Note: Events are current as of 1/25. Please check with organizers for any changes.

February

Saturday -2/2 - Mingling Melodies & Motors is held at The Chapel of Saint Andrew on the campus of Saint Andrew School, 2707 NW 37th St., Boca Raton. ‘50s and ‘60s car show and concert featuring The Fabulons benefits The Chapel of Saint Andrew, Family Promise, Boca Helping Hands, ECHO and Cross International. 1-4:30 pm. Family fun in a lakeside setting. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. $10/adults, $5/Ages 7-14, Free/ages 6 and under. 235-2672 or www.minglingmelodiesandmotors.com.

Sunday - 2/3 - Kabbalah & Coffee: The Secret of Simplicity at Chabad of East Boca Raton, 120 NE 1st Ave., Boca Raton.  Includes weekly Living Torah Video Presentation. Held every Sunday morning. 10-11:30 am. Free. 417-7797 or www.chabadbocabeaches.com.

Sunday - 2/17 - Anthony Polistina plays his original compositions during the 10 am worship service at Church of the Palms, 1960 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. As composer-in-residence for 18 years, he was known as the musical voice of the World Trade Center. He has also headlined in Atlantic City at Trump Plaza. The Chancel Choir will also perform. Free. 276-6347 or www.churchofthepalms.net.

2/17 - Sounds of Promise Concert is hosted by the First United Methodist Church, 625 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Local congregations, churches and synagogues join together in song to aid local homeless families. 3:30 pm. Refreshments served following concert. $20/adult, Free/children. 265-3370, Ext. 103 or www.familypromisespbc.org.

Sunday - 2/24 - Festive Purim will take place at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. The joyous Purim Party is open to the community and sponsored by Chabad of Delray Beach. The celebration begins with a unique multi-media Megillah reading at 5 pm, including a special slide show displaying the scenes of the Scroll of Esther as it is being read. Music and dancing with singer Maor Golan, and a show by Glenn Miller, a comedy hypnotist, plus plenty of delicious food, cuisine and hamantashen. All participants, adults and children, are encouraged to come in costume. $36/adults, $18/children ages 10-18. 5 pm. 496-6228 or www.chabaddelray.com.

2/24 - Klezmer East - Presented at FAU’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Klezmer East, directed by Paul Green, contributes to the joyous holiday of Purim by performing a variety of traditional and exciting works. 2 pm. $10. 297-2337 or www.fauevents.com.

March

Friday - 3/1 - T.G.I. Shabbat at Chabad of East Boca, 120 NE 1st Ave., Boca Raton. Monthly Friday night Shabbat dinner replete with Challah, gefilte fish, chicken soup, and all the other traditional foods. 7 pm. $25/adults, $12/children ages 3-12. 417-7797 or www.chabadbocabeaches.com/tgis.

Tuesday - 3/12 - YMCA of South Palm Beach County’s 11th Annual Prayer Breakfast at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real. Join the Y for a morning of fellowship, fun and inspiration to benefit its Financial Assistance Program, as Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller serves as guest speaker. 7:30-9:30 am. $80. 237-0944 or www.ymcaspbc.org.

Note: Events are current as of 1/25. Please check with organizers for any changes.

FEBRUARY

Saturday - 2/2 - Making Cancer History Seminar is presented in the Cohen Pavilion of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach. 8:30 am/breakfast buffet, 9 am/Cancer experts from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center presentations featuring Moon Shots Program. $20. 866-262-9029.

2/2 - Saturdays @ Sanborn: Yoga Class at Sanborn Square, 72 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. Held every Sat. Registration: 8:45 am; class: 9 am. Free. 393-7703.

2/2 - Yoga Class at the Train Depot, 747 S. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton. Held T, Th & Sat: 9:30-11 am & T: 6:30-8 pm. 5 classes: $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents; 10 classes: $110/residents, $137.50/non-residents; 20 classes: $200/residents, $250/non-residents. 477-8727 or www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us.

2/2 - Zumba Class at the South Beach Park Pavilion, 400 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton. Held every Sat. 10:30 am. Free. 393-7703 or www.downtownboca.org.

2/2-3 - Yoga Workout at the Beach - Held every Saturday and Sunday at Red Reef Park West, 1221 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Build strength and flexibility, improve postural alignment and stabilize the core. Classes held on the grass overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Cash not accepted on-site. Sat. & Sun.: 10-11 am. $15/residents, $19/non-residents per class, or 60 day membership (unlimited classes) for $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents. 393-7807.

Sunday - 2/3 - Yoga with Live Music is held every Sunday at the Colony Hotel, 525 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 9:30-11 am. $20. 703-1236 or www.colonyyoga.com.

Monday - 2/4 - Jazzercise/Body Sculpting at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Sculpted arms, a strong core, tight glutes and firm legs are the focus of this challenging 50-minute muscle toning workout that features a creative combination of weight training and stretching. Held every M, W & F. 8:45-9:35 am. First class is free. 8 classes: $56/residents, $70/non-residents. 16 classes: $96/residents, $120/non-residents. 347-3950.

2/4 - Jazzercise at the Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave. All ages and levels welcome. Class runs M-Sat. 9-10 am. Fees start at $38/month. 742-6240.

2/4 - Yoga Class at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd.Held M-W-F, 9:30-11 am & Th, 6:30-8 pm. 5 classes: $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents; 10 classes: $110/residents, $137.50/non-residents; 20 classes: $200/residents, $250/non-residents. 477-8727.

2/4 - Jazzercise/Light at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. 50-minute class pairs moderate aerobics with exercises designed to improve strength, balance, and flexibility. Held every M, W & F. 9:40-10:30 am. First class is free. 8 classes: $56/residents, $70/non-residents. 16 classes: $96/residents, $120/non-residents. 347-3950 or www.sugarsandpark.org.

2/4 - Tai Chi for Beginners of all ages at Veterans Park, 802 NE First St., Delray Beach. Learn natural ways to relieve tension, stress and pains. Certified instruction. Held every Monday. 11 am-noon. Per class: $15/residents; $20/non-residents. 243-7350.

2/4 - Parkinson’s Exercise Class at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Components of this program provide exercises that work to improve one’s balance, flexibility and muscle strength. All ages. Held every Monday. First class is free. 8 classes: $32/residents, $40/non-residents. 16 classes: $60/residents, $75/non-residents. 11:30 am-12:30 pm. 347-3950.

2/4 - Chair Massage at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Licensed Therapist offers 10-minute sessions. Mondays, 1 pm. $10/session. 278-5455.

2/4 - Bereavement Support Group meets every Monday at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. 1-2:30 pm. First session free, $5 thereafter. 483-5300.

2/4 - Childbirth Education Prenatal Class is offered as a four-week refresher course at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Provides an overview of the signs of labor, breathing techniques and more. Bring two pillows and a blanket. Wear comfortable stretchy clothes. Held again 2/11, 18 & 25. 6:30 pm. $75. Registration: 369-2229.

2/4 - Yoga Sunset at the Beach - Held every Monday at Spanish River Park, 3001 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton. Build strength and flexibility, improve postural alignment and stabilize the core. Classes held next to Lifeguard stand number 18. Cash not  accepted on-site. 6:30-7:30 pm. $15/residents, $19/non-residents per class, or 60 day membership (unlimited classes) for $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents. 393-7807.

2/4 - Body with Style Aerobics at the Ezell Hester, Jr. Community Center, 1901 N. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Ongoing classes held M&W. 6:30-7:30 pm. $3/at the door. 742-6550 or www.boynton-beach.org.

 2/4 - Meditation Mondays at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Meditate to enhance overall health and well-being. Mondays, 7 pm. Free. 278-5455.

2/4-5 - Fitness Boot Camp for ages 18 & up at Pompey Park, 1101 NW 2nd St., Delray Beach. Class held every M & T. 6-7 pm. Per class: $5/residents; $6/non-residents. 243-7356 or www.mydelraybeach.com.

Tuesday - 2/5 - Cardio Sculpt at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Circuit-based workout that targets multiple muscle groups to build lean muscle. Modifications are given for pregnant moms as well as beginner to advanced fitness levels. Held every T&Th. 8:45-9:30. 4 classes: $36/residents, $45/non-residents; 8 classes: $66/residents, $82.50/non-residents; 16 classes: $118/residents, $147.50/non-residents. 347-3950.

2/5 - Fit Mom’s Boot Camp at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. This class is perfect for new moms looking to get back in shape as well as moms to-be looking to stay active and fit during their pregnancy. Modifications are given to accommodate all levels of fitness. Held every T&Th. 9:30-10:20. 4 classes: $36/residents, $45/non-residents; 8 classes: $66/residents, $82.50/non-residents; 16 classes: $118/residents, $147.50/non-residents. 347-3950 or www.sugarsandpark.org.

2/5 - Breastfeeding Support Group at The Red Tent, 20 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Bring your baby and join a community of mothers and mothers-to-be to discuss breastfeeding questions. For all stages of pregnancy through weaning. 10 am-11:30 am. Held again 2/12. Free. 309-4314.

2/5 - Beginners Yoga at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Participants should bring their own yoga mat. Held every Tuesday & Thursday. 10:15 am. $10. 278-5455.

2/5 - Chair Yoga at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Class emphasizes breathing & stretching and is applicable to those physically challenged. 11:30 am. $10. 278-5455 or www.highlandbeachlibrary.org

2/5 - Caregivers Support Group meets every Tuesday at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. 2-3:30 pm. Free. 483-5300.

2/5 - Yes We Can! Positive Action For A Happy and Healthy Life is presented by Christine L. Williams as part of the Lifelong Learning Community Institute at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. This three session course, part of the winter/spring semester, will help participants to maximize their inner strength to meet life’s challenges. First of a three-part series. Class continues 2/12 & 19. 6-7:30 pm. $45/session. 266-9490.

2/5 - Women’s Issues Support Group meets every Tuesday at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. 7-8:30 pm. First session free, $5 thereafter. 483-5300.

Wednesday - 2/6 - Yoga for ages 18 and up at Veterans Park, 802 NE First St., Delray Beach. Held every W&F. 9-10:30 am. Per class: $10/residents; $15/non-residents. 243-7350.

2/6 - Parkinson’s Exercise Class at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Components of this program provide exercises that work to improve one’s balance, flexibility and muscle strength. For all ages. Held every Wednesday. First class is free. 8 classes: $32/residents, $40/non-residents. 16 classes: $60/residents, $75/non-residents. 2-3 pm. 347-3950.

2/6 - Latest Research Findings to Fight Heart Disease - Presented by Rodolfo Carrillo, M.D., Interventional Cardiologist, as part of the Heart Symposium Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Clayton Conference Center, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

2/6 - Divorced and Separated Support Group meets every Wednesday at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. 6-7:30 pm. First session free, $5 thereafter. 483-5300.

2/6 - Tai Chi Class - Wednesdays at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Emphasizes moving meditation for focus, concentration, release of stress and attention skills. Two sessions offered: beginners, 6:10-7:10 pm; intermediate, 7:10-8:10 pm. 8 classes: $48/residents, $60/non-residents; 12 classes: $66/residents, $82/non-residents. 393-7807.

Thursday - 2/7 - Delray Beach Walkers Club at Veterans Park, 802 NE 1st St., Delray Beach. A great opportunity to improve your health, make new friends and enjoy the beautiful vistas Delray Beach has to offer. Sponsored by Ocean Rescue and Veterans Park Recreation Center. For ages 18 and up. Thursdays, 8 am. Free. 243-7352.

 2/7 - Decreasing Emotional Turbulence with Tools for Successful Living is presented by Ellen Tadd at Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County, 909 Fern St., West Palm Beach. Part of Mind Body Wellness Lunch and Learn series. Noon-1:30 pm. $20. 832-3755.

2/7 - Surgical Weight Reduction Symposium is presented by Miguel A. Lopez-Viego, M.D., in the Clayton Conference Center of Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Learn how laproscopic gastric bypass and Lap-Band surgery can change lives. Held the first Thursday of each month. 6:30 pm. Free. 737-7733 ext. 84688.

2/7 - Health Starts Here: Delectable Healthy Appetizers at Whole Foods Lifestyle Center, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Learn how to prepare healthy appetizers for your next party. 7-8 pm. $5. 447-0000.

2/7 - Ten Tips & Tricks to Reduce Stress & Improve Your Daily Living with Devora Cohen - Presented at Chabad of East Boca Raton, 120 NE 1st Ave., Boca Raton. Learn how to: set positive intentions for your day; stop negative thoughts in your tracks; de-stress; listen to your intuition; be present; set goals; keep a journal; change a few words in your vocabulary, that will change your world; use an exercise that will help any situation become clearer; and Law of Mirrors. 7-9 pm. $12. 417-7797 or www.chabadbocabeaches.com.

2/7-8  - Eye and Vision Research Symposium: Age-Related Macular Degeneration is presented by Schepens Eye Research Institute at The Colony Hotel, 155 Hammon Ave., Palm Beach, (2/7) and the Boca Raton Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle, (2/8.)  9 am-noon: complimentary breakfast followed by program. Program includes overview of latest treatment options for macular degeneration. Free. 866-946-6824.

Saturday - 2/9 - Happiness: Making Your Heartbeats Count by Dan Baker - Presented as part of the Peaceful Mind/Peaceful Life Series at FAU’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. The author of What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better, Dan Baker, Ph.D. has been at the grass-roots level in a national initiative known as Positive Psychology. 2 pm. $15. 297-2337 or www.fauevents.com.

Tuesday - 2/12 - Healthy Living Series - Presented at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 3 pm. Free. 266-9490.

2/12 - Dangers of Sleeping with Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Presented by Nadir Osman, M.D., Neurologist, as part of the Community Lecture Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Clayton Conference Center, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30-5:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

Wednesday - 2/13 - Breastfeeding Prenatal Class at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. An opportunity for expectant parents to learn the benefits of breastfeeding, keys to success, supply and demand, positioning, breast pumps, returning to work and weaning. Both parents encouraged to attend. 6:30 pm. $25/couple. Registration: 369-2229.

2/13 - Zumba Class at the Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave. Popular fitness program inspired by Latin dance. Class held W through 3/20. 7-8 pm. $40/resident, $50/non-resident. Registration: 742-6240.

Friday - 2/15 - Alzheimer’s Cafe at the Shirley & Barton Weisman Delray Community Center (of Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service), 7091 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. A unique gathering for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related memory loss, along with their families, friends, caregivers and professionals. Gatherings create an opportunity to share feelings and explore constructive solutions for caregivers in interaction with others in similar situations. Held the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. 2-4 pm. Free. RSVP: 866-7086 or www.bocafed.org.

Saturday - 2/16 – Child Safety Prenatal Class at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Parent Education Resource Center, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Learn infant CPR for children up to one year old and how you can assist in an emergency. 1 pm. $25/couple. Registration: 369-2229 .

Wednesday - 2/20 - Eating for a Healthier You: Preventing Colon Cancer - Presented by Mariano Faresi, M.D., Colorectal Surgeon, as part of the Community Lecture Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Clayton Conference Center, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

Thursday - 2/21 - Digestive Cancer Awareness: What You Can Do About It - Presented by Matthew D’Alessio, M.D., Surgical Oncologist, as part of the Bethesda Memorial Hospial Community Lecture Series at Ross JCC, 8400 Jog Road, Boynton Beach. 10-11 am. Free. 259-3000.

Saturday - 2/23 - Family and Friends at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Education Center, Classroom B, 800 Meadows Road, Boca Raton. Learn the basics of infant, child and adult CPR, relief of choking, and child and infant one-person CPR, as well as the use of the Automated External Defibulator. 10 am-noon. $25. Registration: 955-4468.

Sunday - 2/24 - 7th Annual West Palm Beach YogaDay at the Meyer Amphitheatre, 104 Datura St., West Palm Beach. Enjoy a day of yoga outdoors. Perfect for beginners. Designed to raise awareness about yoga’s benefits and create healthy lifestyles. 9 am-5 pm. Free. 400-4600.

Tuesday - 2/26 - Living Present, Carrying Our Inner Peace Throughout the Day by Barbara Schmidt - Presented as part of the Peaceful Mind/Peaceful Life Series at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, 2nd floor, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Two times: 9:30 am-noon; 6-8:30 pm. $15. 297-2337.

Thursday - 2/28 - Adult Babalu Dance Class at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Improve your health, strength and cardiovascular fitness while brushing up on your Latin dance moves. Runs Thursdays through 4/4. 2-3:30 pm. $90/residents, $112.50/non-residents. 393-7807.

2/28 - Yoga Class at the Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave. Increase flexibility, improve health and reduce stress. All levels. Thursdays through 4/4. 6-7 pm. $60/residents, $75/non-residents. Registration: 742-6240 or www.boynton-beach.org.

Darren Panks is director of golf at the Seagate Country Club at The Hamlet.  

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Pike

Darren Panks came a long way to come 360 degrees.

Panks, the new director of golf at Seagate Country Club at The Hamlet in Delray Beach, first saw The Hamlet golf community in 1996, shortly after he arrived in the U.S. from his hometown of Worksop, Nottingham, England, on the northern edge of Sherwood Forest.

Like many aspiring young golf professionals, Panks needed a job to help pay (and play) his way on the professional tours. 

He had heard about The Hamlet while working at Lindrick Golf Club (site of the 1957 Ryder Cup Matches) as an assistant to professional legend Peter Cowen, whose students included Lee Westwood, now  one of the world’s top players.

So after a brief try at living in Orlando, Panks headed south to Delray Beach and The Hamlet, where in exchange for giving lessons to members, the club agreed to let him use the course as his base of operations.

Panks bought a townhouse in The Hamlet in 1998 and continued to give lessons and play the professional golf tours, including the Nationwide Tour, until 2008 when the economy soured and sponsorship money for non-PGA Tour players began to dry up. Panks that year took a job as director of instruction at Polo Trace Golf Club west of Delray Beach and became the director of golf a couple of months later following the resignation of the previous director.

He remained at Polo Trace until this past October, when he took the director’s job at The Hamlet, which was transitioning to the new ownership of the Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach. Seagate’s ownership group purchased the club, including its Joe Lee-designed course, for $11 million with the intent of making it a premium amenity to the hotel and its beach residences.

“I think the club will do well for Seagate as a hotel and a corporation,” Panks said. “We have it all now. I don’t think anywhere else, except maybe The Breakers and the Boca Raton Resort & Club, have anything like we have here.

“But it’s early and we still have to establish ourselves and get our feet in the water. We hope to get a lot of business from the hotel. We’re getting three or four groups a week from the hotel, which at this stage is pretty good response.

That response should increase as the Seagate Hotel & Spa is offering a series of “stay and play” packages throughout 2013. 

Those packages range from a one-night stay with a round of golf beginning at $524 per person to a “Grand Golf Getaway” that includes a two-night stay, dinner for two at the hotel’s Atlantic Grille, two tickets to the hotel’s Gary Wiren collection of golf memorabilia at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts and two rounds of golf for $1,148 per person.

“We’ve got about 150 members but only about 48 are true active golfers. We’ve got to make this place a little more unique. Going forward, I think we need to get more family-oriented. I think that’s the next generation for us.”

To attract the next generation, the club has eliminated its mandatory membership policy for property owners and is charging new members a $25,000 initiation fee and a $12,000 annual dues, the latter of which is per couple.

“If we can get the 40- to 60-year-olds in here to here to drive the energy, that will give people from the outside the opportunity to see us as a re-energized place,” Panks said. Ú

The 32,000-square-foot Manalapan home once owned by Lois Pope
has sold yet again, this time for $15.63 million. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

The former Manalapan home of the late Generoso Pope, founder and publisher of the National Enquirer, has sold yet again — this time for $15,630,000 — down from its high sale of $27.5 million in 2000. 

The new owner of the three-acre, 32,000-square-foot oceanfront estate at 1370 S. Ocean Blvd. is Blue Water EJ LLC, according to the warranty deed filed on Dec. 28, 2012. 

That would be Ed and Jené Brown, who plan on doing a complete renovation, said Jack Elkins, a Realtor with Fite Shavell, who represented both the buyer and the seller, MGM Designs, LCC.

“The Browns have already selected Lands End Development,” Elkins said. “They are ready to move forward as soon as they go through zoning.”

The Browns are “end users,” he said. “People are seeing the appeal of Manalapan, which I find refreshing.”

Brown is CEO and co-owner of Patron Spirits, a maker of tequila, rum and vodka.

If the Browns go through with their plans, they’ll be the first to occupy the estate since motivational speakers Peter S. and Tamara A. Lowe owned it from 2004 to 2009.

Here’s a rundown of the transactions — a total of more than $123 million — since 1999.

• In 1999, Delray Beach developer Frank McKinney purchased the property from Lois Pope for $15 million.

• Following an extensive remodel, McKinney sold it in November 2000 to the Binky Revocable Trust for $27.5 million, to software entrepreneur Daniel Gittleman.

• July 2004, McKinney’s company, Venture Concepts International Inc., took back the property’s title for $19  million. 

• Two months later, another sale of the property was recorded. This time, McKinney’s company sold the estate for $22.4 million to the Lowes.

• June 2009, there was a recorded sale for $22,458,456 to Germantown-Seneca Joint Venture; it was an amount almost equal to the existing Bank America liens on the property. According to SEC filings, Germantown-Seneca’s general partners were two wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America: Ritchie Court M and Harper Farm M., both Maryland-based corporations.

• MGM Designs, LCC. bought the estate on Feb. 25, 2010, for $12 million.

• And finally, the latest sale to the Browns for $15,630,000. Elkins had listed the home for $18.5 in early summer of 2012.

When McKinney bought the estate from Pope, he undertook an 18-month renovation, which included adding a guest house and tennis courts, and reconfiguring the house for a 2,200-square-foot master suite and a large catering kitchen. “Here was a single lady living in a 29,000-square-foot house,” McKinney said. “It’s one of the best-built homes I’ve ever seen, but the floor plan was lacking for what we thought buyers wanted at that time. 

“Downstairs, there was a basement with a 15-car garage and hair salon. We got rid of that and put in a spa.”

The Gittlemans were starting a family at the time, and decided they wanted to live in a more family-oriented community, McKinney said, so he bought it back. “I wasn’t looking to buy, but the price was right, and we were going to remake it again. Then the Lowes showed up and wanted it just the way it was.”

He was working on putting a deal together to buy it back in 2010, but MGM Designs beat him to it, he said.

“To rebuild that house today, it would cost $15 [million] to $18 million, and that doesn’t cover the cost of the land. It was a steal. MGM got the house for free, or vice versa.

“The house could be knocked down and two houses built there,” he added.

Which was what Ralph Gesualdo of MGM recognized when he and his wife, Mary, bought the property.

“We are happy to stay in our home on the Intracoastal,” he said. “1370 S. Ocean is a magnificent piece of property. Those kinds of lots are few and far between. But as we got into it, we realized it would take a considerable investment, and we didn’t want to put in the time and effort. It’s such a beautiful house and has good bones that we didn’t want to tear it down. And we found buyers who will give it tender loving care.”                              Ú

Holly was lost in Daytona and made it home
to owner Jake Richter of West Palm Beach
two months later.  Photo provided

Watch video reports of Holly's journey: ABC News | 25 WPBF News | Ellen

By Arden Moore

Most of us consciously remember to take our driver’s license when we head out the door. We input emergency contacts on our cell phones. And the navigational systems in our cars or smartphones ensure we never lose our way.

If only we could translate these actions onto our pets. Sure, we fit them with microchips, ID tags that dangle from their collars and may have our phone numbers embroidered on their collars next to their names.

As much as we try to keep them safe and protect them from harm, life happens. It just takes one door to be left ajar and — poof — they can dash out and disappear. Such is the case of Holly, a 4-year-old tortoiseshell cat who has been garnering news headlines from West Palm Beach to the West Coast.

This feline is fussy when it comes to unleashing affection. Her favorite people are her owners, Jake and Bonnie Richter of West Palm Beach. For most everyone else, her first response is to flee or hiss. 

On Nov. 4, her life changed unexpectedly. The Richters traveled 190 miles north on I-95 in their motor home to attend a Good Sams event at the Daytona International Speedway with Holly onboard. All was well until that day when Holly bolted out the motor home door. Despite searching for her, calling her name, posting fliers and reaching out to pet rescue groups, the Richters couldn’t find Holly and with great sadness, returned home.

Two months later, Barb Mazzola of Palm Beach Gardens noticed what appeared to be furry rat in her backyard. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a cat — a skinny, hungry one.

“She was so weak from hunger that she tried to meow, but couldn’t,” recalls Mazzola, an executive assistant to the Provost at Palm Beach Atlantic University. “I’m highly allergic to cats, so it was ironic that this kitty would choose my yard. But my daughter, Tay, ran inside and got tuna. This poor cat was so hungry.”

Over the next five days, the Mazzolas did their best to coax this cat onto their patio and to gain her trust. On day five, Mazzola left her sliding door open and in walked this cat who greeted her.

Despite her allergies, Mazzola adored this cat and decided to keep her and name her Cosette in tribute to the character in Les Miserables. She booked a veterinary appointment and that’s when it was discovered that this cat had a microchip containing not one, but four ways to contact the Richters.

“I sat down and cried because I was happy to reunite her, but sad because I had fallen in love with her after only a week,” says Mazzola.

Now here comes the hard-to-explain part. Mazzola lives about one mile from the Richters. 

How did Holly get back home from Daytona? Did she walk the entire 190 miles in two months? How did she survive despite losing half her body weight? How did she know where home was?

“When Barb delivered Holly to me, she just cuddled with me,” says Richter, age 70, a retired crew chief for Northwest Airlines. “I jokingly said she must have a built-in GPS system, and she certainly went through most of her nine lives, but she is finally home again. I have my kitty back.”

I’m delighted to share Holly’s tale because it has a happy ending. 

To increase the chances of being reunited with your beloved pet, I offer these tips:

Provide triple identification. As soon as you adopt, bring in your pet for a veterinarian to insert a microchip (about the size of a grain of rice) that contains ways to contact you and the veterinarian. And, register that info with the microchip company. In addition, get an ID tag that contains in easy-to-read font your pet’s name and your cell phone number. Do the same with his collar. 

Train your dog to heed the “come here” command. Practice at home and enclosed areas and dole out Grade A-level treats when he complies so that he knows that heeding your call garners a tasty payout. Never call your dog and then verbally scold him for a misdeed. It will only build mistrust. 

Make your home more escape-proof. Regularly inspect your window screens to ensure they are not loose and cause a sun-basking cat to fall out the window. Usher your pets into an enclosed room with pet amenities when repair personnel are in your home. Post signs in bright colors on the door to alert them that pets are inside. 

Go high-tech. Check into a new generation of tracking devices that can be fitted on to your pet’s collar that allows you to pinpoint their whereabouts from your smart phone or computer. 

Years ago, my cat, Samantha, a gray tabby, disappeared for 57 days. She came back skinny, scared and collar-less. Like the Richters, I was fortunate to be reunited with my cat.  Each day we have with our pets should be treasured. Do me a favor: Hug your pets for me and take steps to keep track of them.

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and certified pet first aid master 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.

Rob Bernstein of Boca Raton enjoys his recumbent bike on A1A in Delray Beach.
  Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star

By Paula Detwiller

You’ve seen them cruising down A1A — laid back, pumping the pedals, surveying the road ahead. 

They seem very relaxed, these recumbent bicyclists. Almost too relaxed. And have you noticed that satisfied look on their faces? It’s a look that says, “I’m totally comfortable. My back is supported, my neck isn’t straining, my crotch isn’t chafing — and I’m getting a good workout, just like my racing-bike friends.”

“Comfort is the No, 1 reason people choose recumbent bikes over traditional bikes,” says Joshua Beatty. He owns Atlantic Bicycle in Margate, the only recumbent bicycle dealer and repair shop in South Florida. 

Styles vary, but all recumbent bikes have good ergonomics: a wide seat, a backrest (some with lumbar support), and handlebars mounted at a comfortable height for steering and resting your hands. You can even get handlebars mounted under the seat, so you can steer and brake without having to lift your arms.

But before you conclude that these bikes were designed for the soft and lazy, listen to this.

“Recumbent bikes are the fastest bikes, even though people don’t realize that,” Beatty says. “They were outlawed in 1914 for racing because they have an aerodynamic advantage.”

And how. About four years ago, Sam Whittingham, a recumbent rider from Canada, set the world speed record for human-powered vehicles: 82 miles an hour. 

Regular riders

You’re not likely to see Whittingham whizzing down A1A. But you might see Ron Bernstein. He rides his recumbent bike 60 miles every Saturday and Sunday, starting at his home in Boca Raton. Thirty miles up the highway, 30 miles back.

Bernstein’s been riding a recumbent bicycle since his early 20s. He’s now 53. Was it speed that attracted him? No, it was comfort. And safety.

“When I was a sophomore at the University of Arizona, I was riding down a mountain pass on a regular racing bike,” Bernstein says. “I hit a pothole and went right over the handlebars. Well, the next weekend I was limping around at a street fair, and there was a guy there showing recumbent bikes. I said, ‘OK, here’s an alternative.’ ”

Retired electronics engineer David Kraker, 78, of Delray Beach, was also looking for an alternative after years of riding his racing bike. 

“I began to experience a lot of neck pain, probably due to arthritis,” he says. “I thought I was going to have to give up bicycling. But I bought a used recumbent bike and I’ve been riding it for about seven years now.”

His friend Linda Leeds, 65, of West Palm Beach, switched to a reclining-style bike after developing arthritis in her hands.

“Riding my upright bike put too much pressure on my hands and wrists, leaning forward on the handlebars,” she says. 

Low view, high price

Recumbent riders say they love the open view you get when sitting back instead of hunching over (“You see more scenery going by”). But they warn that a rear-view mirror is a must. And for riding in traffic, a warning flag is recommended; recumbent riders sit lower to the ground and may not be immediately visible to drivers.

With the average price of a recumbent road bike running about $1,500, careful selection is key, says bike shop owner Beatty.

“What I like to tell people is that the recumbent picks the rider. We’re all built differently and there are different bottom-bracket heights, different seat angles, and different ways people sit,” he says. 

Beatty says if you maintain your recumbent bike, it can last for 20 to 30 years. 

That sounds good to Kraker.  “I plan to ride as long as I can,” he says, “and the engineering of this bike is going to help me do that.”

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

Where to see recumbent bike racing

What: The 2013 Florida Challenge, sponsored by the Human Powered Race Association.

Spectators can see a variety of recumbent bikes while racers compete for cash prizes.

When: Feb. 23- 24

Where: The velodrome at Brian Piccolo Park

9501 Sheridan St., Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

Admission: Free

For more information:  www.recumbents.com/wisil/calendar.asp

Where to buy

Since recumbent bicyclists make up just 3 percent of the bike-riding population, there’s not a big market for retailers. Here’s the only place in South Florida to test-ride, purchase, or service a two-wheeled recumbent bike:

Atlantic Bicycle

4980 W. Atlantic Blvd.

Margate, FL 33063

(954) 971-9590

For online purchases, try:

www.recumbents.com

www.amazon.com

www.ebay.com

By Tim Pallesen

Christ Fellowship will open at the former Dillard’s store at the Boynton Beach Mall, making it the second regional church to beam Sunday worship services to Boynton Beach by satellite.

The Boynton church will be the fourth satellite site for Christ Fellowship, which has its main campus in Palm Beach Gardens. Other sites that receive the satellite feeds of Pastor Todd Mullins’ sermons are in Royal Palm Beach, Stuart and West Palm Beach.

“We felt called and led to minister to the people of Boynton Beach,” Christ Fellowship executive director Dave Lonsberry said. “We quickly identified Dillard’s as our location in late 2011.”

But Christ Fellowship was delayed trying to acquire the site last year, allowing another regional church to be the first to beam satellite sermons to Boynton Beach. 

Calvary Chapel, based in Fort Lauderdale, began satellite feeds to its congregation on Hypoluxo Road last year.

Is this competition between megachurches?

“We welcome all churches proclaiming the good news of Jesus,” Lonsberry responded. “The more churches, the better.”

The Calvary Chapel pastor in Boynton Beach agreed.

“We are always in favor of healthy churches launching because there’s always a need for people to be reached with the gospel,” Pastor Charlie Halleran said.

About 20,000 people watch Calvary Chapel sermons by Pastor Bob Coy each weekend. That includes 600 who attend worship in Boynton and 2,200 who attend at a Calvary Chapel congregation in Boca Raton.

About 18,000 attend Christ Fellowship services. The regional church already has members who live in the South County and worship at its Royal Palm Beach campus.     

“The new Boynton location is a natural extension into an area where we already had people attending Christ Fellowship,” Lonsberry said. “We know these people can establish a momentum right away.”

About 1,300 now attend Christ Fellowship services at Boynton Beach High School since that temporary site began last December.

The congregation will move into the 127,000-square-foot renovated Dillard’s store late this year or in early 2014, Lonsberry said. 

Christ Fellowship expects the move to a permanent Boynton Beach location will duplicate the attendance surge that occurred when its Royal Palm Beach congregation moved from a school into a newly renovated Target store.

Attendance jumped from 1,500 to 6,500 each weekend.

“We have every expectation that our Boynton campus will easily have that kind of reach,” Lonsberry said.

Lonsberry said Christ Fellowship, Calvary Chapel and a third megachurch often collaborate on satellite technology to spread the gospel. LifeChurch, based in Oklahoma with 40,000 members, opened a $6 million satellite church in Wellington last year.

“We are all moving in the same direction and sharing our insights,” he said.                     Ú

The koi pond at Ocean Ridge Town Hall has aquatic plants so koi have hiding spots. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Every day at around 3 p.m., receptionist Lisa Burns feeds the orange, black, white and cream koi darting about the manmade pond in front of the Ocean Ridge Town Hall and Police Department. On weekends, the duty falls to a policeman or dispatcher.

Dr. Jim Weege, a semi-retired veterinarian, donates his time to care for these fish. “I thought it would be neat to participate and give back to the town where I’ve lived for 22 years,” he says. 

He thinks that having the natural-looking pond with its pink, yellow and purple water lilies and dancing fish helps take “the hardness” out of the government buildings. 

Shelley Crawford, owner of Butterflies Are Free Inc., a landscape design company in Boca Raton, has installed koi ponds for customers.  “People go crazy for koi,” she says.

Koi are carp that have been hybridized by the Japanese, to whom these fish symbolize love and friendship.

You may find watching them relaxing and be tempted to create a koi pond in your back yard. But before you dig, here are questions to ask yourself:

Dr. Jim Weege volunteers his time to care for the koi at Ocean Ridge Town Hall. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Do I want another pet? Keeping koi is similar to owning a cat. “You can leave them alone for a couple of days, but then you need to give them some attention,” says Gordon Nash, president of the Tropical Koi Club with members in Palm Beach County.

Do I have space? To keep koi, the pond must be quite large and deep. Start with one that holds 10,000 gallons of water and is at least 5 feet deep, suggests Crawford.

You need the depth so that the fish can hide from herons, raccoons and kingfishers that like to feast on them. 

What does it cost? A professionally installed 5- by 5-foot koi pond with the necessary filtration and algae-fighting equipment that’s landscaped with real rock will cost you about $10,000, according to Crawford. However, she has installed ponds that cost upward of $40,000.

Where should I place my pond? Where you’ll be able to see and enjoy it. Near your home or patio is a good place.

What will be my biggest headache? Algae is a constant concern. There are systems such as ultraviolet light and chemicals as well as aerators that help prevent algae bloom, but you have to keep after it.

You’ll also need to regularly test the water for things such as pH as well as nitrites and nitrates. 

How do I  build a koi pond? There are many different types of ponds, including prefabricated ones. But if you want to build one, you might begin by laying a hose out in a pattern that is aesthetically pleasing and fits your landscape. Then you can use spray paint to mark the outline of your pond. 

You also have to decide if you want a waterfall and where to place it. And you’ll need to install plumbing and pumps necessary to recirculate and filter the water.

Nash strongly recommends a drain at the bottom of the pond to remove fish waste that settles there. “A koi pond without a bottom drain is like a car without an engine,” he says.

Then, go ahead and dig. But because you are probably scooping out sugar sand, Crawford suggests you line the hole with cement blocks. Otherwise, after the first rain, the sand will fall back into it, she says.

A felt liner makes a soft layer between the blocks and keeps the plastic liner you lay on top of it from tearing when it’s filled with water.

Next, landscape with boulders and plants such as papyrus and grasses. 

When ready, fill your pond with water. But don’t add the koi and water lilies just yet. First you have to treat the water to remove chlorine and other chemicals.

How do I select koi? Grand champions from Japanese breeders can cost $100,000. And one member of the Tropical Koi Club has a fish worth $250,000, according to Nash. Koi are priced according to color, sex, pattern and scaling.

“It’s individual preference. Some people like a Toyota, others a Lexus,” Crawford says. 

How many koi should I buy? Moderation is key, says Crawford, who recommends six to 10 fish in a 10,000-gallon pond. If you have more, they compete for food and their waste can overload a filtering system.

Do I like frogs? Chances are your pond is going to be home to tadpoles and lots of frogs. “If you don’t like the sound of them chirping at night, you don’t want a pond,” says Crawford, who likes to listen to nature.

This all may sound like a lot of work and expense, but Crawford doesn’t discourage you from keeping koi.

Like any addition to your home, there’s an initial investment, she says. But the fish and pond are going to make your home more attractive and valuable while giving you hours of fun and relaxation.

Nash agrees: “Just sitting watching your fish can suck the stress out of you. They are very calming to see.”           

The Ocean Ridge town koi pond is funded by donations. If you’d like to contribute to the Ocean Ridge Koi Garden Fund, contact Dr. Jim Weege at 523-5705. For information on the Tropical Koi Club, visit tropicalkoiclub.org.

A detail of the window at Bethesda-by-the-Sea that depicts the biblical story of Jonah. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

While not meant as a recruitment tool to lasso in the faithful, the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Church tour has drawn in many a curious visitor to Palm Beach over the years.

The tour has been around for 40 years, said Ann Elizabeth Hall, who serves as chairwoman of the tour committee and heads up a team of docents including Peter Broberg, Robert E.  Jackson, Robbie Jackson III, James Goodner, Charles Frankel III and John Buxton.

“It changes people’s lives,” she said. “It has brought people from all over the world into the church to learn more about it.”

This window on the north wall depicts St. Nicholas.

Docents, stylishly dressed in navy blazers and white slacks, share the history and art of Bethesda with those who may have never been inside the church before, as well as those who come regularly.

“Some people have become church members after taking the tour,” Hall said. Seeing the church and its majestic stained glass windows certainly has had a lasting effect on her.

Hall, a longtime Palm Beach resident who now lives  over the bridge in West Palm Beach, was a 9-year-old girl who desperately wanted to hold onto her belief in Santa when she first set foot inside Bethesda-by-the-Sea Church many years ago.

“It was Christmas Eve,” recalled Hall, who had come down with her family from Asheville, N.C.

“The church was exquisite and I saw St. Nicholas in a stained glass window. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone. Surely Santa was real if they had his picture in the church.”

The Episcopal church in Palm Beach, built in 1925-1926, has been near and dear to her ever since.

With more than 50 stunning stained glass windows, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Hall’s first choice is the sapphire blue Te Deum window over the high altar. It was made in England and shipped to Palm Beach in 1940 during World War II in three pieces on three different ships.

This window on the north side of the church shows the story of Jonah. The window was donated in 1945 by Lawrence Emory Haskell as a memorial to his wife. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Hebrew prophets Micah and Isaiah are in the left lancet, Apostles Peter and Paul are in the middle along with a depiction of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. The right lancet contains church fathers Pope Gregory and St. Augustine.

“No matter where you sit in the church, that window is captivating,” she said, “especially in the morning when the sun shines through.”

Hall’s sister, the late author and historian Kathryn E. Hall, was in charge of the tours for many years and wrote the first church tour as well as two history books about Bethesda. Ann Hall, a historian and an author herself, worked with her sister on the tours, history projects and publications and wrote the most recent tour book (available at the church).

Bethesda, the guide explains, means “the house of healing.” The parish itself began in 1889 and there have been three church buildings. 

The first was a small wooden building on the north end of the island; the second, a Moorish-style church on North Lake Trail that was deconsecrated after 31 years and is a private home today.

The current 

Bethesda-by-the-Sea docents include Peter S. Broberg (left), Robert E. Jackson Jr., Robert E. Jackson III, Ann Elizabeth Hall, James S. Goodner, John Buxton and Charles J. Frankel III. Photo by Nick Kindred

The tour covers more than just the stained glass windows. Visitors learn about the cornerstone that commemorates Ponce de Leon’s landing in Florida, the sculptured stone on both sides of the front entrance and the inviting Cluett Memorial Garden outside, with its Japanese koi fish and colorful blooming plants.

But the stained glass windows are show-stoppers, each with a story of its own.

Most people, Hall said, know about Jonah being swallowed by a whale, so that window is always a favorite.

They may be less familiar with other biblical accounts of scenes on the sea (Jesus walking on water, for example), the 12 apostles, the patron saints of Christian countries, or bishops in the American Church. All can be found on the magnificent stained glass windows of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.      

If you go:

Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church is at 141 South County Road, Palm Beach.

During the season (September through November and January through May), church tours are given at 12:15 p.m. on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, following services. During the summer (June-August), tours are at 11:15 a.m. on the fourth Sunday. Other tours are available upon request. For more information, call 655-4554 or visit www.bbts.org.

Casa Alva, built in 1934 for a Vanderbilt heiress, has been both a private home and a social club. Photo provided

By Mary Thurwachter

Manalapan found its place on the social map with the construction of two grand homes for two great-grandchildren of shipping and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. One was built on the ocean in 1929 for Commodore Harold Vanderbilt. The other was Casa Alva, built across the lagoon in 1934 for Harold’s sister, Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan.

Consuelo married into an aristocratic European family. Her husband was the Ninth Duke of Marlborough, making her the Duchess of Marlborough. Her domineering mother, Alva, arranged the match. After the pair divorced in 1926, Consuelo reconciled with her mother (the house’s namesake) and found true love with French balloonist Col. Jacques Balsan.

During the height of the Great Depression in 1934, the Balsans bought the south end of Hypoluxo Island and three nearby islands for $75,000. 

There was a home on the 50-acre property. It was called La Linda and it had belonged to the John Demarest family. 

The Balsans hired Palm Beach architect Maurice Fatio, the same man who designed Harold Vanderbilt’s home, to turn their love nest into a romantic mansion.

Fatio had his work cut out for him because the house had to be renovated to include the couple’s priceless collection of exquisite 18th- and 19th-century, French hand-carved wood paneling. Collected from churches, castles and manor houses before World War II, the paneling varied in height so the ceiling height in different rooms had to vary, as well.

The wilderness mansion’s north wing became the bedroom wing and the south wing housed servants. The old garage area, with its cypress ceiling, became a living room. As Fatio’s work continued, all that remained of the original structure was a stucco tower.

Casa Alva mirrored the Balsans’ attention to detail and was known to be one of the most richly furnished homes in all of South Florida.

Sir Winston Churchill, a family friend and cousin of Consuelo’s first husband, visited Casa Alva several times and often spent his time painting scenes around the grounds. 

In 1957, the former Duchess of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, sold Casa Alva to developer William E. Benjamin II. He turned much of the mangrove hammock island into a gated, luxury subdivision called Point Manalapan and transformed the Vanderbilt Balsan estate into a private social club and golf course. 

Members were provided a full round of social activities including dancing, gala balls, fashion shows, lectures, bridge, game instruction and tournaments.

Hotel service was available as well. Guest suites, with views of the lake or the golf course, were air-conditioned for heat or cooling. Many had private terraces and fireplaces.

It took two years to get Casa Alva into club form. Kitchens were modernized, a golf course was installed, men’s and women’s locker rooms and a snack bar were added to the old pool house, and the yacht docks were expanded. 

By 1976, Benjamin determined it was time to raise the annual dues by $100. When members balked, he closed the club for good. 

Benjamin, who had lived in a large Point Manalapan home overlooking Manatee Cove, moved into Casa Alva after the club closed. His wife, Maura, handled the interior design, making the 26,177-square-foot manse more light and airy.

New air conditioning was installed and kitchens were updated in the home, with its eight bedrooms (including two master suites), eight bathrooms and six half-baths, a stunning pair of wrought-iron-embellished staircases, and even a basement for storage. The house, on five acres of land with 500 feet on the water, even has a special closet for hats, a silver vault, and an elevator to the second floor. 

Apart from the main house, there’s a four-car garage, pool, and a one-bedroom cottage cantilevered over the lake.      

Jayson Koss, known as ‘The Dude,’ founded Delivery Dudes
three years ago. The company has expanded across Palm Beach
County and into Broward. Libby Volgyes/The Coastal Star

By Libby Volgyes

On a recent Saturday night, Jayson Koss, 27, took to his skateboard to get the job done. With the Delray Beach boat parade keeping bridges in an upright position, he didn’t have too much of a choice. After all, his customers were counting on the Delivery Dudes to get their sushi, filet mignon and dessert crepes delivered right to their door — and fast — boat parade or not.

It’s not every company founder who jumps in via skateboard, but then again, Koss isn’t really one for titles — or stiff protocol. And he’s not above pitching in — whether that means skateboarding food to his drivers or manning the phones.

“No titles, not really dude-like,” he says, preferring just to be known as “The Dude.”

Koss grew up in Islamorada and moved to Deerfield Beach for middle school. He graduated from North Broward High School and attended the University of Central Florida for two semesters. 

He spent several years working in his family’s business, which contracts with different manufacturers to produce tailored clothing to sell to large retailers. 

Four years ago, he moved to Delray Beach. Delivery Dudes was born about one year later, when Koss wanted food delivered but found that no one delivered food that he was interested in eating.

“What we’ve found is that everyone wants delivery at one time or another,” Koss said. “The only choice you’ve been able to have is really cheap Chinese or pizza. But now … [you] can get prime beef.”

It wasn’t until last year that Koss devoted more of his time and energy to Delivery Dudes.

“One day I thought ‘Holy crap, the Delivery Dudes has survived three years of neglect and still somehow makes money. What would happen if I concentrated my efforts here?’” Koss said.

That’s when what started as a simple delivery service really started taking off. They’ve gone from one location (Delray Beach) to six (Lake Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach and Wellington), from 300-400 deliveries a month to 2,000 a month — with that number increasing 20 to 30 percent each month, Koss said.

Their business has almost tripled in the last eight months and by next summer they plan to have 30 locations. A Palm Beach location is planned for mid-January. They currently have almost 100 restaurants signed up and about 25 employees. 

Delivery Dudes started with delivering food but goes far beyond.

“We specialize in food … We got the best food in each town, the food that would normally never be delivered. We’ve got customers that are such good people that we’ll always want to figure out (how to help). We might say ‘no’ because we don’t want to move eight kayaks across the state but we’ll want to help. You need stuff moved around the house? Sure. You need to be dropped off at the airport tomorrow? Sure,” Koss said.

The Dudes provide a variety of other services, such as delivering spears and tanks for Dixie Divers in Deerfield Beach and milk for Heritage Hen Farm. Or you can have PeterMark Salon come to your house for a haircut and style and the Dudes will bring along champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries — for $450.

His drivers give advice on where to park on the Avenue in Delray Beach; buy, wrap and deliver Christmas presents; drop off cakes for parties. They deliver snacks from their own pantry. They help out however they can.

Their motto remains: “Do good, be good and have fun.”

“I can’t find anything wrong with those three things,” Koss said. “I’m not trying to build a house of cards, I’m trying to build a true foundation.”       

Need a Dude? 

The Delivery Dudes serve Boca Raton (450-5560), Deerfield Beach (954-671-0108), Delray Beach (900-7060), Fort Lauderdale (954-636-4343), Lake Worth (674-9114) and Wellington (800-4979).

Locations in Palm Beach will be opening in mid-January and in Boynton Beach in February.

See DeliveryDudes.com for more information.

Dr. Gwen Flinchum interacts with Sydney, a 13-year-old black palm cockatoo.
Flinchum is owner/veterinarian at the All Bird Clinic of the Palm Beaches.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Arden Moore

Although the name of my column is called Paws Up for Pets, for this issue, it may be more appropriate to refer to it as Wings Up for Pets. 

In the past decade, I’ve written 24 books on dogs and cats and am certified as a cat and dog behavior consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Yes, I know how cats and dogs think, but I confess that I know zilch about pet birds. 

So I am devoting this column to our winged friends and shining the spotlight on one of the nation’s foremost bird experts: Dr. Gwen Flinchum, a veterinarian board certified in avian medicine, who operates the All Bird Clinic in Lake Worth. And for many years, she served on the advisory board of the Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Step into her clinic and you won’t hear barks or meows. You will see birds of all shapes and colors, ranging from parakeets and cockatiels to African grays and Macaws. Some are accomplished singers and others can charm or confound you with their wordsmith skills. 

“We will treat any type of bird except ostriches — they are far too dangerous,” Flinchum says. “Most clients bring in parakeets and cockatiels, but we see all types of pet birds.

“We even have a clinic bird, a pigeon named Twinkie, who loves greeting people. She’s a smart pigeon, too. When it’s time to put her back in her cage, we open her cage door, tell her to come to get her treat and she flies right into her cage.”

The All Bird Clinic (www.allbirdclinic.net) provides medical, nutritional and behavioral care. I learned from Flinchum that parakeets tend to live about seven years and cockatiels can surpass age 20 if  they receive regular veterinary care and are provided the right nutritional diet. 

“Being on a poor diet of seed is the No. 1 cause of disease in pet birds,” she states. “Feeding your bird seeds is like feeding your children only french fries. Seeds are high in fat and contain no nutrients. Birds need to be on formulated pellet diets.”

Pellets should be the mainstay, but Flinchum says to think orange and green when serving treats to birds. 

“Fresh broccoli, carrots, papaya are healthy treats and some birds enjoy almonds,” she adds. “But don’t give them table food. The biggest reason birds pull out their feathers is because they are not on a good diet. Anything that affects their liver causes them to be itchy and to start pulling out their feathers.” 

Behavior-wise, Flinchum says most types of birds are smart and learn best when their owners are consistent, clear and concise in their training. And just like dogs and cats, many birds form close bonds with their favorite people and enjoy showing off. 

“I love dogs and cats, but I find birds to be so smart and I love that some can talk,” says Flinchum, explaining why she made the decision after graduating from veterinary school 17 years ago to specialize in birds.

Her home in Loxahatchee is within sound of the roar of lions residing at Lion Country Safari. She shares her home with a pair of beloved dogs named Sophie and Lucy, but the passion in her voice heightens when she starts to talk about her flock of 17 birds that include personality-plus African gray parrots named Pandora, Kamtoris and Baby Dora.

The first two she brought back from South Africa, where she lived with her then-husband 25 years ago. Both birds are bilingual, happily singing out au revoir when Flinchum prepares to leave for work each day. Baby Dora’s favorite line to recite is unique: “I see a butt and I’m going to kiss that butt.”

I didn’t know what to say when the good veterinarian informed me of that linguistic talent of Baby Dora. 

And then there is Freddy, a friendly female flamingo who chaperones Flinchum and her close friends in their regular ritual of strolling to the edge of her five-acre property to watch sunset and sip wine or Champagne. 

“We hang out with Freddy and then she goes back to the aviary by herself,” says Flinchum. “The next time you’re in the area, you should join us.”

Now, I’ve sipped wine in the company of dogs and cats, but never in front of a flamingo. It’s an opportunity I don’t intend to miss. But when attending a wine party featuring a flamingo, does one bring red or white — or blush?

Arden Moore, founder of fourleggedlife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and certified pet first aid master 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.

Maura and Bill Benjamin have enjoyed living in their historic Manapalan home for 33 years. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

Bill and Maura Benjamin have happily downsized from their longtime historic home, Casa Alva at 1300 Lands End Road in Manalapan, but it wasn’t without its last-minute stresses. When the time came to move, for example, they had one month to do it.

Moving is a daunting challenge for most of us, but consider this: Casa Alva has 26,177 square feet of living space with eight bedrooms. Bill has owned the house for 57 years and he and Maura have lived in it for 33 years; they had one month to move out — and it was the holidays.

“When you live in a house this big, you never get rid of anything,” Maura said. “You just stuff it in another closet.”
However, move they did. 

“I really had wonderful help,” Maura said in retrospect. “People say I could run a corporation. I was extraordinarily organized, and now I’m extraordinarily tired.”
The Benjamins first listed the house for sale in 2007 at $23 million, and they sold it Dec. 7 for $6.8 million, the price recorded with the deed by the Palm Beach County Clerk’s Office.
“We are now renting a townhouse in Wellington,” Maura said. “We had a terrible time squeezing everything in. We had so little time to find a place to live and we have two dogs, which made it a little harder.
“I love where we are, and I don’t know where we are going next.”
They were ready, she said, speaking a few days after the closing. “When I woke up today, I realized I didn’t have to worry about anything.
“We had parties and projects there, but we are both getting older, and we didn’t want the responsibility of the house. It was no longer fun.”
For her, Casa Alva was an amazing adventure and Bill loved the landscaping part —Farmer Bill she called him. “He even ran a Bobcat, moved earth and planted trees,” she said.
Built in 1935, designed by Maurice Fatio for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, it is chock-full of amazing details: curved walls in the corners of the dining room, enfilade of doors in the hall, Regency boiserie in the master suite sitting room.
“The first time I saw it, I realized I’d never have an opportunity to decorate a house as beautiful as this again and I said ‘I’m going to go for it.’ It was totally insane — too big a job. There was nothing in the house when we moved in, so finding furniture was fun. Everything had a story.”
Now the house is empty again. There was no time to add clauses for furniture into the closing, Maura noted. What they didn’t keep was sold. But thankfully, the new owner, Gary W. Parr, vice chairman of the Lazard Ltd. financial advisory and asset-management firm, appreciates the house, too, she said.
Parr, who declined to comment for this story, has a home on Park Avenue in New York City, as well as a 24,000-square-foot home on more than six acres in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. He serves as chairman of Venetian Heritage and has supported a variety of restoration and preservation projects, according to published reports.
“Mr. Parr had been looking at the house for about two years. He loved it and he wants to keep the integrity, which makes us happy,” Maura said.
“He’d like to preserve the landscape and keep its wonderful tropical feel. He loved all the beautiful paneled rooms, the history of the house and all the illustrious people who have lived and visited here. He wants to maintain its historic value and restore what’s necessary.
“He’s going to repaint the entry, which we wanted to do,” she added.
Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associate represented both the buyer and sellers.

Five years ago, Premier Estate Properties listed Casa Alva. In 2010, Illustrated Properties acquired the listing and set the price at $13.5 million, later dropping it to $11.75 million before the listing expired. Moens acquired the listing in January 2012 and set the price at $9.85 million at that time.
“I sold this magnificent estate and property owned by the most lovely of couples to an absolutely wonderful gentleman,” Moens said. “The transaction was a terrific experience.”

Nelson Hammell of Devonshire Antiques is coordinating a garage sale of some of the Benjamins’ belongings at 233 Seville Road, West Palm Beach, from 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 12.

Also, the Benjamins’ property will be highlighted as a special section of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ upcoming Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts auction on Feb. 10 and 11 in its Chicago headquarters. The catalog will include detailed auction information with full descriptions for each lot including provenance, exhibition history and auction estimate as well as photographs of select highlights. An illustrated online catalog will be available four weeks prior to the auction. Some of the Benjamins’ works of fine art will be included in the auction house’s American and European Art and Modern and Contemporary Art auctions on May 12 and 13. Buyers can bid in person during the auction or they can register to telephone bid.  They also can bid live online and through third-party bidding platforms. For more information, visit www.lesliehindman.com.                 Ú

Mary and Joseph, played by Alice Robinson and Hunter Gregg, were surrounded by wise men, angels and shepherds during dress rehearsals for a telling of the Christmas story at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic School in Delray Beach. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

 By Tim Pallesen

The ambitious dream is to provide temporary shelter for the children of South County families in crisis. 

City House would be a safe and loving haven for children who otherwise would be thrown into the state’s overwhelmed foster care program.

Members of The Avenue Church are appealing for believers from outside their congregation to provide special talents and resources to help make the dream a reality.

“We are at a point where a team can be assembled to move forward,” the Rev. Casey Cleveland said. “But it’s a vision that’s way bigger than we are, requiring many more resources than we have.

“This would have to be of the Lord or it’s not going to happen,” Rev. Cleveland said.

Organizers hope to acquire a 17,000-square-foot former sausage packing house south of Atlantic Avenue for City House.

The Avenue Church has focused on orphans since it began two years ago. Members participate in the national Safe Families program where they open their homes to children whose parents are temporarily unable to care for them.

But the need exceeds one church’s ability to respond. About 10 children are turned away each month for lack of space.

“This is a horrific crisis that’s stirring our hearts,” women’s ministry director Allison Good said. “The orphan crisis isn’t just international — it is local as well.”

Other churches in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have seen the need and already formed 4KIDS of South Florida to open temporary shelters. But there is no shelter between the two cities.

                                  ***

Orphans are the cause for a 50-mile bike ride on Feb. 16.

Eric Johnson, who regularly bicycles down State Road A1A on Saturday mornings, got the idea.

“Here I am riding my bike on A1A,” Johnson recalled, “and I wonder if these people would ride for a reason.”

“Christians are called to help people. The Bible specifically calls out widows and orphans,” he said.

Johnson’s eyes were opened when he visited orphanages in Haiti. “Orphans need our help big time,” he said.

The Ride for Orphans bike ride starts and finishes at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton.

Bikers can register at www.spanishriver.com/ride4orphans or by calling 994-5000. The fee is $35.

The route goes to north to Boynton Beach, where bikers cross over to A1A at Woolbright Road for the coastal homestretch to Palmetto Park Road.

The Avenue Church will provide one of four rest stops at Anchor Park in Delray Beach. The Journey Church, Calvary Chapel and Boynton Beach Community Church will provide the others.

Money raised with go to the Global Orphan Project, an orphanage in Haiti and 4KIDS of South Florida.  

                                  ***

Hannah Svirsky of Boca Raton joins family, friends and dozens of others during a field gleaning at Native Green Cay. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Could you exchange a little hard work for the satisfaction of rushing fresh produce from the fields to people who are hungry?

More than 2,000 volunteers gleaned 345,225 pounds of sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and other crops from local fields last year.

Gleaning is under way again this winter on Saturday mornings.

“It is very gratifying to work two or three hours to fill a truck and know that food is going to be eaten by someone who is hungry within 48 hours,” promises the Rev. Pam Cahoon, executive director of Christians Reaching Out to Society (CROS) Ministries, which supervises the gleaning and distributes the food in Palm Beach County.

The fresh produce would be wasted in fields after harvesting if volunteers didn’t collect it. Cahoon started the program when she realized that Palm Beach County is the largest producer of sweet corn. 

Much of the gleaned produce appears to feed the poor at the Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach, where 88,691 hot meals were served last year.

Volunteers may contact CROS gleaning director Viviane Fils-Aime at 233-9009 Ext. 107. Families are welcome. 

                                        ***

Organizers of the annual Boca Raton Greek Festival at St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church are expecting as many as 20,000 to attend the four-day event on Jan. 24-27.

The popular event — billed as the largest ethnic festival in South Florida — features Greek music and dancing, traditional Greek food and pastries, children’s rides and vendors from around the world.

Admission is $5 for adults with children for free. See www.saintmarkboca.net for more information.    

                                  ***

The Rev. Edmund Bolella will speak at the annual Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast at Pompey Park in Delray Beach on Jan. 8.

The Rev. Bolella, a Delray Beach resident and education director for a Unitarian congregation in Boca Raton, will discuss what it means to serve in the community. The Delray Community Choir will perform.

Tickets are $25. Call (561) 279-0907 for details.

                 The Women’s Circle Christmas and Students Award Ceremony was held Dec. 16 at the First United Methodist Church in Boynton Beach.  Certificates were awarded to women who successfully completed courses in English, typing or computing. Participants had a fashion show in which they held a runway walk wearing the red and green hats, shawls and dresses they had knitted or crocheted. Photo provided

Members of Boca Raton Community Church haven’t decided yet whether to replace spires with crosses that were blown off their roof by Hurricane Sandy.

Strong winds brought down two of three spires at the Boca Raton church located at 740 NW Fourth Ave. 

The spires were constructed from concrete and rebar in the late 1950s on the original church building. Crosses were added at the top of each spire eight years ago. 

Church business manager John Barber reports the damaged third spire has been removed. “We didn’t want that to come falling down while people were around,” Barber said.

Now the question is whether to test Mother Nature again by replacing the spires as they were before on the roof.

“We’re still in the process of repairing damage and determining what to put there in the future,” he said.

“We will put up a cross at some point,” Barber predicted. “But we haven’t decided whether it will be on the ground or back on the building.”    

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

Brandon Martel, 15, relies on his Labradoodle, Sophie, to
help him during stressful times when he is prone to having
seizures from an as-yet-undiagnosed condition.
Photos by Libby Volgyes/The Coastal Star

By Arden Moore

Little did Brandon Martel realize that when his parents gave him a spirited puppy named Sophie two years ago that this Labradoodle would grow up to become his most trusted health ally.

After experiencing a seizure at school on Jan. 13, 2012, this 15-year-old Ocean Ridge teen collapsed and hit the floor hard. For the past year, local physicians and specialists at Miami Children’s Hospital have performed tests (ruling out a brain tumor), but have yet to pinpoint the source of Brandon’s condition. 

All Brandon is certain of is that he is desperately afraid to be left alone for fear that he will pass out, hit his head and bleed. He is now home-schooled and takes anti-seizure medicine daily.

In searching for remedies, his parents, Cindy and Victor Martel, investigated the possibility of pairing their youngest son with a certified service dog trained in detecting early triggers for seizures and capable of positioning quickly and calmly by Brandon’s side.

Service dogs from national agencies typically cost more than $10,000 to train, and there are often waiting lists. And pairing a service dog with an individual can be challenging.

Then the Martels discovered a veteran service-dog trainer right in their own county: Nick Kutsukos of Elite K9 Academy.

For four decades, Kutsukos has been providing customized service-dog training in South Florida that meets the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He is the patriarch of a three-generation family dog-training center based in Jupiter.

His current task: elevating Sophie’s status from happy-go-lucky family dog to focused service dog for Brandon.

“A service dog is trained to assist a disabled person and make their life as normal as possible,” Kutsukos says. 

For the past several months, Kutsukos has been working a few days a week with the Martels in honing Sophie’s service dog skills.

“Sophie is a very sweet dog who loves to be with Brandon,” Kutsukos says. “It has turned out to be a great match. The medical field can’t figure out what is wrong with Brandon, but we’ve made a lot of progress. When we first started, Brandon was too afraid to walk further than one house from his own; and now with Sophie by his side, he is walking down the block and going to shopping malls and restaurants. Sophie is a smart dog who wants to learn, wants to help Brandon.”

Adds Brandon: “Sophie is helping me get through stuff when I get anxious or worried. I give her a hug and she has a way of calming me. She stays by  me and leans against me when I start to have a panic attack. Now whenever I say, ‘Let’s go to work,’ she comes right up to me and sits down. She gets in a calm mode and concentrates on me.”

Progress is steady but there have been minor setbacks. In November, the training took them to the Boynton Beach shopping mall, where the goal was for Sophie to stay quiet under the table during lunch. According to Kutsukos, Brandon “zoned out, got up and went outside” and began experiencing quick, shallow breaths — the prelude to a panic attack and passing out. 

“I brought Sophie out to him and she was able to calm Brandon down,” he says. “Normally on the onset of a panic disorder, a person will emit a scent that trained dogs can pick up. It has to do with changes in the body chemistry,  and we are training Sophie to be able to detect this scent and go immediately to Brandon and not pay any attention to any other dogs or other distractions. We are making good progress.”

Trainer Nick Kutsukos of Elite K9 Academy poses with Sadie, a 2½-year-old
German shepherd that is currently in training. 

 Kutsukos is optimistic that Sophie should meet all the requirements to become a certified service dog within a couple more months if they continue the three-times-a-week customized training sessions with Brandon.

“I’ve trained dozens of service dogs for people as young as 5 and as old as 88 and for each one, we tailored the dog’s training skills to meet the needs of the person with a disability,” says Kutsukos. “I’ve trained all kinds of dogs from German shepherds to toy poodles to mutts. If the dog’s personality is good and the dog is willing to learn, the breed means nothing. And Sophie definitely has the temperament and ability to become a great service dog for Brandon.”

And after watching the transformation of Sophie, Cindy Martel says, “At first, I had my doubts. I did not think Sophie could be trained to be a service dog. Why, she used to jump up playfully to greet guests in our homes. Sophie is so comforting to Brandon and she listens and obeys so well. She amazes me with how well she is in tune with Brandon.”Ú

To learn more about veteran dog trainer Nick Kutsukos and his Elite K9 Academy based in Jupiter, visit www.elitek9academy.com.

Note: Events are current as of 12/28. Please check with organizers for any changes.

Saturday - 1/5 - 2nd Annual Delray Beach Fit Day at Old School Square Park, 51 N. Swinton Blvd. Local fitness, health and beauty businesses offer demonstrations, samples, health screenings and more. 9 am-noon. Free. 243-7250 or www.delraybeachfitday.com. 

1/5 - SPIN® Class at Oceanfront Park, 6415 N. Ocean Blvd., Ocean Ridge. Classes are held seven days a week on the boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Sunrise to 9 am and 4 pm to sunset. Donations accepted. 287-0953.

1/5 - Saturdays @ Sanborn: Yoga Class at Sanborn Square, 72 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. Held Saturdays. Registration: 8:45 am; class: 9 am. Free. 393-7703 or www.downtownboca.org.

1/5 - Yoga Class at the Train Depot, 747 S. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton. Held T,Th&Sat: 9:30-11 am & T: 6:30-8 pm. 5 classes: $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents; 10 classes: $110/residents, $137.50/non-residents; 20 classes: $200/residents, $250/non-residents. 477-8727.

 1/5 - Judo Class - Saturdays at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Warm-up exercises, instruction, practice and tournament training. Two sessions: Mixed ages & ranks. 10 am-noon. Per month: $21.50/resident, $27/non-resident. 393-7807.

1/5 - Zumba Class at South Beach Park Pavilion, 400 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton. Held every Saturday. 10:30 am. Free. 393-7703.

1/5-6 - Yoga Workout at the Beach - Held every Sat., Sun. & M at Red Reef Park West, 1221 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Build strength and flexibility, improve postural alignment and stabilize the core. Classes held on the grass overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Cash not accepted on-site. Sat. & Sun.: 10-11 am; Mon.: 6:30-7:30 pm. $15/residents, $19/non-residents per class, or 60 day membership (unlimited classes) for $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents. 393-7807.

Sunday - 1/6 - Yoga with Live Music is held every Sunday at the Colony Hotel, 525 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 9:30-11 am. $20. 703-1236.

Monday - 1/7 - Jazzercise/Body Sculpting at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. 50-minute workout features a creative combination of weight training and stretching. Held every M, W & F. 8:45-9:35 am. First class is free. 8 classes: $56/residents, $70/non-residents. 16 classes: $96/residents, $120/non-residents. 347-3950.

1/7 - Jazzercise at the Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave. All ages and levels welcome. Class runs M-Sat. 9-10 am. Fees start at $38/month. 742-6240.

1/7 - Yoga Class at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Classes held M-W-F, 9:30-11 am & Th, 6:30-8 pm. 5 classes: $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents; 10 classes: $110/residents, $137.50/non-residents; 20 classes: $200/residents, $250/non-residents. 477-8727.

1/7 - Jazzercise/Light at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. 50-minute class pairs moderate aerobics with exercises designed to improve strength, balance, and flexibility. Held every M, W & F. 9:40-10:30 am. First class is free. 8 classes: $56/residents, $70/non-residents. 16 classes: $96/residents, $120/non-residents. 347-3950.

1/7 - Tai Chi for Beginners of All Ages at Veterans Park, 802 NE First St., Delray Beach. Learn natural ways to relieve tension, stress and pains. Held every Monday. 11 am-noon. Per class: $15/residents; $20/non-residents. 243-7350.

1/7 - Parkinson’s Exercise Class at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Exercises work to improve  balance, flexibility and muscle strength. For all ages. First class is free. 8 classes: $32/residents, $40/non-residents. 16 classes: $60/residents, $75/non-residents. Mondays: 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Wednesdays: 2-3 pm. 347-3950.

1/7 - Chair Massage at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Licensed Therapist offers 10-minute sessions. Held every Monday. 1 pm. $10/session. 278-5455.

1/7 - Bereavement Support Group at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. Mondays 1-2:30 pm. First session free, $5 thereafter. 483-5300.

1/7 - Yoga Sunset at the Beach at Spanish River Park, 3001 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton. Build strength and flexibility, improve postural alignment and stabilize the core. Classes held next to Lifeguard stand number 18. Cash not be accepted on-site. Mondays, 6:30-7:30 pm. $15/residents, $19/non-residents per class, or 60 day membership (unlimited classes) for $65/residents, $81.25/non-residents. 393-7807.

1/7 - Body with Style Aerobics at the Ezell Hester, Jr. Community Center, 1901 N. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach.  Class held M & W. 6:30-7:30 pm. $3/at the door. 742-6550 or www.boynton-beach.org.

1/7 - Meditation Mondays at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Meditate to enhance overall health and well-being. Mondays at 7 pm. Free. 278-5455 or www.highlandbeachlibrary.org.

1/7 - Sophisticated Discussions: A Singles Group - Join over-50 peers in a supportive, singles group discussion at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Refreshments. Mondays, 7-8:30 pm. Free. 393-7807.

1/7-8 - Fitness Boot Camp for ages 18 & up at Pompey Park, 1101 NW 2nd St., Delray Beach. Class held  M & T. 6-7 pm. Per class: $5/residents; $6/non-residents. 243-7356 or www.mydelraybeach.com.

Tuesday - 1/8 - Cardio Sculpt at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Workout targets multiple muscle groups to build lean muscle. Modifications accomodate pregnant moms as well as beginner to advanced fitness levels. Held every T & Th. 8:450-9:30. 4 classes: $36/residents, $45/non-residents; 8 classes: $66/residents, $82.50/non-residents; 16 classes: $118/residents, $147.50/non-residents. 347-3950.

1/8 - Fit Mom’s Boot Camp at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Workout incorporates cardio exercises, strength training, running drills, body weight resistance training, agility drills and core strengthening. Perfect for new moms looking to get back in shape as well as moms to-be looking to stay active and fit during their pregnancy. Held every  T & Th. 9:30-10:20. 4 classes: $36/residents, $45/non-residents; 8 classes: $66/residents, $82.50/non-residents; 16 classes: $118/residents, $147.50/non-residents. 347-3950.

1/8 - Breastfeeding Support Group at The Red Tent, 20 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Bring your baby and join a community of mothers and mothers-to-be to discuss breastfeeding questions. For all stages of pregnancy through weaning. 10 am-11:30 am. Free. 309-4314.

1/8 - Beginners Yoga at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Enjoyable program helps you stay fit. Bring  yoga mat. Held every T & Th. 10:15 am. $10. 278-5455.

1/8 - Adult Folk Dance Class at Pompey Park, 1101 NW 2nd St., Delray Beach. Ages 18 and up learn new dances from around the world for physical fitness, exercise, and fun. Held every Tuesday. 10:30 am-12:30 pm. $6/class. 243-7356.

1/8 - Caregivers Support Group at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. Tuesdays, 2-3:30 pm. Free. 483-5300.

1/8 - Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Presented by Delray Medical Center as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 3 pm. Free. 736-8044.

1/8 - Women’s Issues Support Group at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. Tuesdays, 7-8:30 pm. First session free, $5 thereafter. 483-5300.

Wednesday - 1/9 - Yoga for Ages 18 and Up at Veterans Park, 802 NE First St., Delray Beach. Held every W & F. 9-10:30 am. Per class: $10/residents; $15/non-residents. 243-7350.

1/9 - Spinal Stenosis - Presented by Dr. John Conde as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 2 pm. Free. 266-9490.

1/9 - Tai Chi Class at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Davis Therapy Center, 650 Glades Road. Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 pm. $10/class or $48/six consecutive weeks. Registration: 955-5321.

1/9 - Divorced and Separated Support Group at The Center for Group Counseling, 22455 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton. Wenesdays, 6-7:30 pm. First session free, $5 thereafter. 483-5300.

1/9 - Tai Chi Class - Wednesdays at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Emphasizes moving meditation for focus, concentration, release of stress and attention skills. Two sessions: beginners, 6:10-7:10 pm; intermediate, 7:10-8:10 pm. 8 classes: $48/residents, $60/non-residents; 12 classes: $66/residents, $82/non-residents. 393-7807.

1/9 - Childbirth Education Prenatal Class is offered as a four-week refresher course at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Provides an overview of the signs of labor, breathing techniques and more. Bring two pillows and a blanket. Wear comfortable stretchy clothes. Held again 1/16, 23 & 30. 6:30 pm. $75. Registration: 369-2229.

1/9 - Mind/Body Development with Karate at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Class offers vibrant, yet soothing routines applicable to both young and old. Wednesdays, 6:30 pm. $10. 278-5455.

1/9 - Judo Class - Wednesdays at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Warm-up exercises, instruction, practice and tournament training. Two sessions: Mixed ages & ranks: 6:30-8 pm; Advanced: 8-9 pm; All groups: Saturdays 10am-noon. Per month: $21.50/resident, $27/non-resident. 393-7807.

Thursday - 1/10 - Delray Beach Walkers Club at Veterans Park, 802 NE 1st St., Delray Beach. Improve your health, make new friends, and enjoy the beautiful vistas of Delray Beach. For ages 18 and up. Thursdays, 8 am. Free. 243-7352.

1/10 - Yoga Class at the Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave. Increase flexibility, improve health and reduce stress. All levels. Thursdays through 2/21. 6-7 pm. $60/residents, $75/non-residents. Registration: 742-6240.

Saturday - 1/12 -New Years’ Resolution Open House at The Gym 111, 111 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Complimentary classes, day passes and refreshments. 8 am-noon. Free. 274-7477.

Monday - 1/14 - Electrical Heart Update: What’s New In The Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation and Other Heart Rhythm Disorders - Presented by Daniel Goldman, M.D., as part of the Heart Symposium Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

Tuesday  - 1/15 - Healing From the Inside Out: No Drugs, No Surgery, No Kidding! - Presented by Dr. Marilyn Shore as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 2 pm. Free. 266-9490.

1/15 - Management of Breast Cancer: Surgery and Beyond - Presented by Sonali Pandya, M.D., as part of the Community Lecture Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

Wednesday - 1/16 - Posture & Pain: Alexander Technique - Presented by Matt Pressman as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 2 pm. Free. 266-9490 or www.delraylibrary.org.

Thursday - 1/17 - A Beautiful Mind: The Art of Women’s Self Defense at the Boynton Beach Art Center, 125 SE 2nd Ave. Thursdays through 2/21. 9-9:45 am. $49/residents, $62/non-residents. 742-6221.

1/17 - Unlocking The Mysteries of the Brain is presented by Dr. David Fitzpatrick as part of Max Planck Florida Institute’s 3nd Annual Public Lecture Series at the Royal Poinciana Chapel Fellowship Hall, 60 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach. Lecture focuses on the work of  Fitzpatrick and the other research group leaders at the Max Planck Florida Institute of Neuroscience. 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. Reservations: 972-9007.

Friday -1/18 - Alzheimer’s Cafe at the Shirley & Barton Weisman Delray Community Center, 7091 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. A unique gathering for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related memory loss, along with their families, friends, caregivers and professionals. Share laughter and each other’s company in a relaxed setting, Held the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. 2-4 pm. Free. RSVP: 866-7086.

Wednesday - 1/23 - The ABC’s of Skin Cancer & Prevention - Presented by Dr. Ronnit Stein as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 2 pm. Free. 266-9490 or www.delraylibrary.org.

Thursday  - 1/24 - Johns Hopkins: A Woman’s Journey at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Annual women’s health conference and luncheon features recent medical findings from faculty and physicians from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Program includes a special presentation by the new Johns Hopkins Medicine Dean/CEO as well as seminars on health topics from the benefits of turmeric to back pain and new advances in cancer. 9 am-2 pm. Registration $150. 659-1155.

1/24 - Breast Tomosynthesis and the Latest in 3D Mammography - Presented by Carol Adami, M.D., as part of the Bethesda Memorial Hospital Community Lecture Series at Ross Jewish Community Center, 8500 Jog Road, Boynton Beach. 11 am. Free. 259-3000.

Monday - 1/28 - Memory Matters: Staying Sharp! is presented by Barbara Klau as part of the Lifelong Learning Community Institute at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. Course covers easy to learn, educationally valid memory enhancement strategies to help one feel more empowered and in control. First of a four-part series. Class continues 2/4, 11 & 3/4. 2-3:30 pm. $50/session. 266-9490.

Tuesday - 1/29 - Stress: Develop Skills to Manage and Cope at the Boynton Beach City Library, 208 S. Seacrest Blvd. Discover stress buster techniques. Presented by Dr. Sharon Ryalls, JFK Medical Center. 10:30-11:30 am. Free. 742-6390.

1/29 - Workshop: Stroll for Well-Being at The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. A specially developed journal is used as a guide and a means to record personal thoughts through the 12 themed garden strolls. An explanation about the program is provided during the first meeting. Class meets again 2/26 & 3/26. 10:30 am-noon. $100/non-members, $40/members. Registgration: 495-0233.

1/29 - Brain Matters: Prevention of Aging, Dementia & Stroke - Presented by Dr. Mark Brody as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 3 pm. Free. 266-9490.

1/29 - The ABC’s of Breast Screening - Presented by Sonali Pandya, M.D., as part of the Bethesda Memorial Hospital Community Lecture Series at West Boynton Beach Library, 9451 S. Jog Road, Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 734-5556.

Tennis pro David Bent took up croquet 14 years ago and recently played for the U.S. team at a tournament in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

 By Steve Pike

David Bent wants you to know that croquet is more than just a backyard sport. It’s even more than a group of white-clad men and women enjoying a Sunday afternoon on the croquet field.

For Bent, the tennis and croquet professional at St. Andrews Club, just north of Gulf Stream, croquet is as competitive and intense as any other sport. And he has the credentials to prove it.

Bent competed for the U.S. team this past December in the Golf Croquet World Team Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa. The tournament featured eight, four-man teams from around the world. The U.S. team, led by Bent and nine-time U.S. champion Ben Rothman, finished fourth. They had vied against such countries as tournament winner Egypt and Great Britain, where croquet is much more ingrained into the sporting life than in the U.S.

Palm Beach County is one of the places in the U.S. where croquet is popular recreationally and competitively. The National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach will host the U.S. Croquet Association Laws National Championship from April 29 through May 4 — an event in which Bent plans to compete — and PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens has top-rated croquet facilities.

Bent, who has been tennis professional since 1971, began playing croquet in 1998 when the St. Andrews Club built its 105-foot by 84-foot lawn. He quickly took to croquet thanks to lessons from his friend Archie Peck, a six-time national champion, member of the U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame and a fixture in Palm Beach County croquet circles. Bent had given Peck’s children tennis lessons at St. Andrews Club, so it seemed natural that Peck teach Bent how to play croquet.

“I knew nothing about the sport,” said Bent, who has been ranked as high as second in the U.S. and 30th in the world. “But I like to approach things with an open mind. It was fantastic for me. I was still playing a game outside in the sunshine hitting balls. And it made coming back to tennis much more exciting because if you do anything for a lifetime, it starts to wear on you.”

Approximately 40 people use the croquet lawn at the St. Andrews Club, with the majority playing the golf-croquet format of the sport. Golf croquet, played with six wickets, is easier to learn and play than the nine-wicket format.

“It’s basically the Egyptian set of rules,” Bent said. “If croquet goes anywhere in the U.S. it will be with this set of rules because they’re pretty simple. You still have to use tactics and strategy, but one guy isn’t just sitting.

“The other (nine-wicket) game is just like shooting pool. Once a guy gets a break, you’re going to sit and he’s going to run the table. It’s a much slower-moving game with various shots in it that are difficult to hit.”

In golf croquet, everyone plays, and each turn is just a single stroke. There are no extra strokes rewarded. The game is played individually or in teams of two.

Basically, a player has four options: Try to run through the hoop (or wicket); take a position to clear an opponent’s ball away; block an opponent; or nudge a partner’s ball.

The first player to run through a hoop is awarded a point. The game is usually won by the first player to seven points.

“It’s easy to follow and easy to learn,” Bent said. “I can get you playing croquet immediately with this game, and it’s fun.”                

        Angel trumpets stand at one of the water features near the dining area at the Sundy House.
Photos  by Jerry Lower

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

At the Sundy House in Delray Beach, you’ll find the Taru Gardens, home to 750 plant species including more than 100 medicinal and fruiting plants. Some of these are from as far away as Thailand and Singapore. 

But the garden was not always this way.

When Tom Worrell bought the 1½-acre-property in the mid-1990s, he got not only the historic Sundy house but also an asphalt parking lot, a decrepit stable and a small apartment building that was being used as a crack house. 

“There was a pit bull in just about every apartment, and the parking lot was covered with syringes,” Worrell recalls.

It took $1.6 million and the help of Richard Wilson, who owns Excalibur Fruit Trees in Lake Worth, to turn the property into a poster child for redevelopment. 

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

In 2004, Worrell left his restaurant as well as his gardens in the hands of a management company that did no pruning, mulching or fertilizing. “They just didn’t care,” Wilson says.  

The 100-year-old royal poinciana
dwarfs the seating arrangement.

The magnificent royal poinciana just inside the front wrought iron gate really suffered. It already had a hollow trunk, but during this time a branch fell into the parking lot, breaking the tree nearly in half.

Now back in charge, Wilson and Worrell were able to save the tree by filling the center of its trunk with concrete and metal rebar. And yes, the almost 100-year-old poinciana survived although its 40-foot-wide canopy is partially supported by wooden columns and metal jacks.

As you enter the garden, look out over what Wilson describes as “berms and vistas.” There’s something new to see with every turn of the limestone rock path.

For example, you might spot something like the spiny silk floss tree in the distance. It certainly will draw your attention. But when you follow the winding path to reach it, you’ll come across a plant-covered hillock that hides the flowering tree from view. 

You also may spot white-linen covered tables set among the foliage. Here you can enjoy the blooms as you eat lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch. 

You also may find the garden represented on the Sundy House menu. The chef’s options for picking include jaboticaba with the dark, grape-like fruit growing on its trunk and black sapote that has fruit reminiscent of chocolate mousse. Just add sugar.

A wild ginger glows with a radiant magenta hue in the morning light. 

“I looked for some of the strangest things I could find when gathering specimens to plant,” Wilson says.

The pool area has three naturally filtered water features surrounded by banana palms laden with green hands, varieties of ginger with pink to red torch-like flowers, and a mango tree with fruit that tastes like piña coladas, we are told. 

On your way out, stop by the brick patio at the front of the restaurant. You don’t want to miss the bodhi tree with its heart-shaped leaves. It’s the same type of tree under which Buddha is said to have sat when he gained enlightenment.

Wilson gets it right when he says, “Walking through these gardens makes you feel like you’ve been away on a very long trip.”

f You Go

Sundy House, 106 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; 561-272-5678. 

Garden tours are available at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and Friday.  Call for information and reservations.

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley is a certified master gardener who can be reached at debhartz@att.net when she’s not digging in her yard.

By Margie Plunkett

The Boca Raton City Council approved a measure to create a planned mobility district in the vicinity including the former IBM campus, but not before hearing from residents and developers who packed the chambers in a meeting that stretched well into the evening.

The northwest area, as it is known, was one of five areas in the city under consideration for planned mobility development, which brings work-force residences within range of offices and retail services to cut down the number of auto trips for job commutes and other daily excursions.

Planned mobility is hoped to help revive an area that bustled before IBM moved its operation and employees to North Carolina and Texas.

“It will create a better business climate for business owners” and allow workers to “work and thrive in the city in which they earn their income,” said resident Frank Feiler, who spoke at the public hearing on behalf of himself, not the Boca Raton Airport Authority, where he is chairman. “It’ll make our city a better place.”

The second public hearing on the northwest plan, conducted Dec. 11, saw the council chambers filled with representatives of developers, businesses and homeowners associations as well as residents.

While there was considerable support for the plans, residents also voiced concerns that the density of projects would create traffic that would clog roadways and more students in the schools.

Planned mobility would allow up to 2,500 multifamily residential units to be added in the northwest over the next 10 years, with a density of 20 dwelling units per acre — which Deputy City Manager George Brown pointed out is the same as under current regulations. The height restriction would be at 85 feet.

Resident Gail Dinnerstein asked at the hearing, “Why such high density in one area — and what’s that going to do to the entire area? We have one Publix and two gas stations. What happens when they’re going to take their children to school? You’re talking 6,000 to 10,000 people in one area. It should be spread out.”

Council members as well as Brown noted that much misinformation about the plan was in circulation, and took time to reiterate details. For one, Brown said, the council’s approval of planned mobility for the area was only a “legislative framework” for such projects. Each project that is proposed still must be heard and approved by the city, he said.

In addition, the housing that planned mobility encourages is not low-income, Brown explained. The housing, which can include rental or for-purchase units as small as 625 square feet (but which average 700 square feet), is planned to be priced so that it is attainable by area workers, he said.

In response to resident concerns that adding the housing would cause congestion on local roadways and fill classrooms with children of the residents, Brown said that all 2,500 units were not expected to be built on one corner. The projects also are subject to the county and other impact fees and regulations that provide for infrastructure.     

Larry Thomas Jr., general manager of Salt 7 restaurant, crosses Northeast Second Avenue at Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach.  City officials say downtown Delray Beach is especially attractive to multifamily housing developers because the city did not overbuild before the recession. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Tim Pallesen

Delray Beach’s downtown is emerging from the recession as a place where young professionals can live, work and play.

The recovery is fueled by banks willing to lend money to build rental apartments and a downtown master plan that allows density bonuses to encourage development.

The controversial Atlantic Plaza II project was the first in the recent flurry of downtown development projects.

That project plus two others totaled 528 new apartments that city commissioners approved last month. Another new project, Uptown Delray, would add 150 apartments if approved.

“The reputation of our downtown as a happening place is one of the keys to our recovery,” retiring City Manager David Harden said. “Our goal is to get a complete downtown that is sustainable.”

Ideally, urban residents won’t need vehicles if they can walk from their apartments to work, shop and play. That’s the vision of downtown development leaders.

But some coastal residents are skeptical whether that ideal can be achieved. They fear that density incentives to encourage more downtown apartments will simply lead to more traffic congestion and parking problems.

“The city needs to ask where the incentives are still necessary,” Beach Property Owners Association president Andy Katz said. “It’s time to review the downtown master plan.”

The master plan was drafted 14 years ago with high-density housing seen as the means to generate year-round customers for Atlantic Avenue shopkeepers.

“The goal is a balanced mix of retail and housing so businesses can survive and make a year-round go of it,” Harden said.

City zoning normally allows 30 housing units per acre. But city regulations give commissioners the authority to allow higher densities and taller buildings as incentives.

City planners point to Worthing Place as the best example of a new housing project that accomplishes the city’s vision for a future downtown.

“Density should not be the issue. It’s really about how well the buildings are designed,” said Paul Dorling, the city’s planning and zoning director.

Worthing Place was designed by Richard Heapes — the same urban architect who created Mizner Park in Boca Raton. City commissioners granted 92 units per acre, and construction began in 2008 as the recession began.

“Density wasn’t an issue,” Worthing Place developer Bill Morris recalled. “The city was just very excited to have someone come in and build.”

Delray Beach’s downtown remained stronger than others during the recession. Two new hotels, the Seagate and Hyatt Place, were built. Downtown property values remained stable, unlike in other cities.

Now, as banks begin lending to build apartments again, planners believe Delray Beach’s central business district is positioned to redevelop more quickly than other downtowns.

“The character of our downtown has provided an opportunity that is larger than in most other downtowns,” senior city planner Scott Pape said. “When the economy turns around fully, we’re going to see Delray Beach further ahead than other communities.”

The appeal of Atlantic Avenue is like no other. Visitors from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach bypass the manufactured look of Mizner Park and CityPlace to dine, window shop and enjoy a traditional downtown where historic buildings such as the Colony Hotel and Old School Square have been preserved. 

“We’ve created a place that’s inviting to the creative cultural class,” city economic development director Vincent Nolan said.

The appeal is such that young professionals want to live near the downtown.    

“Renting has become the preferred option for people moving from one community to another,” Nolan said. “Banks have figured out there’s a demand, so building rental units can be financed.”

Delray’s downtown is particularly attractive to multifamily housing developers now because the city didn’t overbuild before the recession. “There’s a demand for Delray Beach and not a lot of overbuilt capacity,” Nolan said.

The recent demand appears greater than five years ago when Worthing Place received incentives to build. But the city continued to grant developers their requests for higher densities last month.

Atlantic Plaza II developers originally wanted 51 units per acre for their mixed-use project on East Atlantic Avenue near the bridge. City commissioners reduced the density to 40 units per acre when neighbors on both sides of the bridge objected.

The Related Group received densities of 65 and 62 units per acre on its two apartment buildings south of downtown on Southeast Second and Third avenues. Uptown Delray, a mixed-use project on Federal Highway at Southeast Second Street, wants 71 units per acre.

Mixed-use projects are attractive to downtown development advocates because they include office space — the missing element if Delray’s downtown is truly to become a place where residents can live, work and play without automobiles.

Banks aren’t lending money to build office buildings.

“People love downtown Delray Beach and would love to work here, but we don’t have the office space available,” said Nolan, who says he frequently turns away law firms seeking to locate downtown.

“Class A office space is one of the biggest concerns,” agreed Gregg Weiss, the economic development chairman for the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce. “Our downtown has a magic vibe which makes people want to be here, but we’re losing business to Boca Raton.”

Atlantic Plaza II developers included 79,000 square feet of office space to win City Commission approval last month for conditional use permits for higher density and building height.

“We need to give vibrant young people a place to live and work,” McDuffie said. “This project brings us office space we’re looking for.”

But that and the 4,925 square feet at Uptown Delray aren’t enough space to meet the need, according to Nolan. More high-density apartments will be built without enough downtown jobs to employ residents within walking distance.

“We’re going to have larger, taller and more dense structures in the downtown as a norm,” said Bob Ganger, chairman of the Florida Coalition for Preservation.

“It seems as though the city has abandoned the density part of its land-use regulations,” he said.

Ganger and Katz want city commissioners to limit the density bonuses only to properties that would be difficult to develop without them. The two Related Group projects, for example, are near railroad tracks south of downtown.

“Incentives are no longer needed along Atlantic Avenue itself because everyone wants to be there,” Katz said.

They warn that a downtown without stricter density controls will no longer be as attractive because of traffic and parking problems. 

“The city needs to step back and rethink the downtown growth plan to ask if we’re killing the golden goose,” Ganger said.