Nearly 20 people participated in Saturday afternoon Mass inside the Manalapan Library. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Tim Pallesen

The closing of the Lantana Bridge hasn’t kept Catholics who live in Manalapan from attending Mass.

Instead, a priest from Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lantana comes to them, leading worship every Saturday at the Manalapan town library.

The services began after the bridge was closed for construction last March. Island Mass recessed for the summer and then resumed Nov. 3.

Manalapan officials approved the library use after a request by Councilman Louis DeStefano, a Holy Spirit parishioner.

“I figured that, if anyone could find us a place, it was him,” Holy Spirit’s senior priest, Rev. Kevin Nelson, said. “He’s the one who made it happen.”

DeStefano’s 97-year-old mother was particularly pleased. The library is across the street from her Point Manalapan home.

“I go there in my wheelchair,” Phyllis DeStefano said. “I’m very happy about it.”

Without the alternative, Catholics who live on the island would be forced to drive north to cross at the Lake Worth Bridge and then go south to reach Holy Spirit.

“It’s not just for Manalapan,” Louis DeStefano said. “It’s for the whole east side of the bridge, whoever is stuck with the bridge being out.”

As many as 40 parishioners attended Mass when it was said in Manalapan last winter. About 20 attended Nov. 3, and that number is expected to grow as snowbirds return.

“It’s a wonderful thing that the church has offered so we can have a place that’s so convenient for ocean people,” Manalapan resident Olga Cuyar said. “We’re blessed to have it.”

Only the priest is inconvenienced by island Mass. Services are held immediately before and after at Holy Spirit Church in Lantana.

“I’m dashing from here to get there,” Nelson said.

                                               ***

Church of the Palms Congregational has joined the city of Delray Beach to collect and ship 500 care packages to the military this holiday.

The Project Holiday project began in 2005 when Church of the Palms member Eleanor Williams heard that the city commissioners were supporting city administrative assistant Delores Rangel’s support group for parents with military children overseas during Christmas.

“I always feel it’s such a huge sacrifice to put yourself in danger and be away from family,” said Williams, whose father was an Air Force prisoner of war during World War II. “You feel alone and isolated.”

Rangel’s daughter Melissa, who served five tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, encouraged the parents group called You Are Not Alone to send the holiday care packages.

The packages include nonperishable food, toiletries and cards of encouragement. The ladies at Church of the Palms knit wool caps for a soldier to wear under his or her helmet to stay warm.

Project Holiday has grown to where Delray Beach placed collection boxes at City Hall, the city library and four other locations in November. Eight businesses in Boca Raton also collected items.

Volunteers gather Dec. 2 to pack boxes for shipment at the Delray Beach Community Center. The church, as a nonprofit, accepted $4,000 in donations to pay for postage.

                                                ***

Temple Beth El celebrates Hanukkah Under the Stars at the Mizner Park Amphitheater on Dec. 14.

The free community event includes bounce houses, face painting and crafts for children, opening at 5 p.m. A caravan of food trucks will offer Italian, Mediterranean, American and vegetarian cuisine.

The Hanukkah service at 7:30 p.m. has cantor Lori Shapiro joining the congregation’s adult and youth choirs in music to celebrate the Jewish holiday.

“We are always looking for engaging ways to make services filled with meaning and entertainment for people of all ages in the community to enjoy,” Temple Beth El communications director Susan Stallone said.

                                                ***

The Delray Beach Chorale performs its annual Voices of the Season holiday concert on Dec. 1, at First Presbyterian Church in Delray Beach.

The community choir will present Puccini’s Messa di Gloria in addition to traditional holiday songs.

Tickets for the 3 p.m. concert are $20 for adults and $5 for students.

                                                ***

St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church is helping reopen Catholic parishes that were closed in communist countries.

The Delray Beach congregation chose the Diocese of Vladivostok as its overseas mission after hearing how two missionary priests have already reopened 11 parishes in an area twice the size of Texas.

One of the priests, Father Daniel Maurer, traveled halfway around the world to appeal for St. Vincent ’s financial help last month.

Siberia became a communist land in 1917 after the Russian Revolution, and Stalin confiscated the Catholic churches.

Other priests have joined the effort to reopen the parishes since the first two priests arrived in 1992. They also operate schools, soup kitchens, women’s support centers and a hospital.

                                                ***

The community will have access to a classical outdoor labyrinth to be built at the United Unitarian Fellowship of Boca Raton.

Walking a labyrinth is a way of meditation. Such paths are found in ancient and modern religious traditions around the world. They can be carved in stone, cut into turf, drawn on clay or embedded in sanctuary floors. The labyrinth in Boca Raton is designed to give the community “a place to calm the heart, mind and soul under the beauty of the sky.” For some, walking the path deepens spiritual understanding. For others, it brings quiet contemplation, even a way of healing.Members of United Unitarian Fellowship began fundraising for the labyrinth at their Nov. 11 worship service by purchasing virtual bricks for $10 each.

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

Bill Finley has published a new book.  Photo provided

 By Steve Pike

The only stories better than those from William E. Finley’s fiction are those from his real life.

From flying 35 missions as a B-17 pilot in World War II (five air medals, three battle stars and two unit commendations) to being one of the nation’s foremost urban planners to a founder of West Palm Beach’s SunFest, the 89-year-old Ocean Ridge resident’s life would make Hemingway jealous.

War and peace and more than 50 years as an urban planner have given Finley a unique and insightful view of life and the ways of the world.

Those views come to the fore in Finley’s new book, Killing in BocaLand (A New Kind of Murder). The 345-page self-published book, strong on dialogue, follows the nefarious adventures of sexy Boca Raton title company executive Daisy Hoffman (a former Miss Florida with the scrapbook to prove it), her frustrated engineer-turned-insurance executive boyfriend, a Mexican billionaire, a Saudi prince and a real estate mogul who wants to build a 100-story apartment/hotel tower on the land that was once Briny Breezes.

Toss in a high-end Boca Raton hotel and a doomsday machine similar to Nikola Tesla’s fabled earthquake machine (it nearly destroyed the Serbian genius’s New York lab in 1898) and you have a terrific read that takes you places you know along A1A and makes you ponder what is possible.

Finley, who along with wife, Anita, publishes the Boomer Times magazine, describes Killing in BocaLand as a “bloodless murder” and an “adventure in science and fiction.”

“Pure fiction,” Finley said. “Nobody in the book is real. But a lot of the science in the book is real.”

Indeed. Just remember the policemen who found Tesla madly pounding away at his earthquake machine in an effort to get it to stop shaking his building on Houston Street in New York City. 

In Killing in BocaLand, Finley puts his characters through a lot of shake-ups — physical and emotional — that will leave readers surprised and curious for more.

Killing in BocaLand is Finley’s first book of pure fiction. His previous books are Air Force Cowboy, a historical novel based on his service in the Army Air Corps, and Curing Urbanitis, which outlines the problems and cures for America’s metropolitan areas.

In Killing in BocaLand, Finley at the same time aims for a more diverse but local audience than his previous two books — one familiar with the A1A culture and lifestyle.

“I wanted to find the audience first, make sure it’s a well-off audience, proud they live there,” said Finley, who has lived in Ocean Ridge for the past 27 years. “So I aimed the book at Boca Raton.”                           Ú

Killing in BocaLand ($20) is available at the Gulfstream Pharmacy in Briny Breezes, Hand’s Office Supply in Delray Beach and by calling 736-8000.

The vertical garden on the wall of Saks Fifth Avenue on Worth Avenue
in Palm Beach is a green form of public art. The garden is illuminated
by spotlights after dark. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star 

 By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

On a busy corner of Worth Avenue and South County Road in Palm Beach, there’s a triangular patch of nicely manicured grass. A bench made of curving limestone blocks defines the edge of it.

This is a popular spot, particularly at this time of year when you need to take a break from holiday shopping. In fact, just about everyone who passes stops to have their picture taken here.

“Why?” you ask. After all, it’s just a bit of grass and hard rock seating.

But look up.

At the end of the building that is Saks Fifth Avenue, there’s a vertical garden. It is made up of plants growing perpendicularly out of a 24- by 35-foot frame to create a living piece of abstract art.

It’s done with “brush strokes” created by using nine different plant varieties. They differ in color and texture as well as the size and shape of their leaves to give life and lift to the “painting.”

The garden actually is made up of 1-foot-square panels secured onto the steel frame. The panels are fibrous envelopes filled with a coco fiber growing medium.

Plants grow out of the 13 holes punched into each of the 840 panels. That adds up to more than 10,000 plants used to create this wall garden.

The idea of placing a living wall here at 150 Worth Ave. was the brainchild of the Garden Club of Palm Beach.

They wanted a wall that would have an abstract design done with all green — not flowering — plants. And they had some recommendations, including wanting to use natives. So in 2010 they contracted with GSky Plant Systems Inc., to make their wishes come true.

GSky’s plant design manager, Debbie Kotalic, worked closely with a committee of club members to develop the design.

Funny thing, she had just been to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. As a result, she decided to add a subtle hint of a picture to her abstract creation. “Guessing what I had in mind kind of makes the wall interactive,” she says.

Go ahead and search for her concept. Look hard and use your imagination. Some people divine a boat, others a bird, even a slingshot.

“It’s like clouds in the sky — everyone sees something different,” says Kotalic, who works at her company’s newly opened Delray Beach offices on George Bush Boulevard.

Besides adding a touch of whimsy to the wall, she had to take the environment into consideration.

On this noisy corner, she had to contend with wind, salt air and western sun. She also needed a large number of plants that would grow perpendicularly instead of toward the light as many do, and ones that would do well considering the frame’s irrigation system.

Originally, the wall included mondo grass that never thrived and silver sawtooth palm that became dinner for critters. Those had to be replaced, but today she’s perfected the plant mix.You can enjoy this natural piece of free public art at any time. It’s partly shaded from the sun by two trees during the day. And at night, spotlights accent its vibrant but natural colors. 

If You Go

The Living Wall is at 150 Worth Ave., Palm Beach. Free and open to the public daily.

For information on GSky Plant Systems, visit www.GSky.com.

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

Johnny Peeps and the Muttville Comix, the featured presenter at the upcoming
Palm Beach County Pet Expo, Dec. 8-9 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Photo provided

By Arden Moore

Dogs never cease to amaze us with their wide range of abilities. Some dogs are born greeters and love to charm house guests by sitting, shaking paws and rolling over on cue. Some dogs are natural jocks, racing through agility obstacles and never making a wrong turn. I’m blessed with a pair of dogs who live to tame waves while perched on surfboards.

And then there is a pack of former shelter rejects and strays who live for applause as proud members of the Muttville Comix team. 

Under the leadership of national acclaimed dog trainer Johnny Peeps, this canine crew will be the headline act at the Palm Beach County Pet Expo, which takes place Dec. 8-9 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.

I caught up with Peeps by phone recently as he was preparing to perform a holiday act at a shopping mall in Scranton, Pa. He happily shared how he transformed himself from a circus clown to clowning around with canines for a living.

“My father ran a concession stand for the Ringling Circus when I was a boy, but I would sneak off and hang out with the clowns whenever I could,” recalls Peeps. “The clowns taught me how to juggle, do handstands and much more. I even went to clown school. But I also discovered how much I loved teaching tricks to dogs. Today, I have the best of both worlds: I get to make a living doing comedy with dogs.”

His tail-wagging troupe totals about 16 dogs, with the canine star answering to the name of Winston, an 8-year-old German shorthaired pointer mix that Peeps discovered at an animal shelter in Wisconsin.

“He was about 1 at the time, very playful and very willing to please,” says Peeps. “He does a combination of things throughout the show with the other dogs. He catches little hoops on his head and jumps rope — both tricks that are extremely hard to learn.”

Winston also ranks as the biggest dog in the act that includes mutts with the skill to do a canine conga line to music, lining up from big to small. And there is Max, a miniature poodle who wows the crowd by walking on his front legs while hoisting his hind legs in the air, and Chico, a small dog who performs a high dive off a platform into Peeps’ waiting arms. Look for Pee Wee, a gutsy young Chihuahua mix that Peeps regards as a rising star. He leaps over hurdles on a spinning table without spilling off.

Peeps calls Bradenton home, but for most of the past 30 years, he has been on the road performing for dog-adoring audiences at malls, pet expos and schools. He also appeared on the David Letterman show, Circus of the Stars and Primetime Live. His canine crew bested the competition to win first place on Animal Planet’s Pet Star show in 2003.

The very agile, athletic Peeps will finally tell you his age, but adds these adjectives ahead of the number: “I’m a very, very, very young 60.”

And he is also adaptable before live audiences. You have to be when you are working with pooches who can be unpredictable.

“Dogs have a sense of humor, and they are eager to learn when you make training fun,” says Peeps. “But sometimes, things happen in a show. For example, if a dog is supposed to roll up a blanket in a comedy bit and doesn’t, then I step in and roll myself up in the blanket.”

I hope you get the chance to catch the Muttville Comix act at the Palm Beach County Pet Expo. This two-day event is packed with lots of spectacles and dozens of booths that celebrate our great relationship with our pets. And, yes, you can bring your well-mannered, leashed dog to join you in the fun.

To learn more details and check out the expo’s schedule, please visit www.palmbeachpetexpo.com. And be sure to unleash paws and applause for Peeps’ pack of talented canines.

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

The Cranberry Bog Lemon Martini combines
cranberry and Absolut Citron vodka. Photo provided 

By Jan Norris

Got the holiday spirit yet? Maybe you need a little boost. 

Put some cheer in your glass this season with tasty cocktails concocted by local mixologists. They’re busy pouring favorite flavors — cranberry, chocolate and peppermint. 

Mark Spivak, local author of the recently released Iconic Spirits: an Intoxicating History (Pequot publishing; www.amazon.com/author/markspivak) says pre-Prohibition cocktails — those made with whiskey or bourbon — are back in vogue. So go retro and stir up a Manhattan or whiskey sour, then make merry.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Martini with Peppermint Foam

(From Max’s Harvest, Delray Beach)

1½ ounces Three Olives Cherry-infused vodka

1½ ounces Godiva Dark chocolate liqueur 

dash Cherry bitters

dash simple syrup

Stir ingredients with ice in mixing glass with strainer. Add foam (recipe follows) to a chilled cocktail glass. Strain cocktail through foam into glass. Flame sprinkled turbinado sugar over top of the drink.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Peppermint Foam 

(enough for several cocktails)

4 egg whites

6 ounces St Germain Elderflower Liqueur

3 ounces lemon juice

1 ounce crushed peppermint candy

Shake well in mixing glass. Pour into an iSi Whipper fitted with charged CO2 cartridge. Shake well. Chill 1 hour. Shake well before dispensing, and shake between charges. 

Cranberry Bog Lemon
Martini Recipe

(From Legal Sea Foods, Boca Raton)

2½ ounces Absolut Citron Vodka

3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) cranberry puree — see note

½ ounce sour mix

Dash of Angostura bitters

3 fresh cranberries for garnish

Combine vodka, cranberry puree, sour mix and bitters in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously six to eight times and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with three cranberries.

Makes 1 martini.

White Chocolate Cake Martini

(From Piñon Grill, Boca Raton)

1½ ounces Cupcake frosting vanilla vodka

½ ounce Frangelico

½ ounce Crème de cocoa light

1 ounce heavy cream 

 Shake in cocktail shaker, and poured into a martini glass. 

Makes 1 cocktail.

Adult Hot Chocolat

(From Tanzy, Boca Raton)

1 cup water

1 package hot chocolate mix

2 ounces Chocolat Royal liqueur

1 handful mini-marshmallows

Heat water in microwave or boil on stove. Mix hot chocolate in water, add Chocolat Royal and stir; top with marshmallows.

 Serve in coffee mug or cappuccino glass.

Makes 1 mug. 

All I Want For Christmas 

is Chocolat 

(Tanzy, Boca Raton)      

1.75 ounces Chocolat Royal liqueur 

1 ounce Sobieski vodka

¾ ounce elderflower liqueur 

¾ ounce half-and-half    

Stir ingredients with ice in mixing glass. Strain into chilled martini glass.

Makes 1 drink.                                      

Orange Blossom

(Tanzy, Boca Raton)

1½ ounces Marie Brizard Chocolat Royal

1½ ounces Sobieski Orange vodka

Mint leaves for garnish

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Sprinkle mint leaves on top for added flavor. 

Mark Spivak’s Manhattan

Several dashes bitters

2 ounces whiskey of your choice (blended Canadian is my preference)
½ ounce sweet vermouth — use high quality
Several dashes bitters
Orange zest (squeeze into drink to release essential oils)

Straight up: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bitters and allow them to permeate the ice cubes. Add the whiskey and vermouth, and stir vigorously — do NOT shake. Strain into a cocktail glass, and add the orange zest.

On the rocks: Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice. Add the bitters and allow them to permeate the ice cubes. Add the whiskey, vermouth and orange zest, and stir vigorously.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Whiskey Sour

(traditional)

1½ ounces whiskey

1½ ounces lemon juice

¾ ounce simple syrup

Maraschino cherry on stem, for garnish

Put whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well; strain into a chilled sour glass. Drop cherry into glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.                Ú

National Philanthropy Day Luncheon

The Association of Fundraising Professionals - Palm Beach County Chapter will recognize leaders in the categories of Outstanding Philanthropist, Outstanding Philanthropic Private Foundation, Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation, Outstanding Philanthropic Corporate Foundation, Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser and Outstanding Planned Giving/Legacy Honoree. 

When: 11:45 a.m. Nov. 15

Where: The Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach

Tickets: $100 for individual tickets

Reservations, information: Email Brian Edwards at bedwards@gulstreamgoodwill.com or (561) 848-7200, Ext. 3250, or see www.afppbc.org

Sheila O'Boyle and Barbara Whittaker

Bethesda Hospital Foundation’s
13th annual Women of Grace luncheon

Susan Duane is serving as chairman and Suzanne Boyd, anchor of WPEC-News 12 will be the emcee. 

Honorees: Laurie Gildan, Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County; Rosemary Krieger, Soroptomist International of Boca Raton/Deerfield Beach; Sheila O’ Boyle, Lupus Foundation of America, Southeast Florida Chapter; Mary Pittman, Habitat for Humanity; and Barbara Whittaker, Christians Reaching Out to Society (C.R.O.S. Ministries)

When: 10:30 a.m. Nov 14

Where: The Ritz-Carlton, 100 South Ocean Blvd., Manalapan

Tickets: $100 per person or $1,250 for a VIP table of 10.

Reservations, information: www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org

By Mary Thurwachter

Four Gulf Stream residents who are generous with their time and money will be recognized this month. 

Barbara Whittaker and Sheila O’Boyle are Women of Grace nominees who will be spotlighted during Bethesda Hospital Foundation’s annual Women of Grace luncheon  Nov. 14. 

Deborah and Harry Sargeant III will be receiving the Outstanding Philanthropist award on Nov.15 during the National Philanthropy Day Luncheon sponsored by the Palm Beach County chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

The Sargeants have given more than $1 million to organizations in need. This year, they chaired the 57th annual Bethesda Ball, of which the net proceeds benefited the Foundation’s Caring for Our Community Campaign. The campaign supports technology advancements at Bethesda Memorial Hospital’s Centers of Excellence — including the Center for Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery, which included a surgical robot and a first-in-the state simulator needed for in-house training. 

With the Sargeants’ leadership and outreach to like-minded donors, they set a record raising $1 million net through the event. In addition, the couple made a major effort to personally underwrite event expenses. 

They have supported the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, the Junior League of Boca Raton, the Delray Beach Public Library and the Delray Beach Historical Society, in which they were not only significant sponsors, but Deborah Sargeant also served as a co-chair of the society’s annual antiques show and sale for many years. 

“The majority of my volunteer work during the last three years has been for the Bethesda Hospital Foundation,” Deborah Sargeant said. “I serve as vice chair of the Foundation Board and the executive committee.” She also does volunteer work for Gulf Stream School.

“I feel very fortunate to have the time and assets to share and give back to this community,” she said.  “It allows me to be productive and learn something new.  I know the community benefits from the time I give. I believe every community needs volunteers.”

Barbara Whittaker volunteers with several organizations, including the Caring Kitchen. 

“I help with the food preparation, cooking and serving for 225 people/guests for lunch,” Whittaker said. “I’ve driven the van for pickups from Publix/Costco and do anything that’s needed at the Health Department. I’ve also been involved in fundraising.”

Whittaker also volunteers at Paul’s Place After School Program, where she started a vegetable garden for the children. 

“We plant everything from seed with the children and they help take care of weeding and harvesting the garden,” she said. “We try to grow what they would like to eat for dinner, which is prepared for them five nights a week.” She is also involved in fundraising at St. Paul’s.

Whittaker also volunteers with C.R.O.S. Ministries and the Florida Coalition for Preservation. She is vice president of both the Delray Beach Historical Society and the Gulf Stream Civic Association and is on the board of directors of the Grass River Garden Club.

“Volunteering is important to me because I feel that it is necessary to give back to your community, especially in Palm Beach County, where one in four children live in poverty,” Whittaker said. “I would hope to make this community a better place to live and make a difference in someone’s personal life.”

Sheila O’Boyle says its easy to get involved and there are so many worthwhile causes being addressed by organizations like the Lupus Foundation of America, Southeast Florida, a nonprofit she has been volunteering with for 18 years. She has served on the board of directors and been a leader in advancing the mission to help those living with lupus as well as to raise awareness about the disease. 

A strong supporter of LFA, O’Boyle has been instrumental in fundraising for the group. She served as chairman of the Butterfly Ball for numerous years, and in recent years started new events to benefit the organization: the Closet Couture Luncheon and the Great Holiday Tea Party. 

“About 18 years ago I was asked to attend a meeting with the Lupus Foundation,” O’Boyle said.  “At the time I knew nothing about lupus; but being a volunteer and invited to join a meeting for the Lupus Foundation, I went to the meeting — which was to plan a fundraiser. I learned a lot that day about lupus and how it affects so many women.”

Then she discovered that most of the people at the meeting were suffering from it or had mothers who died from lupus.  

“Volunteering makes me feel connected to the community that I live in,” O’Boyle said.  “It makes me feel good to contribute back to the community.”                           

Golf historian Gary Wiren, 77, has assembled a collection of golf memorabilia,
including trophies, antique clubs and  these vintage images. Photos from the Wiren Collection

 By Craig Dolch

Even the casual golf fan knows Jack Nicklaus won the most professional major championships (18) and that Al Geiberger was the first player to shoot a 59 on the PGA Tour.

But not even an insider like Johnny Miller knows how many club heads the Karsten Solheim family was making out of the garage daily (100) when they started the golf company with the funny name (PING) or that trick-shot artist Joe Kirkwood Sr., who won 14 PGA Tour titles, used a driver that was one and a half times as long (67 inches) as the normal models.

No matter if you are a scratch golfer or someone who wouldn’t know a divot from a duff, there is plenty to learn about the game that’s so revered in Palm Beach County. It’s no surprise that a Palm Beach County resident — Gary Wiren of North Palm Beach — has assembled a private golf collection that might be unique in all the world.

Wiren said he will have the best of his collection represented this fall with the South Florida premiere of the Seagate Hotel & Spa World of Golf: The Gary Wiren Collection at the renamed Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square. Wiren’s collection will be accompanied by fine art from the Academy of Golf Art; both exhibitions will be on display in the Cornell Museum of Art and American Culture from Nov. 8 to April 21.

“The key word here is ‘unique,’ ” said Wiren, one of the U.S. ’s few master professionals who serves as senior director of instruction for Trump Golf Properties and wrote the PGA of America’s Teaching Manual. “We are going to be displaying things that have never appeared in the World Golf Hall of Fame or the USGA’s museum. They do a marvelous job telling the history of the game, and there will be a fair amount of that in ours. But we will have things they would never talk about.”

In addition to the aforementioned little-known facts about Solheim and Kirkwood, Wiren’s collection will show how, for instance, miniature golf started in Pinehurst, N.C., as well as the history of golf on comic book covers and golfing sheet music. Wiren has spent more than 60 years acquiring his collection, which has been featured on ESPN and has been viewed by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

Wiren knows the type of reactions he’s hoping to receive. “If they don’t play golf, I want them to walk out and say that was really interesting,” Wiren said. “For the golfer who might have played for 40 years, I hope they say, ‘My God, I saw things I never knew existed.’ That’s the reaction I got from (Hall of Fame instructor) Bob Toski when I told him some of the stories. For a guy like Bob Toski, who has been around the game forever, to say these are things he never knew, that’s very gratifying.”

The idea for the exhibit came from Boynton Beach resident Kevin Hammer, who once was the No. 2-ranked junior in the U.S. (behind David Duval) and lives in one of South Florida ’s top golf communities, Quail Ridge Country Club. Hammer and his partner at Merrill Lynch, Barry Rubin, helped underwrite some of the fees to stage Wiren’s exhibition.

“We felt it was important to bring this collection to the public because it is something different and entertaining,” Hammer said. “There are so many people in South Florida who are connected to the game of golf in some way. We felt there was an opportunity to entertain children and adults and give them an appreciation of the history of the game and the values that the game teaches.”

Wiren has set up his collection to be interactive, where visitors can answer trivia questions to test their golf knowledge. Wiren said any golfer who belongs to a junior or First Tee program, or who plays on a high school or middle school team, will be admitted free. There are also plans to invite members from area country clubs. Wiren will give talks and PGA professionals also will stage an occasional clinic.

Guests can use putters from the 1890s, actually feel the molded grips used by Hall of Famers such as Arnold Palmer, Kathy Whitworth and Miller and see other golf items that date back to the 1500s.

“This is such a great golfing community down here, and we think everyone will be fascinated with what Gary has brought together,” said Joe Gillie, president and CEO of Center for the Arts at Old School Square. “When you add in the golf art work from the Academy of Golf Art, we think this is going to have great appeal to a man or a woman, even if you’re not a golfer.”

The exhibit was originally supposed to end April 2, but it was extended by almost three weeks because Quail Ridge will be hosting the Florida State Senior Amateur Championship on April 16-18, and Hammer wanted to make sure those competitors had a chance to see Wiren’s collection.

General admission is $10, $6 for seniors and students, $3 for children and free for ages 5 and under. Exhibit hours will be 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, and 1-4:30 p.m. Sundays.                              

Amaretto pumpkin cheesecake is a twist on tradition. Recipe

Students take instruction from Rey De La Osa at Publix’s Aprons Cooking School.

Students peel potatoes for a dish at Apron's Cooking School.

By Jan Norris

Your repertoire might be tired, or you may just want a few tips for cooking for a crowd during the holidays. Or maybe you want some Florida-themed dishes to round out your turkey dinner.

At a local cooking class, students can hone skills or learn new recipes. Cooking schools, cookware shops, grocery stores and even hotels offer classes and demos that can help cooks out. 

Already established as one of the larger cooking schools, Publix’s Aprons has several hands-on classes available. Not all are holiday themed, but many have pieces of technique instruction that could be applied to a holiday meal.

Chef Rey De La Osa heads up the classes, and at the annual Food Symposium hosted by the Delray Beach Public Library in October, he demonstrated knife techniques, fruit carving and plate presentation, as well as making cured salmon at home.

“Anyone can do this,” he said. “The classes are fun, and you learn something. We take groups as well as individuals.”

Classes at Aprons and at other schools often are casual, with students working alongside the chef and having time to ask questions and get individual attention. 

“The best part is you get to eat your work,” De La Osa said. Wines are served with the meals.

The classes are so popular with some, the students sign up for repeat classes.
“We have a group of women who became friends over the course of their classes, and now come back to sign up for more classes as a sort of cooking club,” he said.

Private lessons are available for groups or individuals. Parties for showers or bachelorettes are popular — and students can request the lesson topic.

The chef recommends the Culinary Basics class series for new cooks or others who want to learn proper techniques and essential recipes that help with all meals. The six-week class begins Nov. 7 and teaches knife skills, essential sauces, sautéing, roasting, grilling and braising. The series of classes is $300 for the hands-on instruction — and students eat or take home what they cook.

Other hands-on classes at Aprons in November include the Thanksgiving is Over — Now What? class (Nov. 10) with turkey turnovers, Thanksgiving quiche, pulled turkey cranberry BBQ sliders and leftover sweet potato cake; New Holiday Desserts (Nov. 16), with a creamsicle pie, apple crisp, espresso hazelnut caramel trifle, white chocolate raspberry bread pudding, and chocolate truffles; Where I Come From: the South at its Finest (Nov. 19), featuring cornbread-crusted mac and cheese casserole, grilled peach and pecan cobbler, buttermilk honey biscuits with chicken gravy, and braised oxtails with collard greens. 

A special class featuring Schnebly (Florida) wines from Homestead will be held Nov. 10, and the chef will be preparing a Florida-themed menu to match the fruit wines. 

While most classes are geared toward adults, some classes are designed for kids. The Gingerbread House class, Nov. 23-24 is a class designed for kids, at a special price — $50  for four family members.

Other classes range from $40 to $300 for a series; the website has the calendar and details of each class posted. Note that class size is limited, and subject to change if not filled.

Sur la Table is a new cookware shop from Seattle coming into Boca’s Mizner Park. A branch in Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens doesn’t offer classes, but the new one, not open at press-time, will have a classroom where hands-on lessons and demonstrations will be offered.

The November schedule posted online for all the stores includes classes on hors d’oeuvres party foods, and Ina Garten’s “Foolproof Thanksgiving” dinner with tips, prep-ahead foods and recipes. That class includes Garten’s new book, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof Recipes You Can Trust. 

A Holiday Knife Skills class where you can learn to carve the bird properly is set for Nov. 19, and includes a 6-inch Wustof chef’s knife for students.

Hearty Winter Soups and Stews are on the class menu Nov. 19 as a hands-on class, and Take and Bake Pies is  scheduled for Nov. 21.

On Nov. 25, a class on Holiday Brunches with a focus on pairing gourmet brunch foods and wines with Jay Minzer is listed.

Several demos will be given at Whole Foods Market in Boca Raton during the holidays, according to the team member at the store, Abigail Nagorski. The demos focus on holiday foods and wines and will be held in the store, but the calendar of those was not available at press time. Classes there can be scheduled for groups or individuals, however, in their private classroom, Nagorski said.

Students watch as instructor Anthony LoGerfo demonstrates a
recipe at Publix’s Aprons Cooking School in Boca Raton.  Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Williams-Sonoma in the Town Center mall also will offer demos on turkey-day-related food and entertaining Sundays and Mondays before Thanksgiving; and holiday entertaining after that. 

The Ritz-Carlton is scheduled to have classes on leftovers after Thanksgiving, open to hotel guests for free, and to the public for a small charge; reservations are required.

If you go

For more information on the classes:

Publix Aprons Cooking School

5050 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton (at Polo Club Shoppes)
994-4883; www.publix.com/aprons/schools/Boca/Home.do

*Sur La Table

438 Plaza Real, Boca Raton (in Mizner Park)

Phone not listed as of press time; www.surlatable.com

*Scheduled opening is early to mid-November.

Williams-Sonoma

6000 Glades Road,  Boca Raton (Town Center)
620-0245; www.williamssonoma.com

Whole Foods Market

1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton
447-2615 - Abigail Nagorski; www.wholefoods.com

The Ritz-Carlton
Palm Beach

100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan
533-6000; www.ritzcarlton.com

Visit  thecoastalstar.ning.com  for additional recipes

Butternut Squash Bisque

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 carrot, peeled, roughly chopped

1 onion, peeled, cut in large dice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch ground clove

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

2 tablespoons molasses

salt and pepper to taste

chives and sour cream for garnish (optional)

Heat large pot on medium heat.

Add butter and allow to brown slightly. Chop squash roughly. Add vegetables, spices and thyme; cook until the vegetables start to caramelize slightly, stirring occasionally. Add stock and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and take the thyme sprigs out of the soup.

Using a hand blender, puree soup until smooth. Add heavy cream and molasses; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with sour cream and chive cut into 1-inch pieces.

Makes about 2 quarts, or eight 1-cup servings.

Turkey Turnovers

1 box puff pastry, thawed 

1½ cup leftover (cooked) turkey meat, shredded

½ cup brie, cut into thin slices

¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce

salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut two thawed puff pastry sheets into fourths (making 8 squares). 

Place squares on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place several pieces of turkey on one side of the pastry, Top with a piece of brie, 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce and salt and pepper.

To assemble, fold one edge of the square over the other making a triangle. Crimp the bottom edge of the dough over the top edge- sealing the triangle. When all turnovers are folded, brush them with butter and sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.

Use a knife to make a small score on the top of each turnover, allowing air to escape while cooking.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until tops are browned.

Makes 8 turnovers.

Chef notes: Stuff these with a variety of items; leftover sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and different cheeses, or turkey and stuffing. The possibilities are endless.

Amaretto Pumpkin Cheesecake

For crust:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup  cinnamon flavored graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg yolk

For filling:
1½ cups pumpkin puree (chef recommends freshly baked pumpkin)

½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon  salt
3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
1/8 cup sour cream

Note: Use how-to at http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/2010/10/fresh-pumpkin-puree-how-to-make-it.html for oven-roasted, fresh pumpkin, or good-quality canned pumpkin, not presweetened pumpkin pie filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make crust:  Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, butter, and egg yolk together in a large bowl. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes; set aside and cool. 

Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.
For the filling: Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
With electric mixer, beat cream cheese, maple syrup, and Amaretto until smooth. Combine with the sour cream and pumpkin mixture. Pour over the prebaked crust. 

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Makes one 9-inch cheesecake.

Note: This freezes well.

Above recipes are from Publix Aprons Cooking School.

Note: Events are current as of 10/26. Please check with organizers for any changes.

November 3-10

Saturday - 11/3 - SPIN® Class at Oceanfront Park, 6415 N. Ocean Blvd., Ocean Ridge. Held seven days a week on the boardwalk. Sunrise to 9 am and 4 pm to sunset. Donations accepted. 287-0953.

11/3 - Yoga Class at Sanborn Square, 72 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. Class held each week as part of Saturdays @ Sanborn. Registration: 8:45 am; Class: 9 am. Free. 393-7703.

11/3 - Yoga Class at the Train Depot, 747 S. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton. Ongoing classes 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.

 11/3 - 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.

11/3 - Zumba Class at the South Beach Park Pavilion, 400 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton. Class held every Sat. 10:30 am. Free. 393-7703.

11/3-4 - Yoga Workout at the Beach  is held every Saturday, Sunday and Monday 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. 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. Registration: 393-7807.

Sunday- 11/4 - 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 - 11/5 - Chair Massage at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Licensed Therapist offers 10-minute sessions. Mondays, 1 pm. $10/session. 278-5455.

11/5 - 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 or www.groupcounseling.org.

11/5 - Jazzercise/Body Sculpting at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Workout features 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.

11/5 - 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.

11/5 - Yoga Class at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Ongoing 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. 

11/5 - Jazzercise/Light at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. 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.

11/5 - 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.

11/5 - Parkinson’s Exercise Class at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Exercises that work to improve one’s balance, flexibility and muscle strength. All ages. Held every M&W. First class is free. 8 classes: $32/residents, $40/non-residents. 16 classes: $60/residents, $75/non-residents. M/11:30 am-12:30 pm, W/2-3 pm. 347-3950.

11/5 - Joint Journey is an educational program for those undergoing total joint replacement at Bethesda Heart Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Learn what to expect before, during and after surgery. Held the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. 2-3 pm. Free. Registration: 737-7733 Ext. 84688.

11/5 - Yoga Sunset at the Beach is 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. 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. Registration: 393-7807.

11/5 - 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.

11/5 - Meditation Mondays at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Meditate to enhance overall health and well-being. Held every Monday. 7 pm. Free. 278-5455.

11/5 - Sophisticated Discussions: A Singles Group - Join over-50 peers in a supportive, singles group discussion at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Held Mondays. Refreshments served. 7-8:30 pm. Free. 393-7807 or www.myboca.us.

Tuesday - 11/6 - Fit Mom-To-Be Workout & Get Fit Mom’s Bootcamp at Sugar Sand Park Field House, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. For Moms-To-Be: a challenging, safe workout to increase muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance. Doctors written release is required. For New Moms: Get energized and back in shape. Cardio/strength training bootcamp workout burns calories. Doctors’ written release is required if the baby is less than eight weeks old. Held every T&Th. 8:45-9:25 am. First class is free. 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.

11/6 - 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.

11/6 -  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.

11/6 - Beginners Yoga at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Enjoyable program helps you stay fit. Participants should bring their own yoga mat. Held every Tuesday & Thursday. 10:15 am. $10. 278-5455.

11/6 - Adult Folk Dance Class at Pompey Park, 1101 NW 2nd St., Delray Beach. Ongoing class held for ages 18 and up. Learn dances from around the world for physical fitness, exercise, and fun. Class held every Tuesday. 10:30 am-12:30 pm. $6/class. 243-7356.

11/6 - Karate/Martial Arts Classes at Pompey Park, 1101 NW 2nd St., Delray Beach. Ages 9 to adults learn Karate along with a blend of other combat martial arts. Class held every T & Th. 6-7:30 pm. Per class: $5/residents; $6/non-residents; or monthly $35/residents; $40/non-residents plus a one-time $25 for uniforms. 243-7356.

11/6 - 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 or www.groupcounseling.org.

Wednesday - 11/7 - 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.

11/7 - Belly Dancing Class at Veterans Park, 802 NE 1st St., Delray Beach. A fun, safe, low-impact exercise class designed for beginners to help develop strength, flexibility, coordination, toning, cardio health and self-confidence. Class held Wednesdays through 12/12. 12:30-1:30 pm. $60/residents, $65/non-residents. 243-7350 or www.mydelraybeach.com.

11/7 - Stem Cell Therapy & Vascular Disease is presented by George Daniel, M.D., Interventional Cardiologist, as part of the Heart Symposium Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

11/7 - Tai Chi Class at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, 650 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Held every Wednesday. 5:30-6:30 pm. $10/class or $48/six consecutive weeks. Registration: 955-5321.

11/7 - Baby Care Prenatal Class is offered at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Learn how to ensure your newborn’s health, safety and well-being. 6 pm. $25/couple. Registration: 369-2229.

11/7 - 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.

11/7 - Family and Friends at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, 800 Meadows Road. Learn the basics of infant, child and adult CPR and relief of choking. Held again 11/28. 6-8 pm. $25. Registration: 955-4468.

11/7 - Mind/Body Development with Karate at the Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. Common sense self-defense techniques combined with exercises that help improve concentration. Held every Wednesday. 6:30 pm. $10. 278-5455.

11/7 - Judo Class held 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. Per month: $21.50/resident, $27/non-resident. 393-7807.

11/7 - Zumba Classes at the Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave. Popular fitness program inspired by Latin dance. Class held Wednesdays. 7:30-8:30 pm. $40/resident, $50/non-resident. Registration: 742-6240.

Thursday - 11/8 - Delray Beach Walkers Club at Veterans Park, 802 NE 1st St., Delray Beach. Improve your health, make new friends, and enjoy the beautiful vistas Delray Beach has to offer. Ongoing class held every Thursday. Ages 18 and up. 8 am. Free. 243-7352.

Friday - 11/9 - Incontinence: What You Should Know - Presented by Dr. Edward Scheckowitz as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 2 pm. Free. 736-8044.

Saturday -11/10 - Health & Wellness Fair at First United Methodist Church, 625 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Featuring healthy snacks, health & wellness workshops, children’s activities, health screenings, flu shots, chair massage, cooking demos, dance & fitness demos and more. 11 am-3 pm. Free. 954-328-9124 or www.fumcbocaraton.org.

November 11-17

Tuesday - 11/13 - Red Hot Mamas: Your Guide to Making it out of Menopause Alive is held at Sanctuary Medical Center, 4800 N. Federal Hwy., Suite C100, Boca Raton.  Functional medicine and anti-aging experts walk you through strategies to increase energy, drop stubborn weight and transform the way you look and feel. 6 pm. Free. RSVP: 886-0970.

11/13 - Breastfeeding Support Group at The Red Tent, 20 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. 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.

11/13 - Laser Techniques for your Foot & Ankle Conditions - Presented by Jodi Schoenhaus, D.P.M., Podiatrist, as part of the Community Lecture Series at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 4:30 pm. Free. 731-2273.

Thursday - 11/15 - The Next Best Thing After Sex is Sex After 65 - Presented by Dr. Stephen Charlap as part of the Healthy Living Series at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. 2 pm. Free. 736-8044.

Friday - 11/16 - 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. Held the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. 2-4 pm. Free. RSVP: 866-7086.

Saturday -11/17 - Childbirth Education Prenatal Class is offered at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. Provides an overview of the signs of labor, breathing techniques and more. 9 am-3 pm. $75/couple. Registration: 369-2229.

November 18-December 1

Tuesday -11/27 - Tae Kwon Do Class at the James A. Rutherford Community Center, 2000 Yamato Road, Boca Raton. Ages 6 & up learn the art of self-defense, discipline, self-confidence, self-respect, and respect for others. Students attend the introduction class for one session only, then move to the basic/intermediate level class. Runs through 1/15. Introductory session T&Th, 5:45-6:45 pm. Eight-week course runs T&Th, 7-8 pm and Sat. 9:30-11 am. $95/residents, $119/non-residents. 367-7035.

Friday -11/30 - Zumba at the Carolyn Sims Center, 225 NW 12th Ave., Boynton Beach. Sculpt your body through resistance training and Latin dances. For ages 16 and up. Held F through 1/4. 6:45-7:45 pm. $40/residents, $50/non-residents. 742-6641.

11/30-12/1 - Publix Health & Fitness Expo at the Harriet Himmel Theater, CityPlace, 600 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach. Showcasing health, sport and fitness products and services. F: 4-8 pm; Sat.: 10 am-6 pm. For more information, contact Jim Furuya: PalmBeachExpo@usroadsports.com

For children’s fitness classes, road races and other recreational events, please see our Community Calendar. To submit calendar events, please contact Michele Smith at thecoastalstarcalendar@gmail.com

 A pair of Monarch butterfly caterpillars denude the stems of a milkweed. 

Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Whether you are riding your bike, taking a stroll or driving your car along A1A in Delray Beach, keep an eye out. Tucked between the sea grapes growing on the west side of the busy street, you may notice a low gray concrete wall with a white picket gate.

This is the entrance to the Sandoway Nature Center. Even if you think you are in a hurry, you may want stop and take a look.

“On any sunny day the butterflies are always here,” says executive director Danica Sanborn.

She’s speaking of the spotted gulf fritillary, striped zebra longwing and polydamus swallowtail butterflies that visit when they are hungry or looking for a place to deposit their young. 

The center with its museum and garden opened in 1998. And according to a newspaper account from the time, the members of the Junior League of Boca Raton selected 300 native plants representing 100 species to put in the ground. 

 Today you just have to step through the gate to enjoy what they created. Follow the brick path to enter a sunny native dune landscape with its salt- and wind-tolerant plants. 

A dune sunflower is one of many blooming native
plants in the gardens at the Sandoway House. 

The yellow flowers of the beach sunflower, the miniature daisy-like flowers of the Spanish needle and the purple trumpets on the railroad vine cover the ground. There are no neat rows or carefully tended beds. All is intertwined and overgrown.

That’s how nature wants it. After all, it’s up to these plants to hold the sand in place when the winds blow and waters rise.

“Things really grow wild here,” says Sanborn. 

But that’s the beauty of the Sandoway’s butterfly and native plant gardens. They don’t need to be manicured to be pleasing. After all, weeds can be as pretty as natives. And wildlife doesn’t know the difference. 

If you’ve come to see some of those native species, don’t miss the rare and endangered lignum vitae that is coveted for its hard and durable wood. If in bloom, it will have blue star-shaped flowers.

Children will enjoy the necklace pod plant. It has yellow pea-like flowers and fuzzy brown pods that grow narrow between the seeds to resemble a necklace. 

As you walk through the garden, you’ll enter an area devoted to attracting butterflies. “The kids who visit love them,” Sanborn says.

They may also learn a lesson. Butterflies go through four phases in their life cycle: egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis and, finally, adult butterfly. And if you want them to inhabit your garden, you need to cater to each.

Here at Sandoway House, the golden orange blooms of the fire bush, the tiny pink- and raspberry-bursts of the penta, the curling white flowers of the scorpion’s tail and the bright blue drips on the stems of the porterweed are just some of the blooms that provide nectar or nourishment for the adults. 

Now look at the milkweed that attracts the monarch, the plumbago that is home to the cassius blue and the wild lime that hosts the giant swallowtail.

If their leaves have gaping holes in them, you can bet a butterfly has laid her eggs on the plants. The eggs have hatched into a caterpillar and now that creepy crawly is eating the leaves on its way to becoming a butterfly.  

But don’t worry. The caterpillars’ eating binges don’t hurt these host plants because they quickly regrow foliage.

It’s only natural. 

As if the butterflies aren’t colorful enough, don’t miss the garden’s orange, red and yellow hibiscus blossoms. Not only do they add splashes of color to the landscape but also make a tasty meal for Speedy the gopher tortoise. He’s another popular attraction at the Sandoway House Nature Center. 

If You Go

Sandoway House Nature Center, 142 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach; 561-274-7263

Admission to the garden is free; nature museum is $4 for everyone over 2 years of age. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.

The nature center is looking for volunteers to work in the garden. For information, call Executive Director Danica Sanborn.

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.

Floatation therapy can provide relief from arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia
and post-surgical pain, among others, supporters say.  Photo provided

Health & Harmony Calendar

By Paula Detwiller

Imagine bobbing gently like a cork on the surface of a warm, silent lake. It’s midnight and the sky is moonless. You are alone with your mind, your weightless body and the universe.

Such an idyllic moment would be optimal for stress reduction and natural healing, according to those who practice holistic medicine. They believe that, devoid of external stimuli and free from the bounds of gravity, the human body is able to “reset” itself, with a variety of healthful results. 

Welcome to flotation therapy — typically experienced these days in an enclosed chamber containing a tub of 98-degree water spiked with 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts. Step into the “float tank” (au naturel is best), close the door, and recline in the silent, buoyant darkness. Become the cork. See what happens.

That’s exactly what I decided to do, after hearing about the float tank at DU20 Holistic Oasis in Delray Beach, one of three places you can find this kind of therapy in Palm Beach County. Co-owners Nick Kusturic, a doctor of Oriental medicine, and his sister Natalie gave me a thorough orientation beforehand.

“There’s not one minute of the day that gravity isn’t acting on your musculature and skeletal system,” Kusturic explains, “and when you take that away, you’re freeing up the flow of blood and body fluid, so things start to heal much faster. At the same time, removing the stimulus of sight and sound means your brain can focus on its main function, which is balancing all the systems of the body.”

Flotation therapy dates back to 1954, when Dr. John Lilly devised the first isolation tank at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., to test the effects of sensory deprivation on the human brain and mind. 

Kusturic says modern-day flotation tanks are used to provide relief from arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, sports-related injuries, disc problems, post-surgical pain, psoriasis and eczema. He says regular floating has helped his own patients overcome infertility, insomnia and menopausal symptoms.

Floating is also a pathway to meditation for many people, including 31-year-old Eddie Carter of Delray Beach, a busy IT entrepreneur who floats two or three times a month. Carter says he had a true out-of-body experience the first time he floated — “I started seeing myself from above” — and he was hooked.

“In general, I believe in the power of meditation, and the float tank is a perfect way to get into that deep relaxation mode that your body needs so much,” Carter says.

My own flotation experience went something like this: Wow, I’m really buoyant. How lovely. Except I can’t quite relax my neck. Maybe if I clasp my hands behind my head and cross my legs at the ankles, hammock style. Ah, that’s better. It’s nice and warm, but I’m restless. Wonder how much longer I have in here? Just breathe. Focus on the third eye. Hey, that pain in my back disappeared. In fact, my whole spine feels invisible. Oh this is delightful, I’m floating without a raft … ZZZZZ.

Afterward, I am calm and centered. My joints feel strangely lubricated. I begin to sense the familiar tug of gravity again, and soon the pinch in my back returns. This must be how the astronauts feel when they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, I think wistfully.

Later, I call up float tank regular Thaddeus Gamory, 52, of Boca Raton, who trains swimmers and triathletes for a living. We compare notes.

“I finish a float and feel like putty, so loose,” Gamory says. “I feel a calmness, a quietness about me, like — what was that problem earlier? What was that thing I was so worried about before?”

Where to float

DU20 Holistic Oasis

103 NE Second Ave.

Delray Beach; 455-2147

www.du20.com

Ask for Nick or Natalie Kusturic

One hour — $65

90 minutes — $90

Two hours — $115

Floatessence

9407-C Boca Gardens Parkway

Boca Raton; 488-2648

http://floatessence.vpweb.com

Ask for Dr. Emmanuel Kadmon

By appointment only

1 hour — $65

Lower rates for pre-paid ‘recreational floating’ packages

Jewels of Health

10563 Tamis Trail

Lake Worth;  644-5002

www.jewelsofhealth.com

Ask for Kathleen Szabo

By appointment only

One hour — $65

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

Note: Events are current as of 10/26. Please check with organizers for any changes.

November 3-10

Wednesday - 11/7 - Chabad Drama Club for ages 4-11 is presented by the Palm Beach Jewish Center at The Chabad House, 361 S. County Road. Channel your child’s inner “drama queen’ and help his or her talents emerge. Snacks will be served. Some time will be spent rehearsing for Chanukah Lights, the Musical theatrical presentation that the children will perform at the annual Chanukah on Worth celebration. Wednesdays through 11/28. 4:30-5:30 pm. $70/session (includes participation in the club and the Chanukah musical). RSVP: 659-3884.

11/8 - Living to Laugh: Humor as our Reason for Being - Presented as part of the Lunch ‘n Learn Series by Chabad of East Boca Raton at Asia Restaurant, 7600 W. Camino Real. Two times: Lunch ‘n Learn: Noon-1 pm; regular class: 8-9 pm. $25 (book is included). Lunch available for purchase. 361-3939.

November 11-17

Sunday - 11/11 - Kristallnacht Film Forum: Premier Screening & Reception at Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, Zinman Hall, 9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. The film Nicky’s Family  tells the nearly forgotten story of Nicholas Winton, an Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II. Two shows: 3 pm, & 7:30 pm. Advance tickets: 3 pm show: $10/adults, $7/students with valid ID; 7:30 pm show: $10/general admission; $18/at the door. Reception: Thank 12 local rabbis for their spiritual contributions during trips to Poland and Israel. 5 pm. $180 donation to March of the Living Scholarship Fund. 852-6045 or www.jewishboca.org.

Wednesday -11/14 - Lecture: Holocaust by Bullets by Father Patrick Desbois is presented by FAU’s Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education at B’nai Torah Congregation, 6261 SW 18th St., Boca Raton. Father Patrick Desbois, president of the Yahad-In Unum Association, has worked closely with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to preserve the memory of Ukraine’s former Jewish community. His lifelong work of confronting anti-Semitism and promoting Catholic-Jewish understanding has received international media attention. His recent book, The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest’s Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews, will be available at the event. 7-9 pm. Free. 297-1168.

Friday -11/15 - Jacob’s Ladder:  Actualizing Your Higher Calling - Presented as part of the Torah Studies Series at Chabad of East Boca Raton, 120 NE 1st Ave., Boca Raton. Two times: 11 am-noon; 8-9 pm. $25 (book is included). Lunch available for purchase. 361-3939.

November 18-24

Sunday -11/18 - The Kabbalah of Sleep: How to Reenergize and Prioritize Your Life - Presented as part of the Rosh Chodesh Society Course at Chabad of East Boca Raton, 120 NE 1st Ave., Boca Raton. Seven-class course runs once a month through 5/11.  Desserts and refreshments served. 7-8 pm. $79.99 (book included)/seven-class course or $15/class. 417-7797.

Thursday - 11/22 - A Love Called Hatred: The Fascinating Story of King Menasheh - Presented as part of the Torah Studies Series at Chabad of East Boca Raton, 120 NE 1st Ave. Two times: 11 am-noon; 8-9 pm. $25 (book is included). Lunch available for purchase. 361-3939 or www.chabadbocabeaches.com.

November 25-December 1

Monday -11/26 - Jewish Home Security System - Presented by the Jewish Women’s Circle at Craft Gallery, 5911 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach. Learn the secret to the Jewish home’s best face-lift and the beauty of the mitzvah of mezuzah. Create and design a one-of-a-kind fused mezuzah case or havdalah spice box. 7 pm. $18. 659-3884.

Thursday - 11/29 - The Tune of Ambivalence: Navigating Through Tough Existential Dilemmas - Presented as part of the Torah Studies Series at Chabad of East Boca Raton, 120 NE 1st Ave. Two times: 11 am-noon; 8-9 pm. $25 (book is included). Lunch available for purchase. 361-3939.

Friday -11/30 - T.G.I. Shabbat at Chabad of East Boca, 120 NE 1st Ave. Monthly Friday night Shabbat dinner with Challah, gefilte fish, chicken soup, and all the other traditional foods. 6:10 pm. $25/adults, $12/children ages 3-12. 417-7797.

11/30 - Christmas Children’s Chorus at First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton, 625 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Held again 12/2. 7 pm. Free. 395-1244.

For holiday church bazaars please see the Community Calendar.  

To submit items for the Religion Calendar, please email to Michele Smith at thecoastalstarcalendar@gmail.com .

Janet DeVries (left) and Ginger L. Pedersen hold a copy
of the book they wrote, Pioneering Palm Beach.  

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Ron Hayes

How does “Birdie Beach” sound to you?

Welcome to the city of Birdie Beach, Gateway to the Gulf Stream.

Call up the official Boynton Beach website and you’ll learn that “Major Nathan S. Boynton, a native of Michigan who distinguished himself in the Civil War, founded the city … Boynton directed the construction of the Boynton Beach Hotel from 1895 to 1897. He and his workmen, recruited from Michigan, brought their families and settled in the new town of Boynton. With other settlers  …” And so on.

Among those early settlers were Frederick and Lillie Pierce Voss, whose great-grandson, Harvey Oyer III, knows the story well. Boynton Beach history is also Oyer family history.

“So went the story I grew up hearing and, like others, have passed along ever since,” Oyer writes in the foreword to Pioneering Palm Beach, by Ginger L. Pedersen and Janet DeVries.

“However, there was a problem with this story. It was not entirely correct. Major Boynton was not the person who platted the little town that today bears his name.”

Before Boynton, there was Birdie.

The 160 acres of land that grew to become Boynton Beach was first owned and platted by a pioneering journalist, short-story writer, environmentalist and intrepid land speculator from Nicholasville, Ky., named Byrd Spilman Dewey.

Plug that name into the city’s online search engine and you won’t find her. But local historians Pedersen and DeVries have.

“In May 2011, I was at the county courthouse, trying to figure out exactly where Major Boynton’s hotel had been,” recalled Pedersen, the dean of curriculum and educational technology at Palm Beach State College. “I pulled the tract for area 27-28, which is Federal Highway east, and when I looked at the properties, all I saw was the name Dewey, over and over. Birdie Dewey.”

Pedersen emailed her friend, historian and former Boynton Beach City Library archivist Janet DeVries.

“Who the heck is Birdie Dewey?”

DeVries had heard the name.

“She wrote children’s books.”

“That’s interesting,” Pedersen said. And so began a search that took them to Miami and St. Augustine, Eustis, Jacksonville and the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Birdie Spilman Dewey wrote children’s books and
was an early pioneer of Boynton Beach. Photo provided

Along the way, they found Birdie.

“Her only child, Elizabeth, died in infancy,” says DeVries, “so it’s hidden history that’s been buried for a hundred years.”

Born Feb. 16, 1856, Birdie Spilman was a grandniece of President Zachary Taylor.

Her husband, Fred Dewey, was a cousin of Adm. George Dewey.

In 1881, the Deweys left their Salem, Ill., home and came by train to Zellwood, northwest of Orlando, where they built a home on 20 acres. Later, they moved to Eustis, where Dewey Street still recalls the site of their cottage. In Jacksonville, they lived on Monroe and Mattie streets. And then, in 1887, the couple came south and left their footprints all over this area.

In 1892, Birdie Dewey bought 160 acres in what is now Boynton Beach — 40 in the original town site and another 80 along the Intracoastal Waterway. Three years later, she sold 120 of those acres to William Linton for $6,000.

Linton then sold 40 of his acres to Maj. Boynton. But he had paid only $100 down. Linton had a contract, but no deed. He defaulted, Birdie foreclosed, and in 1897 the land was hers again.

The next year, she platted the land.

“If you read the early accounts,” Pedersen noted, “they always say the town was named after Major Boynton, not founded by him.”

When she wasn’t buying Florida by the acre, Birdie Dewey was writing about it.

In 1899, her novel Bruno was published, based on the couple’s first year in Eustis as seen through the eyes of their dog. It stayed in print for more than 20 years and sold 100,000 copies.

In 1909, she fictionalized her time in West Palm Beach in From Pine Woods To Palm Groves, serialized in the Florida Review. Pedersen and DeVries found a rare copy in the Jacksonville Public Library.

She wrote for The Tropical Sun, West Palm’s first newspaper, and national magazines such as Good Housekeeping.

The Deweys left Boynton for Palm Beach in 1911, but Birdie didn’t sell her last bit of Boynton real estate until 1925, when she’d moved on to Winter Park and become the field secretary for the Florida Audubon Society.

Byrd Spilman Dewey died in Jacksonville on April 1, 1942. She was 86, and lived in a little cottage on Home Street.

“It’s ironic,” Pedersen said, “because in her writings, she always capitalized the word home, as if it were her concept of heaven or something.”

In her will, she asked to be cremated and her ashes scattered from the pier of The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach.

Her surviving sister, Anna Louise Spilman, buried her in Jacksonville’s Greenlawn Cemetery, in an unmarked grave near her brother and infant daughter.

Earlier this year, Pedersen and DeVries had a gravestone placed on the spot.

BYRD SPILMAN DEWEY

1856-1942

I am HOME

This year, on Feb. 16, the 156th anniversary of her birth, they burned a copy of one of her stories and scattered the ashes from the beach behind The Breakers hotel.                  Ú

Pioneering Palm Beach: The Deweys and the South Florida Frontier is available at Barnes & Noble bookstores and amazon.com. For more information, visit  www.byrdspilmandewey.com.

Author Rita Mae Brown’s cat Sneaky Pie Brown (below) is running for president in the novelist’s latest book, Sneaky Pie for President. Photo provided

By Arden Moore

As a reporter for the Sun-Sentinel, I had to leave the soft ocean breezes in the heart of the best weather in Palm Beach County each year to spend nearly two months inside brick buildings with closed windows to cover the Florida legislative session. 

While reporting at the state Capitol, I witnessed my share of catty comments, dog fights and hissy fits displayed by members of both parties. 

Yes, I am delighted that I no longer cover politics, but I am even more delighted to enlighten you about a new brand of politics just unleashed this election year. I’m talking about non-paw-tisan politics.

And leading this campaign has been a savvy cat named Sneaky Pie Brown (with help from her human scribe, New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown). Together, they produced a must-read book called Sneaky Pie for President.

The subtitle says it all: “Ask not what your cat can do for you. Ask what you can do for your cat.” 

This is the 22nd book in the popular Sneaky Pie series and the first one to step outside of the comfortable mystery genre and enter the political arena. Don’t dismiss this as a cute cat book with goofy pictures. Brown did her research into how political actions from both parties have had an impact on the health of every being on this planet. 

The leading characters in the book — Sneaky Pie (a tiger-striped rescued cat), Tea Tucker (a wise Corgi) and Tally (a full-of-energy Jack Russell terrier) — rally domesticated animals and wildlife to produce a political platform that truly gives a much-needed voice to animals and a wakeup call to us two-leggers.

“Sneaky Pie wants to promote interspecies friendship and harmony,” says Brown, during a recent phone chat. “The cat wants humans to really study the different species sharing this planet. The different species know who and what they are, but we humans are the ones who are sort of out of the mix.”

Sneaky Pie also is championing for cleaner waters.

“She wants to end the use of all pesticides and poisons,” explains Brown. “Specifically, we’re campaigning against medical pollution. If you flush pills down the toilet, they get into our water supply and some of those compounds won’t break down for years. It is insane.”

And, this cat, rescued as a stray at a shelter, has a recommendation for anyone considering a career in politics.

“Sneaky Pie hopes that people will spay and neuter their pets and also strongly advises that any human being running for political office should be spayed or neutered,” says Brown. “She feels that it will calm the men and focus the women.”

Interesting notion — and one never brought up during my days of covering the Florida Legislature. 

Brown also did her homework on Sneaky Pie’s eligibility to run for president. 

“There is nothing in the Constitution that says you must be a human being to be president,” says Brown. “You just have to be born in the United States and be 35 years old. And in cat years, she is. She was born in a cardboard box and taken to a shelter in Virginia, where I adopted her. She is now 14 years old. She is very candid and genuinely cares about all animals, domestic and in the wild.”

So, is Sneaky Pie a Republican or Democrat?

“Neither,” barks back Brown. “Her political party is the Surprise Party and her campaign motto says it all: ‘I can’t do any worse.’ ”

Brown and Sneaky Pie have agreed — win or lose this election — to provide an autographed copy of Sneaky Pie for President to the 35th person to email me at Arden@fourleggedlife.com. She will include the winner’s name, and the names of the pets in the home as well, in the autograph. Please be sure to put “Sneaky Pie” in the email subject field.

So, how farfetched is the notion of a cat running for office? Not so much of a stretch when you consider that critters who walk, swim and fly also have a stake in decisions made by politicians.

“Sneaky Pie and the other animals on my farm have taught me a lot about interspecies cooperation,” says Brown, who lives on the Tea-Time Farm in Afton, Va. “We’re looking at the whole environment. If you don’t take care of Mother Earth, it doesn’t matter if you’re human or an animal, you won’t be able to eat. We need to work together, really work together, on making this a better planet for all.”

Sneaky Pie has my vote. To learn more, check out her website: www.catprez.com. 

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

See photos from the campaign trail past and present

By Tim Pallesen

The presidential candidates who created a stir in coastal south county this year are only the most recent to discover the political magic along State Road A1A.

Barack Obama stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan during a campaign stop in July.

Then opponent Mitt Romney checked into the oceanfront Delray Beach Marriott for the Oct. 22 presidential debate.

Romney actually reached the beach for a flag football game. He and his family found burgers along A1A.

But paradise has attracted others before them.

Gerald Ford endeared himself to coastal residents with five campaign stops between Manalapan and Highland Beach before the 1976 election.

George H.W. Bush rested in Gulf Stream after winning the 1988 presidential election. Delray Beach named George Bush Boulevard in his honor.

The political hoopla along the ocean last month was mostly Romney’s doing.

His choice to stay at a Marriott hotel was predictable. Romney made the hotel chain the semi-official innkeeper of his presidential campaign because of a longtime family friendship that started between his father, George Romney, and hotel founder J. Willard Marriott.

Romney checked into the oceanfront Marriott on the Saturday morning before the Monday night debate. That gave him the weekend to explore the oceanfront on foot and travel up and down A1A in his motorcade.

A1A was a more practical north-south route than west on busy Atlantic Avenue to I-95. The police motorcycles and black SUVs headed north Saturday afternoon to carry Romney to a fund-raiser in Palm Beach.

Jenna Walsh, a bride returning to the Marriott with her wedding party, will never forget when A1A was closed at Woolbright Road so the motorcade could pass.

But Walsh was no regular bride standing alongside the road in her wedding dress. Her family owns the local Marriott. So Romney later posed for a photo with her, her husband and parents back at the hotel.

Romney then walked out of the hotel to find the nearest oceanfront cuisine. The Republican presidential candidate chose the upscale fast-food chain BurgerFi across the street.

“He was very obliging and hospitable,” BurgerFi manager Scott Zuckerman said. “Employees had their pictures taken with him.”

Romney ordered a veggie burger without bread for himself and cheeseburgers, milkshakes and fries for his wife, Ann, son Craig and his family. His bill: $52.72.

Romney hit the beach after church Sunday morning wearing black shorts, a black Adidas T-shirt and gray sneakers for a flag football game between his staff and reporters covering his campaign.

“Figure out which of their players are best and take them out early. Don’t worry about injuries,” Romney joked with his staff before he tossed a coin that got lost in the sand. The game highlight came when Ann Romney threw a touchdown pass with Secret Service agents as her offensive line. 

The frolic was cut short because a national poll released that day showed Romney and Obama in a dead heat going into the critical debate Monday night at Lynn University.

Obama passed on the oceanfront experience, checking into an inland Embassy Suites in Boca Raton. Romney left the beach to study his foreign policy.

But the fascination that presidents have shown for coastal south county has a long history that’s certain to continue.

President Warren Harding was the first to explore the area when he sailed down the Intracoastal Waterway aboard the presidential yacht Mayflower in 1923. Subsequent presidents did away with the presidential yacht, which was replaced by motorcades.

Palm Beach claimed John F. Kennedy during his presidency, and Richard Nixon enjoyed Key Biscayne.

But Briny Breezes will never forget when Gerald Ford stopped his motorcade to visit residents in 1976.

“The Briny people turned out in force because there are a lot of Michigan people in Briny,” recalled Rita Taylor, the Ocean Ridge clerk at the time. Giant banners welcomed Ford. People stood five deep along A1A.

“It rained something horrible that day,” Taylor said. “But the president rode up in his car, stood outside and presented his speech. It was quite an exciting time for all of us.”

Ford also thrilled coastal residents when he spoke at the Lantana bridge, the Ocean Ridge Town Hall, the Delray Beach municipal beach and the Seagate of Highland condo in Highland Beach while traveling down A1A.

Ocean Ridge police covered Briny Breezes, and Ford telephoned to thank Taylor afterward to help make his motorcade a success. “That really made it memorable for me,” she said.       

Taylor also remembers when George Bush senior fished and body-surfed at the Gulf Stream home of William Farish after winning the 1988 presidential election.

“I remember Barbara Bush swimming in the ocean with the Secret Service in a small boat beside her,” Taylor said.

Bush golfed across A1A at the Gulf Stream Golf Club. A U.S. Customs speedboat took him to Jupiter Island to attend church with his mother during his four-day stay.

“I think President Bush clearly enjoyed himself,” said Gulf Stream Police Chief Garrett Ward, who was a patrol officer at the time. “The townspeople were very proud that he was staying in our town.” 

A year later, the Gulf Stream Republican Club caused a stir when it paid $25,000 to rename Northeast Eighth Street as George Bush Boulevard. Merchants objected, but the name stuck.

State Road A1A has grown into even more of a political highway during the weeks before the Nov. 6 election.

Not only presidential candidates travel the road now.

State House candidate Tom Gustafson walked along A1A for his campaign last month. State Senate candidate Ellyn Bogdanoff rode a bicycle to greet coastal voters.

Bicycle and pedestrian visits by local candidates caused no problems for police along A1A. But the Romney motorcade that shut down Gulf Stream before and after the presidential debate was another story, according to Gulf Stream’s police chief.

“Thirty or so motorcycle escorts made for a major traffic disruption,” Ward said. “I don’t recall anything like that when President Bush was here. That visit wasn’t as excessive as what goes on today.”                          

Gary Peters (left), director of the board for Boca Helping Hands, and
Art Remillard, who donated the building that houses the facility, applaud
after a couple of boxes of food were weighed that pushed the organization’s
distribution to more than 1 million pounds of food. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Religion Calendar

Boca Raton ’s interfaith effort to feed the poor has reached a milestone: 1 million pounds of food distributed since Boca Helping Hands was formed in 1998.

Three congregations — St. Joan of Arc Catholic, First United Methodist and Temple Beth El — got the feeding program started. Now almost every religious congregation in the city holds food drives and sends volunteers to serve meals.

Hunger in Boca Raton is increasing rapidly. Helping Hands distributed 4,500 bags of groceries this past September, up from 600 bags in September 2010. The soup kitchen served 4,625 hot meals, compared to 2,718 meals two years ago.

“The middle class is getting clobbered in this economy,” executive director James Gavrilos said. “More and more families are not making it.”

Helping Hands also operates a resource center for people in crisis.

Volunteers from five churches — St. Gregory’s Episcopal, St. Paul ’s Lutheran, Boca Raton Community Church, Grace Community Church and First United Methodist — appear at five elementary schools every Friday to pack meals into backpacks to feed children on weekends. 

                                   ***

Women at St. Lucy Catholic Church in Highland Beach kept busy this summer making friendships.

Social events in the past have only been held in the winter to cater to St. Lucy’s many snowbirds who arrive when the weather gets nice. But the Council of Catholic Women found that many year-round women are looking for summer friendships when the council did a survey last February.

Council leaders kept the ladies active this summer by teaching them to play bridge, to paint with watercolors, to play mah-jongg and to crochet and knit. 

Summer outings included trips to the Morikami Museum and a Greek restaurant in Boca Raton. A film critic led the discussion after the women went to a movie theater to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

But most importantly, the ladies built new friendships.

“They shared the joy of each other’s company,” council president Kay Maker said.

“There’s a need for that. As people grow older, they lose the friends and relatives whom they have enjoyed in life. We provide a network of friends,” Maker said.

Michele DeGennaro was so excited about St. Lucy’s summer opportunity to socialize that she organized an Intracoastal Waterway cruise for 20 women aboard the Lady Delray. “I didn’t know anybody. I wanted to meet people,” she said.

The older women also worry about such things as when to stop driving and what happens if they outlive their money, according to the results of the February survey. So the council will bring in speakers to discuss those health and financial issues.

The first will be a Nov. 13 speaker from Boca Raton Regional Medical Center to tell how to prevent falls in the home.

“We have a wealth of topics,” Maker said. “We will have seminars to do for the next several years.” 

                                    ***

The Journey Church has building permits to begin $1.5 million in renovations at the former Grace Community Church near downtown Boynton Beach.

The 80 members of Grace Community made news earlier this year when they gave their church building to the 1,500 members of the rapidly growing Journey Church.

The older Grace Community congregation was struggling to pay a $600,000 mortgage on its property at 715 S. Federal Highway. The younger Journey congregation worships temporarily at Park Vista High School.

Journey senior pastor Scott Baugh challenged his congregation in April to give $2 million to pay for renovations and assume Grace Community’s debt.

Grace Community members are rejoicing after joining the larger congregation.

“We are working together and moving forward,” member Elwood Holley said. “It’s an exciting time for our lives and for East Boynton.” 

                                    ***

The Music at St. Paul’s concert series celebrates 25 years of bringing fine music to Delray Beach this season.

“The series is our gift to the community,” said the Rev. Chip Stokes, senior pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

St. Paul ’s requests a $15 donation. But nobody has been turned away since the series began in 1987 because they couldn’t afford a ticket.

“When we began, there wasn’t a lot of fine music in the south county. We wanted to present good music to the community and to make it affordable,” St. Paul ’s director of music Keith Paulson-Thorp said.

Music students from Lynn University join St. Paul ’s chamber ensemble on Nov. 18 to perform Baroque Scandinavian music on original instruments.

The most likely sellout during the 11-concert season will be the Feb. 3 violin performance of Gareth Johnson, a favorite in past years. “He’s going to take the world by storm,” Rev. Stokes said.

St. Paul ’s choir and chamber ensemble join the choirs of Pine Crest School and All Saints Church on March 10 to perform the South Florida premiere of a major new work based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Anne Frank, Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela.

“We always have world-class musicians,” Stokes said. “We as a church are taking our place in a long history of the church as a patron of the arts.”

                                   ***

Jewish high school students are invited to attend an Israel advocacy course to prepare them for college.

The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach is sponsoring the “Step Up 4 Israel” four-course program for students and parents at Temple Shaarei Shalom in Boynton Beach.

“Who Needs Israel, Anyway?” sessions are designed to help Jewish students at college with study into the history of Israel, anti-Zionism and world news coverage of Israeli events. 

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

Sasa and Marc Deutscher walk their dog, Cory, on the paved bicycle
and pedestrian path along A1A in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Margie Plunkett

A paved bicycle and pedestrian path along State Road A1A is about to make Boca Raton a trailblazer — as the city is set to become a link in the planned 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway Trail System that will someday connect Calais, Maine, to Key West.

Boca Raton would be among the first in Palm Beach County to connect with the East Coast Greenway, if the city’s designation is approved in November.

The existing bike and pedestrian path that runs 5½ miles through Boca Raton along the west side of A1A is under consideration for the Greenway designation. 

“The launch of the ECG is considered one of the nation’s most ambitious long-distance urban trail projects,” said a memo from City Manager Leif Ahnell to the mayor and City Council.

The East Coast Greenway Alliance envisions its eastern seaboard trail serving local and long-distance bicyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorized travelers for transportation, recreation, exercise and tourism, according to the resolution Boca Raton Council passed at its Oct. 10 meeting endorsing the planned designation.

The Greenway encourages people to spend more time outside for better health and fitness and will have economic benefits as well as encourage biking and walking as transportation modes, the Alliance says.

Boca Raton has “something that they like,” Assistant City Manager Mike Woika said. “We have a well-used path segregated from the road.”

The path was created in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation some time ago, Woika said.

The local trail section follows other county designations in Jupiter and West Palm Beach, both with paths along the Intracoastal Waterway, according to Bret Baronak of the Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO is working with FDOT and the Alliance to assemble the trail in the county.

The full Greenway currently connects 15 states and is still being assembled. Florida, too, is under development, with segments identified in the Keys and north Florida, among other areas.  When finished, the state will have some 300 miles of Greenway.

“It’s tough to say” when the Greenway will be completed in Florida, Baronak said. “It could be several years down the road.”

The completion will be determined by how long it takes to identify the pieces to the Greenway puzzle.

“As we’re working in the dense urban portion of the county, these areas just don’t exist,” Baronak said. “We have to figure out where we’re going to fit parts of the pathway.”

There’s been talk of constructing a path in the railway right-of-way of the Florida East Coast Railway, an initiative to add rail transportation to potential passengers from the state’s eastern coastal communities, Baronak said.

Building the 86-mile bike path tied to the railway is uncertain and depends on the success of the latter project. “It could take a lot of work to get it on the burner,” Baronak said.

“Until then, we’ll piecemeal it together,” he said, noting the East Coast Greenway is one of the priority Greenway corridors throughout Florida. 

The Alliance doesn’t actually build the Greenway trails, but, like in Boca Raton, negotiates to designate segments that are already built or that municipalities and counties are funding.

The Alliance is “encouraging counties and cities to build trail heads and bathrooms and add furniture — like fountains — and wildflowers to beautify the trails,” said Herb Hiller, the Alliance’s Southeast program consultant, who covers Florida and Georgia.

Hiller has biked some of the local trails en route to the Keys, noting the mix of tropical beauty and industrial settings. 

One very industrial 18-mile segment prompted Hiller’s comment: “There ain’t no feng shui there.”  

The Alliance’s Trail Committee is meeting Nov. 17 in Richmond, Va., to address Boca Raton’s designation as well as others, according to a memo from Baronak, who is the MPO’s senior planner and bicycle, greenways and pedestrian coordinator.

The trail in Boca Raton first needs FDOT endorsement before it goes to the Alliance’s committee, because most of the city’s trail is on FDOT right of way. After endorsement, signage intended to clearly mark Greenways Trails can go up on Boca Raton’s path.

The Greenway project isn’t the only trail system here. “Thousands a year ride the trails in Florida,” said Baronak. The nonprofit American Trails recognized Florida for having the best trails in the United States in 2008.

“Long-distance bicycle touring is a growing pastime,” said Baronak. “The demographics show those bikers have a better than average income. They’ll come down here and spend some money.”                    

The Spanish River Athletic Facilities at de Hoernle Park, Boca Raton’s new $13.5 million  park, is officially open. Named for philanthropist Henrietta de Hoernle, the park is the latest collaboration between the city and the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District. The park adds four softball diamonds and four multi-purpose fields, plus walking and bike trails along a scenic 20-acre lake, a tots’ playground and picnic facilities. (l-r)  Beach & Park District Commission: Earl Starkoff, chairman; Dennis Frisch, Susan Vogelgesang; and Robert Rollins; along with Deputy Mayor Susan Haynie; Mayor Susan Whelchel; and Countess de Hoernle. Photo

By Cheryl Blackerby

The two runoff candidates for the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District’s Seat 5, Steven Engel and Tom Thayer, have different positions on important issues facing the district. Voters will select one of them on Nov. 6.

Hot topics: Should private development such as members-only beach clubs be allowed on public-owned beaches? The Fourth District Court of Appeal in September ruled against the district and city and gave a citizens group the green light to put on the ballot a charter amendment prohibiting private development on public beaches. And should the district raise fees on park and beach facilities as the city of Boca Raton wants it to?

In the first election Aug. 14, Engel got 4,266 votes (47.6 percent); Thayer had 3,425 votes (38.2 percent); and real-estate agent Felipe Marti had 1,281 votes (14.3 percent). The terms are for four years.                       

Tom Thayer

TOM THAYER

Personal: Thayer, 69, has a bachelor of science degree from Oregon State University. He has lived in Florida since 1964, and in the Boca Raton area since 1978. He is married, with two children and three grandchildren. He was two-time Flotilla Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 3-6 in Boca Raton.

Professional: A licensed real-estate broker, he owns Thayer Properties in Boca Raton, was a U.S. Navy pilot and is a retired pilot for Delta Air Lines.

Political: This is his first attempt for elected office. He was vice chairman of the Boca Raton Marine Advisory Board from 2001 to 2012.

 On why he ran: “Because of my involvement for 10 years on the Marine Advisory Board, we had a working relationship with the Beach and Park District. I attended meetings, and obviously have an interest in the parks, recreation and facilities.”

On private development of public beaches: “It’s a moot question. They (the citizens group Keep Your Beaches Private) want to force a public referendum. It will be the only item in March, and it will cost the city $100,000. It’s ridiculous for the city to appease private interests.” 

On raising park facilities fees: “I’m opposed to doing away with fees. User fees are needed for maintenance.” Until the user fee was implemented at Silver Palm Park, the only boat launching facility in Boca Raton, “We had numerous Broward County boaters using Silver Palm Park instead of Pioneer Park in Deerfield, due to its proximity to the Boca Raton Inlet. This created parking problems at Silver Palm Park due to the length of vehicles and boat trailers. The user fee solved the problem.”

Steven Engel

STEVEN ENGEL

Personal: Engel, 62, has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from City University of New York. He is married, with two children and one grandson. He moved to Florida from New York six years ago, and has lived in Boca Raton four years. 

Professional: A senior advertising consultant to Forum Publishing Group. He owned a real-estate appraisal firm in New York.

Political: This is his first run for elected office. He’s a precinct leader for the Palm Beach County Democratic Party.

 On why he ran: “Boca Raton has the most beautiful parks and best recreational facilities for our size in the country. I feel my experience as an appraiser can make a contribution. One of the things that has drawn me to the district is that it is debt-free.  I do believe in pay as you go.” 

On private development of public beaches: “I’m opposed to private development on beaches paid for by the public. They are there for the public; we can’t allow private development. You get a short-term fix in rental revenue, but you really don’t have any control.  We have a responsibility to maintain control.” 

On raising park facilities fees: “I agree with the board. I believe residents are already paying taxes for those facilities. User fees are effectively a double tax for the same service.“

Judith Teller Kaye (left) and Betty Grinnan formed Citizens
for Fiscal Responsibility. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

 By Tim Pallesen

Two Boca Raton women were ignored last May when they alerted the City Council that the city’s fire-rescue costs were leading to a financial crisis.

“No one thanked us, and no one responded,” Betty Grinnan recalled.

So Grinnan and Judith Teller Kaye formed Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility to inform the public about what they say is the unsustainable cost of firefighter pensions and salaries.

The public responded, and now the City Council calls pension reform a priority goal. The firefighters union has agreed to discuss the concern.

The turnaround is an example of how citizens can mobilize to influence city hall.

Grinnan, a retired children’s librarian, and Kaye, a retired management consultant, first worked together to push the council to build a new downtown library. Once library construction was under way, they found another issue.

“Boca Raton is obligated for millions of dollars that the city can’t pay for,” Grinnan said. 

Pension benefits were negotiated when the economy was healthy and the city expected a higher rate of return from its pension fund investments. The city now has $200 million in its pension fund, which is $122 million short of what it has contracted to pay in benefits.

Grinnan and Kaye sent email newsletters to alert 2,500 residents after the council turned a deaf ear at its goal-setting financial summit last May.

“We want to make sure there is money in the budget not just for public safety but also for things that make Boca Raton special — the parks, the beaches, the libraries and all the amenities that we count on the city to provide,” Kaye explained.

Grinnan and Kaye asked residents who shared their concern to pressure the City Council to act.

“We got a lot of emails saying we can’t go on like this and it’s time to address this issue,” Mayor Susan Whelchel said.

The council reversed itself in July and agreed that pension reform should become one of its goals.

But the email newsletters kept coming to inform residents more about fire-rescue costs.

“Everything they have printed has been accurately described,” Whelchel said. “They’ve done a good job of bringing out the information and educating the public.”

Their news that Boca Raton pays an average of $153,821 for a fire-rescue employee was reported in September as the council was preparing its budget. That salary figure generated more emails from upset residents to council members. 

“They have been very effective, and they’re pushing hard,” Councilman Michael Mullaugh said. “We recognize this as a real problem that we have to address.” 

Talks now are under way between City Manager Leif Ahnell and the firefighters union to decide whether to renegotiate the current firefighters contract that expires in September 2014. 

Grinnan and Kaye offer a laundry list of ways to cut fire-rescue costs that go beyond pension reform to also reduce salaries and eliminate jobs.

To counter their efforts, the firefighters union has launched an informational campaign of its own to win public opinion.

“We want to make sure that citizens realize what they’re getting for their tax dollar,” said John Luca, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1560. “We’ve got a heck of a campaign on our hands.”

The union tells citizen groups that Boca Raton firefighters saved the lives of 53 percent of the residents who suffer a heart attack, compared with a national average of only 5 percent.

Luca warns that cost cuts could jeopardize fire-rescue’s current level of service by making Boca Raton less attractive for qualified job applicants.

“We never want to see Boca Raton become a training ground for other departments where the benefits are better,” he said.

The firefighters union renegotiated its contract twice in the past two years to save the city $2.6 million. But the city agreed each time to extend the contract as a concession.

Whelchel vowed that the council won’t postpone pension reform any longer.

“We’re not going to reopen the contract just for them to give us back a million dollars this time,” she said.

“We didn’t get to the heart of the real issues with pensions before,” Whelchel said. “Now we need to know where our real financial difficulty lies.”

The council formed a task force of financial experts on Oct. 23 to advise the city in negotiations with firefighters.

The mayor thanked Grinnan and Kaye for bringing the issue to the city’s attention.

“The council should have put this into our goal-setting before we did,” Whelchel said.

“I have been remiss,” she acknowledged. “We’re not perfect people, and we probably should have looked at this years ago.”