest. … They’re looking for new and I think just some creative kinds of uses that may not be there today.”

Beach-park Commissioner Dirk Smith suggested a large overlook. 

“There is plenty of beachfront property for use by people who want to go swimming and be in the water, but there’s a lot of people that want to just sit out over and look out on the ocean. There is no place for that other than the pavilion down at Palmetto and that’s not a very conducive spot,’’ Smith said.

Other possible uses include activities Boca Raton doesn’t allow elsewhere, such as ocean canoes, boats landing on the beach and surf fishing.

Commission Chairman Dennis Frisch said Ocean Strand should not duplicate other activities available at nearby parks, which include golf and snorkeling at Red Reef, an observation tower, amphitheater and butterfly garden at Gumbo Limbo and a canoe-kayak launch and youth camping at Spanish River.

Bob Langford, the district’s executive director, encouraged the public to use the website.

“Study what we have and there will be more coming on in the future for you to make comments on,’’ Langford said.

Missing from the meeting was a statement from Keep Your Boca Beaches Public, which is suing the city to hold a special election on whether to ban “private development (including members-only cabana clubs)” on public-owned land on the barrier island.

The week before, Commissioner Earl Starkoff made what he called a “reverse public request” of the grassroots group to withdraw their petition and let park planning proceed. Such a move would save taxpayer money, he said.

 The beach and park district bought the Ocean Strand property in 1994 for $11.9 million but has not developed it. Penn-Florida Companies proposed a private cabana club there in late 2009 to complement a luxury hotel planned for downtown. Since then, officials have repeatedly stated they want a park
there.                                                    Ú

An item in Around the Town in the May issue of The Coastal Star mentioned Boca’s Walk of Recognition, but incorrectly called it the Wall of Recognition. Presented by the Boca Raton Historical Society, the Walk of Recognition at Royal Palm Place recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to serving the interest of Boca Raton.

By Steve Plunkett

The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District has given the city $2 million to help pay for a 2010 beach renourishment project that fell victim to federal budget-cutting.

Boca Raton officials expected to get $5.3 million from the federal government for the nearly 1.5-mile project just north of Red Reef Park. But three months before the project began, federal officials told the city it would receive only $531,000. City officials asked the beach and park district for help.

They got it at May’s joint meeting of the district and the Boca Raton City Council.

“We thought that a good way to start this meeting on a friendly and cordial, wonderful basis would be to present you with a check … for $2 million,” Commission Chairman Dennis Frisch said.

The North Beach area initially got 1.1 million cubic yards of sand in 1988, followed by 680,000 cubic yards in 1998. The 2010 project deposited 780,000 cubic yards of sand on the shoreline at a total cost of $9.3 million.      Ú