By Mary Hladky

Despite strong objections from Community Appearance Board members and former members, the Boca Raton City Council has approved an ordinance that limits the board’s responsibilities and gives city staff more authority to make decisions on the aesthetics of proposed projects.

The ordinance has stirred controversy since it was proposed, and prompted the February resignations of CAB Chair Tiery Boykin, an architect, and member John Kronawitter, a contractor and architect.

After his resignation, Boykin said in an interview that he thought the ordinance “is an effort to be too friendly to developers.”

Michael Goodwin, the owner of Crazy Uncle Mike’s restaurant and brewery, who replaced Boykin as chair, resigned on Oct. 2, but he said in an interview that the ordinance was not the reason.

The city’s plan to reduce the board’s size from eight members to seven prompted his decision to exit so that no other member would have to step aside, he said.

“This seemed the perfect time when the city wanted to have fewer people on the board,” said Goodwin, who had served for 51/2 years. “To me, it was about timing.”

Speaking at the Oct. 22 council meeting, architect Jessica Dornblaser, who has served on the CAB since 2016, urged council members to delay a vote to allow board members and city staff time to work out their differences.
“I speak for a majority of the members. We want to make the city more efficient. We understand the need to make it more efficient. This is not the way to do it,” she said of the changes.

“I am very upset,” she said later.

The Planning and Zoning Board, which considered the ordinance on Oct. 17, also wanted the CAB and city staff to come to an agreement on the CAB’s duties. As a result, the P&Z Board voted to table a vote for one month to allow time for that to happen.

Development Services Director Brandon Schaad told council members that his staff has met twice with the CAB and made modifications to the ordinance based on their concerns.

The CAB is made up of unpaid volunteers who must be an architect, landscape architect, engineer, building contractor or real estate agent.

It was created to be the first city body that reviews the aesthetics of proposed projects other than single-family homes and duplexes. Members were tasked with examining architecture, landscaping, signs, paint colors and proposed exterior changes.

Once a project passed muster with the CAB, it went to P&Z and then to the City Council for final approval.

Mayor Scott Singer first proposed changing the CAB’s duties and processes. He said businesses, community associations and property owners “complain about the process” and want fewer restrictions. Schaad said he also has heard such complaints.

The ordinance gives greater authority to city staff, while limiting CAB landscaping and architecture reviews and its role in approving paint colors.

But the CAB will become an appeals board for developers or architects who want to challenge staff decisions.

One flashpoint in the disagreement is that staff would weigh architectural designs even though no architects work for the city. The CAB includes architects doing such reviews at no cost to the city. Schaad told the council that one option is to hire an outside consultant to conduct the reviews.

Dornblaser also spoke at the P&Z meeting.

The CAB over the years has streamlined its processes on its own to improve efficiency, she said, while many city-proposed changes will do the opposite and will result in less attractive structures being built.

Architect Juan Caycedo, a former 14-year CAB member, said process streamlining is important. But he objected to some of the changes, and said that the CAB should continue to conduct architectural reviews.

P&Z Board Vice Chair Larry Cellon, also a former CAB member, noted that the city formed the CAB in 1966 at a time when major development was starting to take place. Within years, he said, most other Florida cities had followed Boca Raton to create their own CABs.

He credited it with making Boca Raton a beautiful city. Driving in from other cities is a “fabulous experience,” he said.
“It takes my breath away every time,” he said. “We didn’t get to look to what we look like today by following some form-based code."

By Rich Pollack

It’s not often that Highland Beach residents get a chance to rub shoulders with the town’s movers and shakers all in one place, but that’s what will happen early next month at the annual Mingle & Jingle holiday gathering, which will also celebrate the town’s 75th anniversary.

The Mingle & Jingle, set for 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 5, will be double the size of last year’s event, according to organizers. It will include several booths staffed by town and condo leaders, as well as those representing several industries involved in the condo recertification process.

Members of the Highland Beach Town Commission are set to staff one of about 10 booths, and another booth will include presidents of several of the town’s condominiums. The Police Department and representatives from the recently created Fire Rescue Department will also be on hand.

“Our residents have never before had this kind of access to the leadership of the community,” said Jason Chudnofsky, president of the Highland Beach Police and Fire Foundation, one of the leading organizers of the Mingle & Jingle.

Members of the police and fire foundation and the town library will also have booths at the event, which will be in the parking lot of St. Lucy Catholic Church.
“This is a one-stop-shop chance for residents to get valuable information about the town,” Chudnofsky said. “It’s also a chance to come together to meet neighbors and other members of the community.”

This year’s event, for the first time, will include a handful of businesses representing industries including insurance, roofing, construction, air conditioning and painting. The Coastal Star will also have a booth.

“Those who come will have a chance to leave as a better-educated consumer,” Chudnofsky said.

The Mingle & Jingle will once again feature food trucks. The plan calls for seven trucks representing a variety of cuisines. Town staff will also serve up hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks. All food is being provided at no cost.

“This is a way for the town to thank the residents for their support and to show appreciation for their helping us make Highland Beach 31/2 miles of paradise,” Chudnofsky said.

In addition, the event will have double the seating of last year as well as live music.

As part of a commitment to “giving back,” residents are invited to participate in a toy drive, bringing new, unwrapped toys to the town’s fire station between now and Dec. 24.

To make getting to and from the event easier, four trolleys will run along State Road A1A throughout the night.

This year’s Mingle & Jingle will also be a celebration of the town’s founding 75 years earlier, in December 1949.

That celebration, which will extend into next year with several other community events, will focus on community and on bringing residents together in recognition of all that makes Highland Beach “a great place to live,” Chudnofsky said.

“Togetherness is one of our themes,” he said

The design style of Boca Raton and much of south Florida comes from the work of Addison Mizner. Photo provided by the Boca Raton Historical Society

As the city gears up to celebrate its centennial in 2025, the Boca Raton Historical Society is contributing to the roster of events by presenting an exhibition devoted to the architect who gave the city its signature appearance.

“Boca Raton 1925-2025: Addison Mizner’s Legacy” will be presented at the former Town Hall at 71 N. Federal Highway, now known as The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, beginning Nov. 13 and running through May 30, 2025.

The Boca Raton, the resort dating to 1926 when Mizner opened the Cloister Inn, is sponsoring the exhibit.

The exhibit will spotlight the Cloister Inn’s evolution into today’s resort with more than 1,000 guest rooms, a golf course, spa, swimming pools, tennis courts, marina and multiple restaurants and bars.

The exhibit will include photographs, drawings, maps and videos.

It also will feature materials produced or imported by Mizner Industries, once the largest employer in Palm Beach County, which Mizner founded when he was unable to find Spanish roof tiles, said Mary Csar, the historical society’s executive director.

The company expanded to provide cast stone, floor tiles, wrought iron and other materials sold to developers, as well as pottery and furnishings.
“What we are showcasing is not only Mizner in Boca, but also Mizner Industries, which is part and parcel of the Mizner story,” she said.

Lenders to the exhibit include the Mizner Library Foundation, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County and the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens in Fort Lauderdale.
Augustus Mayhew, a cultural columnist, architectural historian and photographer, is guest curator for the exhibition.

In addition to The Boca Raton, exhibit sponsors include the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, Discover the Palm Beaches and Palm Beach County.

The historical society also is creating a glossy coffee-table book, with photos that chart the city’s achievements and changes decade by decade, and will hold lectures throughout 2025.

— Mary Hladky

By Mary Hladky

The Boca Raton City Council has selected longtime Deputy City Attorney Joshua Koehler as city attorney, replacing Diana Grub Frieser, who was ousted by council members in August.

While Frieser’s last day on the job was Oct. 31, she has not attended council meetings since July 23 and Koehler has filled in.

“It is a great honor and I accept,” Koehler said. “I look forward to continue working with you.”

The city had hired executive recruiter James Dinneen to find qualified candidates. Twenty people applied for the position, and he winnowed the list to four. One withdrew from consideration.

After interviewing the three remaining applicants on Oct. 22, council members quickly settled on Koehler, citing the continuity he brings, his desire to offer a fresh perspective on how the job is done, and his plans to streamline the office.

“Josh has been sitting in the main chair for months and has done a remarkable job,” said Council member Andy Thomson.

The council voted unanimously to enter into negotiations to draft an employment agreement with Koehler. Mayor Scott Singer will negotiate the contract.

Koehler, who earned his law degree at the University of Florida, has been deputy city attorney since 2011. Before that, he was assistant city attorney in West Palm Beach.

He is the son of former Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente, and his stepfather, Fred Hazouri, served on the 4th District Court of Appeal.

He is seeking an annual salary of $285,000. Frieser earned $327,591.

The unsuccessful applicants were Clayton Knowles, county attorney/chief legal officer for the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners, and Ronald Tomasko, assistant county attorney in Collier County.

Frieser, who had served as city attorney since 1999, had planned to retire in 2025. Council members never stated why they wanted her to depart early.

By Steve Plunkett

Almost six years after being denied permission to erect a duplex on the beach and 12 days after an advisory panel gave a thumbs-down to a scaled-back plan, the owners of an undeveloped parcel east of State Road A1A won their long-sought OK.

The Boca Raton City Council voted 4-1 on Oct. 8 to grant property owner Azure Development LLC a variance to build a single-family home on the sand east of the city’s Coastal Construction Control Line at 2600 N. Ocean Blvd.

“I feel like we’re finally being given our constitutional rights,” Azure partner Brian Grossberg said after the decision.

The lone vote against the proposal came without elaboration from Council member Andy Thomson, who also said no in February 2019.

The city’s Environmental Advisory Board unanimously recommended against the project in late September.

Calling the council vote “an unpleasant moment for me,” Mayor Scott Singer, who also opposed the project the first time it came before the council, noted that Azure had reduced the building size, and an updated staff report said the impacts on nesting sea turtles had been reduced. “I don’t think … going back a third time and a fourth time and getting them to negotiate down foot by foot, piece by piece is something reasonable,” he said.

More than a dozen neighbors urged the council to deny the variance, with many of them arguing that Azure bought the parcel knowing that it is east of the CCCL and that, as one said, “they could never build there.”

But Azure’s attorney, Robert Sweetapple, said the CCCL did not prohibit construction seaward of the line. “This property came with the right to seek a variance. That’s part of its bundle of rights,” he said.

The city’s Development Services Department had recommended that the variance be approved after attaching 17 conditions for Azure to meet, including that the building’s windows transmit no more than 31% of any interior lighting onto the beach, which is nesting habitat for protected sea turtles.

The home will still have four stories but will be approximately 38 feet tall and have 6,931 square feet of enclosed space, down from the originally proposed nearly 49-foot height and 14,270 square feet.

Azure must now get an OK from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection before obtaining an actual building permit from Boca Raton.

The property is one of two remaining undeveloped parcels on the beach. A federal judge in March ruled that the owner of 2500 N. Ocean Blvd., two lots south of 2600, had a “vested right” to build on its property.

In August, the city and Azure agreed to pause two contentious lawsuits and to decide within 90 days whether to allow the home to go up on the beachfront.
The agreement also called for the developer and Boca Raton to pay their own attorneys’ fees and costs. Sweetapple has said the legal tab on Azure’s side is more than $1 million.

Patrice Schroeder, 211’s community relations specialist, at the organization’s call center in Lantana. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Ron Hayes

In December 1971, a hotline offering help to people struggling with drugs began answering calls in Palm Beach County.

Crisis Line had about 90 volunteers, mostly students from Palm Beach Junior College and Florida Atlantic University. They answered the phones 24/7, with a 42-page “Where To Turn” booklet prepared by the Community Services Council of Palm Beach County to help them through their four-hour shifts.

Crisis Line’s founder, a local psychologist named Robert K. Alsofrom, estimated those volunteers would receive perhaps 2,000 calls a month, or 24,000 a year.

In 2023, that same agency answered about 48,000 calls for help from Palm Beach County — and served four other counties as well.

Dr. Alsofrom, who died in 1993, would no doubt be thrilled, and perhaps amazed, at how his fledgling hotline has grown in ways he might never have imagined.

In 2000, the Federal Communications Commission designated 211 as the national number for information and referral services, similar to 911 for emergencies. Crisis Line became 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast and expanded its service area to Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.

In 2023, the agency’s 22 “resource specialists” handled almost 125,000 calls for help in its five-county service area, from people seeking help with housing or mental health issues, transportation, household needs, or just wanting an ear willing to listen.

In addition, 211’s Help Me Grow program offers free development screening for children up to the age of 5½.

A “special needs caregiver” works with about 350 families each year, offering support to clients up to age 22.

Sunshine Calls checks in with about 700 seniors daily, just to say hello and be sure all is well. It also checks in with family caregivers, because even caregivers sometimes need care.

The Florida Veterans Support Line connects veterans experiencing difficulty with the transition back to civilian life with veterans who understand. And the Heroes4Heroes service does the same for people in law enforcement, paramedics, firefighters and other first responders.

When you call the National Suicide Hotline (988), the phone rings at 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast.

Last year, the agency received 4,583 calls from people who wanted to kill themselves.

Answering a call for help
On a Saturday night in 1976, a volunteer working the midnight to 4 a.m. shift at Crisis Line answered a call he has never forgotten.

John Deese was 18. The woman on the other end of the line was trying to kill herself, and nearly succeeding.

“Usually, we had two people on each shift, but this night the other person was sick and we had no replacement, so I was alone,” Deese remembers.

Prank calls were rare, but not unheard of on Saturdays after midnight.

“I could tell this was a real call,” Deese says.

The woman, who had taken pills, was still alert enough to want help, but couldn’t speak to tell Deese where she was.

“I had one of those cross-reference books that lists towns and street names and numbers, so I’d name a town and told the woman to tap on her phone if she lived there.”

Deese named towns. She tapped on Palm Springs.

Now he had to keep her alert while also calling police on a separate line.

He named streets. She tapped. Finally, he named house numbers. And she tapped.

“I heard the breaking glass over the phone when the police broke in to help,” he says.

The woman lived to thank him.

“I went home that night and we sat up for several hours talking about it,” Deese says. “It was stressful, but the whole experience gave me a perspective on the real world.”

It also gave him a devotion to 211 that has lasted a lifetime.

John Deese is 66 now, and in addition to serving as the mayor of Manalapan, he has been on 211’s board of directors for decades, and currently leads the agency’s $6 million capital campaign to replace its aging facilities.

Some guidelines for taking calls are posted above a desk.

Listening, not judging
When John Deese was being trained to answer calls all those years ago, Dr. Alsofrom called his method “nondirect counseling.” Today’s specialists call it “active listening,” but the approach is similar.

Each specialist receives about 100 hours of training, learning what to say, and not say, what to offer, and what never to promise.

“We’re not telling them we’re going to solve their problems,” says Patrice Schroeder, 211’s community relations specialist, who has been with the agency 18 years. “We can’t tell them their situation is going to get better.”

Resource specialists are not psychiatrists or psychologists.

“We don’t provide mental health counseling,” Schroeder emphasizes. “We’re trained to de-escalate and stabilize the caller, then connect them to mental health services.”

Mostly, they listen. Really listen.

“I see you lost your job and are having trouble paying bills,” the specialist might say. “We can connect you with an agency that does job searches.”

And they don’t judge.

“We’re not there to say, ‘It’s not that bad.’ We can’t judge what is a crisis for somebody else,” Schroeder notes. “If it’s a suicidal crisis, that’s bad; but a teenage breakup can be a crisis for that teenager.”

When a 211 phone line rings, the specialist never knows who will be on the other end of the call. It could be someone asking what hours Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park is open.

It could be someone holding the phone in one hand and a handgun in the other.

Or it could be about a hurricane, or two.

A resource in stormy times
While Hurricanes Helene and Milton were making up their minds, Kelly was sitting at a desk in 211’s Lantana facility, answering calls.

“A lot of our callers have no access to computers or TV,” she explains. “They’ve only heard we’re getting a hurricane and want to know if they should put their shutters up. They didn’t realize it was on the west coast.”

Kelly — resource specialists use first names only — has been answering 211 calls eight hours a day, five days a week for nine years. Calming people down is big part of her job.

“Calming people down is all day,” she says.

Most of the calls are from women. “Especially single mothers caring for children on their own.”

When the caller says, “I’m ready to die, I haven’t told anybody I feel that way,” Kelly asks, “What’s got you so upset you would want to do that?”

Keep them talking. Let them share their feelings.

“Usually it’s a big event,” she says. “They’ve lost their job, or their home, or their marriage. Or utilities. They need $50 to keep the lights on.”

Kelly has almost countless resources at her fingertips, agencies that can help with temporary housing or food.

She has taken suicide calls from 10-year-olds. She has taken calls from gay and lesbian teens whose families have shunned them.

She takes a sadly large number of calls from people who just need someone to talk to.

“They have no one on the planet to talk to,” she says, “so we’re here.”

Schroeder recalls a woman whose husband was disabled, using a wheelchair, and whose child had autism. She was working full-time to support the family but was afraid of being laid off. She couldn’t tell her family. So, she told 211.

“We may not have all the answers,” Schroeder says, “but we’re the place to start.”

Answering the crisis calls was stressful when John Deese did it 48 years ago, and it’s stressful for Kelly today. But the resource specialists keep coming back.

“I’ve had people tell me, ‘You’re so terrible they should shut that whole place down,’” Kelly says. “But I’ve also had people say, ‘People are lucky you were born.’

“And I’ve had people tell me I saved their life.

“That’s a reason for me to come back tomorrow.”

Along with phone numbers and other reminders, workers at the call center surround themselves with words of encouragement.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Three little numbers serve big numbers
211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast is a three-digit phone call away for people needing assistance. Here’s a look at the totals, types of calls and ages of the callers who reached out to 211, which serves a five-county area, in 2023.
Calls for help
• Five-county total: 124,561
• Palm Beach County total: about 48,000
Age of callers
• Under 18: 2.5%
• 18-59: 32.3%
• 60-plus: 18.6%
• No age reported: 46.7%
Top needs addressed for 211 callers (by number)
• Mental health/substance use disorder: 42,710
• Housing: 36,508
• Utility assistance: 11,249
• Information services: 8,530
• Legal, consumer and public safety services: 8,104
• Health care: 7,689
Suicide prevention calls
• Total calls: 4,583
Annual budget
• Total budget: $7,839,802
Source: 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast 2023 annual report

For extensive information about the services and policies of 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, visit 211palmbeach.org.
To donate, visit 211palmbeach.org/donate.
If your life is in crisis, please call 211.

Coming Nov. 6: Men Giving Back will celebrate 25 semifinalist nonprofits based in South County that will receive, in total, $500,000 in funding. Time is 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is free to members. Call 561-706-0163 or visit mengivingback.org. ABOVE: (l-r) Alan Ferber, Robert Snyder, Jon Sahn, Evan Farrell, Billy Marino, Dr. Nathan Nachlas, Marc Malaga, Ed Ventrice, Derek Witte and Bill Donnell. Photo provided by Carla Azzata

By Amy Woods

A reality TV star, recovering addict and author of a self-help book about overcoming alcohol and drug abuse will headline Wayside House’s “An Evening of Reflection” on Nov. 9.

Capt. Sandy Yawn, who takes the helm in Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean and who penned the 232-page book Be the Calm or Be the Storm: Leadership Lessons from a Woman at the Helm, was selected as keynote speaker for the annual fundraiser benefiting the nonprofit women’s treatment center in Delray Beach.

Yawn, an internationally known leadership figure, has been sober for 34 years.

“She will share her background in a family contending with generational abuse,” said Kathryn Leonard, Wayside House’s board president. “A lot of what we try to do here is stop the cycle. We work with children of recovering women and show them how to deal with it. We show them there is another way, that you do not have to go down that path.”

The fundraiser at Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach rings in the 50th anniversary of the opening of the facility. Founded in 1974 by Susan B. Anthony, great-niece and namesake of the suffragette, Wayside House has a 28-bed residential program, a partial hospitalization program and an equine therapy program, among other services.

“What sets Wayside apart from other centers is that it’s women only,” Leonard said. “Women have different issues than men. It’s all the same disease, but I think for women, we feel more guilt and shame than men.”

A former client who has 32 years of sobriety, Leonard turned to Wayside House because she could not stop drinking.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Leonard said. “I checked in for four months, and I have not had a desire to drink since then.”

Aronberg to be honored
The event will also honor Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg for working to stem the opioid crisis and for creating the Sober Homes Task Force. Additionally, a video will be shown spotlighting two incredible success stories. An alumna will be seated at every table to answer questions and offer information. More than 300 people are expected to attend.

“We would like to grow,” Leonard said. “There are very few nonprofits in Palm Beach County for women. Our goal is to help as many women who want help — and be there for them.”

If You Go
What: Wayside House’s ’An Evening of Reflection’
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 9
Where: Indian Spring Country Club, 11501 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach
Cost: $225
Information: 561-278-0055 or waysidehouse.net

The 2024 Read Together Palm Beach County book has been revealed.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was announced by the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County at the Mayor’s Literacy Initiative Luncheon.

The campaign aims to get adults to read the same book at the same time and discuss its themes at various gatherings. It will run through Nov. 18, when Van Pelt is scheduled to appear at the Read Together Finale, 6 p.m. at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth Beach.

The book is “about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at an aquarium and the truth she uncovers about her son’s disappearance” according to a news release.

To register for the finale, call 561-279-9103 or visit www.literacypbc.org.

Stephanie Deltondo from sponsor Bank of America dressed the part while working at the Pie it Forward pickup table in the past. You can order this year’s pies by Nov. 18. Photo provided

Pie It Forward in 10th year of aiding Meals on Wheels
The favorite feel-good pie-buy experience is back.

The Meals on Wheels Thanksgiving pie fundraiser, Pie It Forward, returns for its 10th year, and debuts a special pie for the occasion: hazelnut pumpkin praline with roasted marshmallow topping.

Here’s how it works: Chefs from restaurants, country clubs and hotels bake and donate 3,000 pies. Pie lovers choose a pie online, pay for it and pick it up the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The money goes to feed homebound seniors hot meals five times a week. One pie purchase will feed one senior for a week.

Flavors are pumpkin, apple, pecan and Key lime — and the anniversary pie, hazelnut pumpkin praline. There’s also a small window of opportunity to get a peanut butter pie baked by Okeechobee Steakhouse chefs halfway through the campaign.

Back by demand is the “virtual pie,” a donation that gets diners a thank-you, but only a photo of a pie. Gift pie certificates also are available. Pie costs range from $30 to $40.

Pies must be ordered by Nov. 18. Pickup is Nov. 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at one of three locations:

Duffy’s Sports Grill in Delray Beach, the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, or Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter.

The website for ordering is mowpbpie.org.

The Boca Raton Historical Society's annual holiday ornament celebrates the first century of the city's history, with a variety of elements associated with that past. Photo provided

Holiday ornament honors Boca Raton centennial
The newest keepsake from the Boca Raton Historical Society/The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum commemorates the city’s centennial celebration.

Every element of the 2024 holiday ornament represents a significant chapter in the history of Boca Raton, from Addison Mizner’s signature to the IBM personal computer.

The ornament is available for $24.95 in the gift shop at 71 N. Federal Highway or online at bocahistory.org. Proceeds support ongoing projects.

For more information, call 561-395-6766.

Food collection options at Feeding South Florida
The hunger-relief organization Feeding South Florida is calling for help for the holidays. Its “Share Food. Share Joy” initiative aims to provide 7,000 South Florida families with Thanksgiving dinners, and community members are invited to donate to that initiative by Nov. 15. For more details or to donate, go to https://feedingsouthflorida.org/sharefood.

Community members can also host “Food + Fund” drives to collect food. To learn more, visit https://feedingsouthflorida.org/food-fund-drives.

Volunteers are also needed to sort and pack food, and to work in Feeding South Florida’s Community Kitchen. For information and to sign up for a volunteer shift, visit https://feedingsouthflorida.org/volunteer/.

People can also donate through the organization’s “Feed it Forward” program at the same main website.

Jan Norris and Christine Davis contributed to this column.

Family members of the late Solomon Spady joined the audience at the kickoff of the beloved institution’s upcoming centennial. Built in 1926, the historical home of Spady, a local educator and an influential African American leader in Delray Beach, now houses the museum’s exhibits, archives and offices. To raise funds for another 100 years of programs, a campaign has begun to raise $100,000-plus next year. ‘The Spady Museum welcomes businesses and patrons who are interested in its mission to learn more about new sponsorship opportunities for the 100th anniversary,’ says Charlene Farrington, executive director.
ABOVE: Jessica Ross Cash; Brent Cash, Jr.; Patti Spady Ross; Serge Strosberg; Michelle Morgan Spady; Amanda MV Ross, Ed.D.
BELOW: Price and Carolyn Patton were in attendance.

Photo provided by MasterWing Creative Agency

Boca Helping Hands received 548 boxes of cereal that were donated before the FAU game against Florida International. Donors to the Cereal4All campaign got to see the football action for free. ‘We were so pleased that so many people came out from the community to donate cereal ­— especially with some rain showers leading up to the game,’ said Greg Hazle, executive director of Boca Helping Hands. ABOVE: Twins Jett and Luke Justin, now 16, started Cereal4All in 2016. Photo provided

Nobu’s signature dishes: black cod and miso soup (above), salmon sashimi (below). Photos provided

By Jan Norris

Some big-name chefs are choosing South Florida — and specifically Palm Beach County — to open outposts.

Last month, the news was all about Nobu coming to Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Food lovers recognize Nobu Matsuhisa as among the top chefs internationally, with reservations coveted at his restaurants. His signature is combining his native Japanese cuisine, mostly seafood, with Peruvian ingredients.

It was announced this summer that he’d open his 23rd U.S. restaurant at the Manalapan resort. While Nobu Manalapan debuted in mid-October, the public wasn’t invited. It opened only for those staying at Eau Palm Beach.

Halle Wooten, spokeswoman for the resort, said then, “We are thrilled with the public interest. To provide the best guest experience, we are not taking reservations at this time from outside the resort.”

She indicated it would be “soon” that the restaurant would open to all as the hotel phased in the restaurant. “We encourage everyone to continue checking the website,” she said.

The restaurant takes over the spaces at the resort formerly occupied by Boken, a 12-seat sushi bar, and Stir, the lobby bar.

Eau Palm Beach is revamping some parts of the resort since changing hands this summer. Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle software, bought it for $277.4 million in August. The property operated as the Ritz Carlton from the late 1970s, when it was built, then rebranded as Eau Palm Beach in 2013.

Ellison’s affinity for Nobu’s restaurants brought the Japanese master to Manalapan. He has placed Nobu outposts in his other resort properties around the world.

Diners can expect favorite dishes from the Michelin-starred chef’s menus, with an emphasis on seafood. Those include the signature black cod cured in miso, and yellowtail with a chile bite.

Eau Palm Beach’s executive chef Matt Raso will oversee the operations at Nobu.

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan. Phone 561-533-6000; eaupalmbeach.com

New steakhouse in Lake Worth Beach
Another celeb chef made his debut in Lake Worth Beach last month.

Todd English, a Boston-based chef known to Palm Beach County diners for the former Emko in West Palm Beach, opened Lula’s by Todd English, an Italian steakhouse.

The restaurant, in the former Callero’s on Lake Avenue, delayed opening for a week because of Hurricane Helene.

“We wanted to blow away the diners,” English joked.

He chose Lake Worth Beach for his newest restaurant because “I feel like it’s making a big turnaround. You’re going to see a lot of changes. That whole area is growing so fast.”

The name Lula is derived from the arts district downtown, between Lucerne and Lake avenues. English is well versed in the county: His mother is a 30-year resident of Jupiter and he previously opened at the Gardens Mall with Figs, a small plates bistro.

The steakhouse is going to be a good fit, he said. “It’s an Italian steakhouse, traditional but with my twist on it. Not your average twists.”

English dubs it “usual foods in unusual ways.”

He said he likes to begin with foods that diners are familiar with, then add untraditional ingredients.

“I love rabbit meatballs in a white sauce. Everybody loves meatballs. It’s that surprise element.”

A surprise element can be a hard sell, however, among certain diners, making this “one of my biggest challenges,” he said.

But after getting to know diners in Palm Beach County, he is confident about their adventurous palates. “It’s a mix of younger and older, well-traveled crowd who are willing to try things. You’re able to cater to that crowd.”

English will adhere to the movement “of organic, fresh and simple,” but add his stamp to the menu along with some forever favorites.

“We’re going to mix it up: My signature, the tortellini with butternut squash that’s been on my menu since day one,” he said. “Carpaccio, of course.”

He said he’s comfortable in Palm Beach County, and loved his West Palm Beach restaurant at Emko, in particular.

“It closed when Jeff Greene bought the building for a school. But I got to see all my old clientele from the Northeast. It was great. Everybody’s just like me, 20 years older, but still young. Young at heart at least.”

English is also known for his cocktail program and desserts.

“We’re working on limoncello tiramisu. Yeah, Key lime, too — the graham crackers and all that,” he said.

He’ll soon bring in a jazz brunch and supper club as well. “It’s going to be really cool.”

Don’t expect to see English all the time in the restaurant, though it’s still his comfort place, he said.

“I’m not a happy person if I’m not cooking. You’ll see me cooking like crazy. I love to cook. In my house, in my restaurants.”

Lula’s by Todd English, 717 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach. Phone 561-660-8796. Dinner only at this time.

NY bagel phenomenon
The opening of H&H Bagels in October caused traffic jams and lines around the block in Boca Raton. Fans of the 52-year-old Manhattan bagel shop started a line at 5 a.m. on opening day.

The popular bagels are made from dough that is kettle-boiled in New York (all about New York water), then shipped to Florida to bake off as fresh.

The store is the first H&H to open outside its flagship city, and Boca Raton was chosen because the CEO, Jay Rushin, has a home there.

The bagels’ fame was helped by mentions in shows set in the city, including Seinfeld and Sex and the City. Fans had bagels shipped in.

Favorites are the NY bacon, egg and cheese; and Nova lox. Standard flavors include sesame seed, jalapeño cheddar, blueberry and “everything.”

Several other H&Hs are planned for Florida, including West Palm Beach, by next year.

H&H Bagels, 2200 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Phone 561-465-3752; hhbagels.com

Amar growing
Amar Bistro has morphed into Amar Kitchen and Bar and moved off Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach to 25 SE Sixth Ave. The larger space, 4,500 square feet, will accommodate bigger parties, and a full bar and outdoor covered seating area boost the number of seats overall.

The menu of favorites remains — hot and cold mezze, grilled meats, kebabs, fresh fish and desserts made in-house. To that, owner Nicolas Kurban will add dishes from his native Lebanese cuisine.

In a statement, he said, “We have loved our first home here on the Avenue, but we’ve outgrown the space for Amar.”

He said he’d always planned for a bar, for happy hours, and the new space will allow for it.

A new cocktail program is set, with notable consultant Eric Hemer designing the bar menus. Signature drinks will highlight Mediterranean flavors. Lebanese wines will also be a part of the beverage program.

Kurban will add a Sunday brunch, scheduled to begin before the holidays. Lunch and special events also are planned.

The former bistro space will change as well, and is scheduled to open in 2025 as Gesto, an artisan pizza shop featuring the wood-burning oven used to make Amar’s pita.

Amar Kitchen and Bar, 25 SE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach. amardelray.com

Old Dixie Seafood closed
A longtime favorite market, Old Dixie Seafood in Boca Raton, has closed.

“We’re retiring — because we’re done,” said Jill Schaedtler, a co-owner with Larry Siemsen. “We’re retirement age.”

They were nudged by the city’s move to place their building under eminent domain, as Old Dixie Highway is being widened.

“It’s coming into the property 30 feet, so they own the parking lot and part of the building,” Schaedtler said.

The whole building will be torn down.

“We probably could have stayed open till they tear it down, but we’re ready to retire,” she said.

Loyal customers, some who have been shopping with them for decades, have “called, emailed and left messages when they heard,” she said.

The seafood market opened Sept. 25, 1996 — Siemsen remembered the date. It’s had the same owners all along, with Schaedtler coming aboard in 2000. Kerry Siemsen, another co-owner, retired in 2022.

“We like to travel,” Schaedtler said, and now have the time off for it.

Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.

In 2023, Cason United Methodist Church hosted its inaugural Thanksgiving dinner. It brought together more than 100 congregants, the underserved in the community and the Seekers ministry to enjoy donated turkeys and food prepared by the Caring Kitchen. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Pastor David Schmidt is happy to report that Cason United Methodist Church in Delray Beach is holding its Thanksgiving turkey dinner giveaway for the first time since before the pandemic.

The dinners, 22 in all, will go to the forgotten members of the community: the shut-ins and the elderly and families who can’t afford the expense of a turkey plus accoutrements.

Each meal kit contains a fully cooked smoked turkey and side dishes including stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans prepared by the congregation and community volunteers.

They also throw in a few canned goods for after Thanksgiving. Meals can be picked up or delivered in time for the Nov. 28 holiday.

Pastor David says he and his congregation — the church is also home to the Caring Kitchen — believe the church has a dual purpose: “Feed the soul and the stomach.”

Pastor David stands behind the belief that feeding the hungry is the most fundamental of all God’s mandates. But his actions speak even louder: He smokes the turkeys himself. “It will take me three days to smoke 22 turkeys. My wife gave me a smoker as a gift and I’m putting it to good use.”
(You can even request that your turkey come pre-sliced.)

Everything is donated, he says. The only cost to the church is the packing containers.

The church also hosts a communal dinner that is open to the community. “For people who have no family here, but who like to be with people, it helps take care of the loneliness factor,” Pastor David said.

“Everybody loves Thanksgiving. It’s a reflection of love and civility.”

Shona Castillo, director of the Caring Kitchen, agrees. She says some programs that stalled during the pandemic never came back online, so it’s harder for homeless and food insecure people to find food.

The Caring Kitchen, which is part of CROS Ministries, is housed at Cason and is back to serving meals five days a week, “indoors in air-conditioning,” Castillo said.

For three years, most meals were “take-away” or bag lunches that people ate while sitting on the ground, “but I put my foot down,” Castillo said, so now the Caring Kitchen is probably the only place in Delray serving free congregant meals on a regular basis.

“Working together is our secret sauce,” Castillo said. “Anyone can serve food. We serve love.”

Boca Helping Hands Thanksgiving Box Brigade
Some of our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table. Splurging on a turkey — even though turkey is a great value — isn’t affordable. If you’re feeling especially thankful this year, consider filling a box for a family that isn’t doing as well.

The Boca Helping Hands Thanksgiving Box Brigade program provides its clients with a turkey and a box filled with the ingredients needed to prepare a holiday meal. BHH, a nonprofit that provides food, job training, access to health care and financial assistance to individuals and families to improve their quality of life and build financial stability, hopes to give away 3,800 boxes.

Here’s what you could do — and this is a fun project to teach kids about the cost of food:

Fill a box using the shopping list provided at www.bocahelpinghands.org/box and drop it off at the organization's main facility at 1500 NW First Court, Boca Raton, on or before Nov. 18.

Take photos of your shopping trip and packing your box and tag @BocaHelpingHands on social media to share your Thanksgiving Box Brigade photos with the community.

If you don’t have time to shop, you can donate $29.72 to cover the cost of a box.

Contact Suzan@BocaHelpingHands.org with questions or call 561-417-0913.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.

The Holly House shop at First Presbyterian Church has its grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 1-2. These 3-foot-tall animatronic dolls were donated to the sale. Photo
provided

One of Delray Beach’s most anticipated openings each year is the Holly House Holiday Gift Shoppe at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach, 33 Gleason St.

Holly House hosts its grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 1-2. After that, Holly House will be open from 10 to noon every Tuesday and Thursday until Dec. 19.

This year, in addition to the handcrafted items that bring so many to the shop, Holly House has two interesting donations for sale. The first is three dolls from Macy’s Christmas window displays from around the 1950s. The private donation will be sold for $50 per doll. Another significant donation came from Marsha Bird’s sister, Marie Bassett in western Kentucky, who donated her bear collection. Dozens of bears are on display, each cuter than the next.

This year’s most adorable pieces may be Savina Pagel’s handmade Raggedy Ann dolls. The gifted seamstress also made a cornflower blue cat and kitten piece. The attention to detail and fine handiwork are extraordinary and so nostalgic.

Some of the ladies who come to the weekly craftmaking sessions aren’t members of the church. They come just to craft and enjoy the fellowship of the other women. Angie Jackson of Boynton Beach, who specializes in wreaths and trees, found out about Holly House when it had a mink stole at the annual rummage sale this year. She started coming to learn new craft skills in April and now it’s part of her routine. Some of her pieces have already sold and she says, “It’s a thrill when somebody loves your work.”

Phyllis Addison has always been a crafter but she comes “because I can always learn new things.” Asuncion Sanfuentes, originally from Chile, says it’s the fellowship that brings her back each week. And Bonnie Snyder of Delray Beach doesn’t craft at all but she has written more than 500 Christmas cards to deployed service members. She says, “I sometimes struggle but then you have to put yourself in their shoes and it makes it worth the time.”

Gail Benson is “a third-generation snowbird” from Poultney, Vermont, who has lived in Delray Beach permanently for 18 years. The former catering business owner has been making Christmas trees out of mussel and oyster shells that are just as pretty close up as they are from a distance.

She gets the larger mussel shells from local restaurants but she picked up the smaller ones on New York’s Rockaway Beach. Her source for oyster shells is City Oyster. She makes five sizes and says the most time-consuming (and tedious) part is cleaning the shells.

The pieces are reasonably priced but Holly House earns a good chunk of change. Including the annual rummage sale money, Holly House gave the church about $35,000 last year, and the church used the money to improve the sound system.

This year, Holly House expects to donate a similar amount. Crafters wanted to see the money go to fix the organ, but they were told the organ can’t be fixed until the air conditioning is repaired — something about our humidity? But this well-run endeavor shows no sign of slowing down, so it’s likely repairs to the organ won’t have to wait long.

“We have such a good team now,” Linda Prior said. “I’m grateful.”

Find more info at www.facebook.com/CleverCrafter 

St. Paul’s choir to perform All Souls’ Day Requiem
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s chancel choir performs the All-Souls’ Day Requiem, under the direction of David Macfarlane, at 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at the church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.

A Solemn Requiem Mass honors recently departed members with selections from musical requiem settings by Mozart, Duruflé, Rutter, Fauré, Fedak and Lloyd Webber. Free, but a collection is taken.

University gospel choir coming to Boca church
First United Methodist Church hosts a performance by the Bethune-Cookman University Inspirational Gospel Choir at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 at the church at 425 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. The free concert takes place in the sanctuary.

Arrive early to attend the 10 a.m. service and a potluck in the Gathering Place, or just attend the concert. Sign up for the potluck at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EA5AD22A6FBC34-52069299-bethune#

Kristallnacht Commemorative Program
The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County presents a Kristallnacht Commemorative Program that features music composed by people lost during the Holocaust. The program takes place at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 in Zinman Hall, 9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. A Q&A follows the program. The cost to attend is $25 for adults and $18 for students, which benefits Holocaust Education Studies and March of the Living.

Kristallnacht is also known as the Night of Broken Glass — a name that comes from the shards of broken windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings and synagogues that littered the street after SS paramilitary forces and civilians in Germany destroyed nearly 267 synagogues and damaged more than 7,000 Jewish-owned businesses on Nov. 9-10, 1938. Nearly 100 people died.

KCP donors of $180 or more will receive two tickets and are invited to a reception honoring local Holocaust survivors prior to the program at 11:30 a.m. To register for the annual Kristallnacht Commemorative Program, visit jewishboca.org/events/march-of-the-living-kristallnacht-program or call 561-852-6041 or email mol@bocafed.org.

The Book & Author Luncheon returns
The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center kicks off its arts and culture season with the 33rd annual Book & Author Luncheon at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 at Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive.

Scheduled to speak are authors Lauren Aliza Green, Adelle Waldman, Samantha Greene Woodruff and Elizabeth Silver. Green is the author of The World After Alice, Waldman of Help Wanted, Woodruff of The Trade Off, and Silver wrote The Majority.

Guests will enjoy coffee, pastries, lunch and valet parking. Tickets are $140 at levisjcc.org/culture or at 561-558-2520.

Comedy trio’s show set for B’nai Torah
Funny Old Broads, a threesome with plenty of stories to tell about the absurdities of “middle age,” stops in Boca Raton at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at B’nai Torah Congregation, 6261 SW 18th St. This all-female musical troupe was created by and features Caryn Bark, a writer, comedienne, humorist, essayist, novelist and playwright. Tickets are $40, which includes dessert. The evening is hosted by the Women’s League of B’nai Torah Congregation. Register at www.wlbtc.org/comedyshow.

Turkey giveaway part of family fun in Delray
SMG and the city of Delray Beach present the third annual ThanksFeeding Family and Fun Day from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23 at Pompey Park, 1101 NW Second St.

Each low-income family (children must be present) gets one “Thanksgiving Dinner kit” including a frozen turkey, starch, vegetable, and cornbread or rolls. The event will also feature a bounce house, snow cones, balloon art, games, a DJ and facepainting for the kids.

Free but reserve your space at www.eventbrite.com.

Thanksgiving services, etc.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: An interfaith Thanksgiving service takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at the church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.

The theme is “Caring for our neighbor is our common ground” and the service is for everyone. Speaker is Ezra Krieg, chairman of the Delray Beach Initiative to End Homelessness.

A special collection for the Interfaith Committee is planned. A reception follows. 561-276-4541 or stpaulsdelray.org.

Ascension Catholic Church: A Thanksgiving Mass at 9 a.m. Nov. 28 is planned at the church, 7250 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. 561-997-5486.

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church: A 10 a.m. eucharist is planned on Thanksgiving Day at St. Joseph’s, 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 561-732-3060.

Advent Church Boca: Advent hosts a Thanksgiving potluck feast from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Nov. 17 in the school gym, 300 E. Yamato Road, Boca Raton. Call the church to register at 561-395-3632.

B’nai Torah teens give cookies to caregivers
What do you think of when you think of a caregiver? Not someone 8 years old. But there are young people ages 8 to 19 who provide care for a family member near or in the individual’s home.

To recognize them during National Family Caregiver Awareness Month, a group of teens from Boca Raton’s B’nai Torah Congregation baked and distributed cookies to youth caregivers to show their appreciation.

Summer Faerman, director of the TLC Program at B’nai Torah, launched Cookies for Caregivers as a way for community volunteers to give back in a simple way.

To get involved in this or one of the other opportunities in the Tzedakah, Learning and Chesed program, contact Faerman at 561-392-8566 or visit www.btcboca.org/community/tlc-program.

Clothing needed for homeless people
The Delray Beach Initiative to End Homelessness needs new or gently used clothing items for people who are homeless in our community, especially men’s jeans sizes 30-36. Drop them off at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church parking lot, 404 SW Third St., Delray Beach, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays or Fridays. www.db0h.org

— Janis Fontaine

By Jan Engoren

It’s one of those things you take for granted, until you lose it.

Eating and swallowing are second nature for most people, but if you’ve had a stroke or suffer from Parkinson’s disease or some other medical conditions, swallowing may have to be relearned.

Swallowing disorders, known as dysphagia, are not uncommon and can happen when the swallow reflex is absent, delayed or weakened.

This can result in excess saliva, drooling, coughing or choking during eating, or more serious conditions such as pneumonia. Some people will have difficulty speaking or will speak hoarsely.

“Take swallowing difficulties seriously,” says Shari Napier, a speech pathologist at Baptist Health City in Boynton Beach. “If food or liquid get into your lungs, infection or pneumonia can follow.”

She says that the same muscles used for talking are used for swallowing. “If you’re having problems with either, see a doctor and ask to see a speech pathologist. This is what we do.”

Swallowing occurs in three stages, starting in the mouth.

After it’s chewed (oral phase), food moves into the throat (pharyngeal phase), where the airway gets closed off to keep food and liquid out. When this doesn’t occur, one may cough or choke.

The third stage is the esophageal phase, where the esophagus opens and closes, sending food to the stomach. Many people suffer acid reflux, or indigestion, when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus.

While exact numbers are unknown, the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders estimates that 22% of the population over 50 years of age may suffer from a swallowing disorder.

Victor Connor, 70, of Wellington, a financial adviser at Connor Wealth Management in Boynton Beach, is one of them, and he sought treatment from Napier.

He lost the ability to swallow and speak after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in 2015. He also had a spot of cancer removed from his lung.

A lifelong equestrian and an announcer at polo matches, Connor underwent 10 weeks of radiation and 10 weeks of chemotherapy and took another year to regain his strength.

On a feeding tube, Connor knew he had to regain his swallowing abilities to regain his quality of life. Although he says he no longer rides horses, he earned a pilot’s license and bought an RV to tour Florida with his wife.

Connor says he felt lucky to find Napier.

“Shari is a miracle worker,” Connor says. “She helped me regain my life.

“It doesn’t help to stick your head in the sand,” he says. “Find someone who knows what they’re doing and can help you.”

After administering a swallow test on Connor, Napier was able to diagnose his issues (one vocal cord was paralyzed) and created a treatment plan for him.

Among other techniques, Napier taught Connor to eat and swallow more mindfully, to blow into a straw to strengthen his vocal cords, to use a nebulizer to add moisture to his throat and to take smaller bites of food, swallow hard and swallow again.

He spends a few minutes each day on a balance board to strengthen his core muscles.

Connor had scar tissue in his throat from the radiation treatments and found help from Anita Parrondo, a physical therapist with Baptist Health South Florida. She loosened up the scar tissue with therapeutic massage.

Back at work, with two new grandchildren, a good prognosis and hope for the future, Connor says having a positive outlook helped him through his ordeal.
“Attitude is everything,” he says.

Pathologist at work
In the field for 32 years and a voice specialist, Napier has conducted more than 16,000 video swallow tests, where X-rays are used to pinpoint which area is affected and what can be done to ameliorate the condition through diet, exercise or behavior modification.

“We need eyes on the anatomy,” says Napier, who sang with Women of Note, a Sweet Adeline a cappella group, for 15 years. “We need to know what’s working and what’s not working before we can recommend a treatment plan.”

In addition to X-rays, she uses a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, in which a diagnostic instrument goes into the nose to assess the swallow function.

Napier says once the problems are diagnosed, she helps clients strengthen the muscles and nerves involved in swallowing. She offers tips on how to help yourself. Those include keeping a food diary to see what triggers the condition.

For reflux, she recommends not eating two to three hours before bedtime and raising the head of the bed 4 to 6 inches.
“Have your ice cream after lunch, not after dinner,” she says.

Swallow twice with solid food and use a little liquid to help wash it down.

If you cough while eating, she recommends avoiding small crumbs and eating solids and liquids separately. For example, for chicken noodle soup, eat the chicken separately from the broth and remember to chew your food well.

Napier says therapies can be extremely successful but depend on the extent of the damage, such as from a stroke, or, if you have Parkinson’s disease, what stage you are in.

Most everyone, she says, can benefit from even one treatment. Exceptions may include patients with multiple sclerosis or ALS.

Napier has worked with singers from American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The Voice on their singing voices. “A lot can be done to help people with dysphagia. Don’t sit with difficulties swallowing or losing your voice,” she says.

“The more people know what speech language pathologists do and what we can do to help, the more we can assist them in leading a better quality of life.”

Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.

Mental health experts with Delray Medical Center and Fair Oaks Pavilion, a 66-bed adult psychiatric unit on the medical center’s campus, are working to improve awareness about suicide prevention. 

“Understanding the issues regarding suicide and mental health is an important step in helping ourselves, helping others, and positively reframing the conversation around mental health,” said Jeffrey Lefton, administrative director of Fair Oaks.

Suicide was the 11th-leading cause of death in the United States in 2022: More than 49,000 Americans died by suicide, with 1.6 million suicide attempts that same year.

While there is no one set of signs that people might be considering hurting themselves, Lefton said that at-risk individuals often display certain characteristics. 

Risk factors can include a current or past mental health diagnosis, alcohol and/or substance use disorders, feelings of hopelessness, history of trauma or abuse, and life stress such as divorce, bullying or financial crisis. Additionally, exposure to another person’s suicide, access to lethal means and lack of social support can be factors, he explained.

“It is important to pay attention to what people say, how they act, and how they feel. A person considering suicide might talk about killing themselves, being a burden to others, or feeling hopeless,” Lefton said.

“Their behaviors might also signal a risk, especially if it is related to a painful event or loss. Warning signs can include isolation from family and friends, giving away prized possessions, new or increased aggression, and fatigue.” 

Those who are considering suicide should not be ashamed to seek help. “Whether you, or someone you know, might have mental health concerns or suicidal ideations, be open and don’t be afraid to speak to someone,” Lefton said. “We all have mental health just as we have physical health, and help is available.” 

Phone numbers to get help include 211 in Palm Beach County and 988 for the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

***

Marcus Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, participates in the “Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience Model,” an initiative designed to assist in the management of dementia care. The program aims to significantly improve the quality of life for individuals living with dementia and easing the burden on their caregivers. The GUIDE Model focuses on care coordination, support for caregivers, and community integration to help individuals with the disease to remain in their homes for as long as possible.

For more information, call 561-955-4600 or visit https://baptisthealth.net/locations/institutes/brain-and-spine/marcus-neuroscience-institute-boca-raton.

***

Dr. Dennys Reyes, interventional neurologist, and Paola Ramirez, clinical research coordinator, are taking part in the Picasso Trial for stroke victims at Delray Medical Center. Photo provided

Brought about by interventional neurologists Drs. Nils Mueller-Kronast and Dennys Reyes, Delray Medical Center has enrolled a patient in the Picasso Trial, which is in its third phase.

The trial’s goal is to improve management for patients with tandem occlusions, which can occur when a stroke in the brain is accompanied by a narrowing or blockage in the neck artery, limiting blood flow to critical areas.

The findings from the Picasso Trial may affect how stroke patients with tandem occlusions are treated, providing clearer guidance for physicians and better outcomes for patients.

The Picasso Trial compares two distinct treatment approaches: stenting the artery to keep it open or performing angioplasty.

Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

At the end of the ribbon-cutting event, a group of pre-K students, including Aiden Reinhardt, got to ring a kid-height bell in the parking lot of the Gulf Stream School’s new Delray Beach campus. The K-8 campus in Gulf Stream has a similar bell.

By Faran Fagen

One by one, 3-year-olds grasped the rope, tugged, and smiled at the resounding ding of the bell to commemorate progress at the new Gulf Stream School campus in Delray Beach.

On Oct. 7, the bell — small like the pre-K students the campus serves — echoed throughout the Gulf Stream community during a ribbon- cutting ceremony to formally celebrate the opening of the new campus.

“Celebrating that tradition on both campuses is a wonderful and memorable way to connect them,” said Head of School Gray Smith, who delivered the keynote speech at the commemoration.

More than 100 parents, faculty, trustees and members of the parents auxiliary attended the event.

Gulf Stream Head of School Gray Smith addresses the crowd at the dedication of the Delray Beach campus.
Also in the photo are (front row, l-r) Robert Meyer, Jacob Fields, London Wizard and longtime teacher Christina Wheat. Behind them are admissions associate Mary Aperavich and managing director Jessica DeHaven. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

One of Smith’s favorite memories and traditions at the original Gulf Stream campus is when the school’s eighth-graders, or “seniors,” ring the “old railroad bell” at the beginning and the end of the school year. Since the new campus came with a similar bell, the 3-year-olds ­­— the new campus’s “seniors” — rang their bell at the ribbon-cutting.

One of the teachers at the event was Christina Wheat, pre-primary division coordinator, Gulf Stream Class of 1990.

“Gulf Stream School has always been part of my life,” said Wheat, who has taught pre-K, kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 3 in more than 20 years on staff. “As a student, teacher and parent, this is a special place. The people. The students, parents and faculty are truly amazing. “

Due to the increase in school enrollment, the need for the second campus, at 2515 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach, was great.

As far as school traditions carrying over to the new campus, one of Wheat’s favorite weeks at Gulf Stream School is Spirit Week, which ends with a family picnic. Spirit Week starts with students dressing down in their blue and white, followed by a Western day, neon day and pajama day.

For Smith, in his sixth year at Gulf Stream, his favorite memories include field trips to the Everglades and the Grand Canyon, the annual family picnic, and eighth-grade speeches.

From the head of school’s perspective, he’s grateful to lead a school whose board’s vision is advancing its programs.

“Over 87 years, our board has stewarded GSS to a position of great strength, one capable of acquiring a new campus as part of a long-term strategy to make the GSS experience available to a wider number of children and families,” Smith said.

One of the Delray Beach campus’s chief goals is to create significant improvements to the overall educational program and even to daily operations on the main campus. For example, where the school used to mix 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds, now there’s programs tailored to the developmental needs of children at each age level.
“Having only 4-year-olds in our arrival and dismissal lines on the main campus helps the process move quickly, as they are capable of getting out of and into vehicles much more efficiently than 3-year-olds,” Smith said. “Plus, we run a school bus to and from the DBC that transports close to 30 students from the Lake Ida area; this reduces the number of vehicles on town of Gulf Stream roads and on and off our campus.”

The new campus boasts a remodeled classroom building and upgraded grounds, all reflective of the high standards on the main campus.

In keeping with the Gulf Stream School 2024 theme, “More We, Less Me,” which focuses on camaraderie and teamwork, the middle school children will shuttle to the Delray Beach campus each month to create a memorable keepsake item with the younger students.  

“As a parent/teacher I have been able to share and witness this,” Wheat said. “Some of my children’s fondest memories in pre-K were of the 21 big kids coming to read to them or play with them on the playground. This small outreach is one of the aspects that instills in our older and younger students how we work at Gulf Stream to be a family school.”

By Steve Waters

After a cold front sweeps across South Florida in November, savvy anglers know that it’s time to fish for mutton snapper.

That’s when the tasty snappers gather on reefs in shallow water to take advantage of the reduced water clarity caused by the front’s blustery winds. The limited visibility allows the sharp-eyed muttons to aggressively feed on ballyhoo, a baitfish that is plentiful this time of year.

The northwest winds that accompany a cold front create waves that stir up sediment from the bottom, which turns the water milky. That makes the ballyhoo much easier for the muttons to catch.

The first step in catching mutton snapper is to catch ballyhoo to use as bait. The easiest way to locate the baitfish is to drive your boat along the beaches from Boca Inlet to Boynton Inlet and look for ballyhoo jumping out of the water.

When you see “showering” ballyhoo, anchor the boat near a patch reef in 20 feet of water or tie up to a mooring ball on a reef and put a block of frozen menhaden chum in a fine-mesh chum bag.

The chum attracts ballyhoo to the back of your boat. You can catch the baitfish with a spinning rod spooled with 8-pound monofilament line. Tie on a tiny No. 20 gold hook and bait it with an even tinier piece of frozen shrimp, then float it back to the ballyhoo, which pick the offering off the surface. Use a de-hooker to drop the ballyhoo into a livewell so you don’t have to touch them.

With a few dozen baits, you can then look for coral reefs in 10 to 30 feet of water anywhere off Palm Beach County and anchor nearby. Put the same ground menhaden chum that you used for the ballyhoo in a chum bag with larger mesh, and cast out two ballyhoo, one on each side of the boat.

The baits can be hooked on half- or three-quarter-ounce jigs. Chartreuse and pink-and-white are effective colors. Break off the ballyhoo’s bill with an upward snap and run the jig hook through both of the bait’s lips and through the front of its skull to keep the hook in place.

Fish the ballyhoo on 7-foot, 20-pound spinning rods spooled with 20-pound monofilament line and four feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. (The dirty water and light mono allow the use of shorter leaders compared with anglers who use 30-foot leaders for wary muttons.)

Unless you are patient, it’s best to leave the outfits in the rod-holders. Anglers who constantly reel in line, whether a little or a lot at a time, rarely get mutton bites.

Patience also is essential for letting the chum attract the snapper, as long as there is some current. The longer you can sit on a patch reef and wait to get a quality fish or two, the better.

If you can stay about two hours at one patch reef and let the chum get established and have the muttons settle in and come running from all the other nearby patch reefs, you’ll usually catch more fish. If you don’t have current, stick around for 30-40 minutes and if you’re not getting bites, move on to the next patch reef.

While you wait for the muttons to show up, you can fish with some lighter spinning rods baited with strips of ballyhoo and drift back the strips in the chum slick for yellowtail snapper. You can also drop fresh dead shrimp on the bottom to catch porgies, hogfish, grouper and yellowtails.

Outdoors writer Steve Waters can be reached at steve33324@aol.com.

Deborah Hazard-Charnin runs Green Dog Rescue, which finds foster homes for rescue animals. Photo provided

By Arden Moore

Throughout Palm Beach County, countless people share a common mission: to care for cats and dogs in their personal homes until they can be adopted. They call themselves foster pet parents.

They certainly don’t do it for the money. They receive no pay. They volunteer their time and their homes. They do it because, well, they care. They care about homeless animals who need and deserve to land in permanent homes and become viable members of a family unit.

November is the month focused on giving thanks. That’s why I decided to devote this pet column to three people from three nonprofit foster groups. Let’s start by shining a light of gratitude on Vickie Virzi. She is the founder of Blessed Paws Animal Rescue in Lake Worth Beach.

Step into her 3,000-square-foot house and you will be surprised to discover that the living room has no sofas or recliners. You won’t find a dining room table and chairs, either. Instead, floor space is filled with kennels of all sizes to accommodate the dozen-plus dogs she is fostering.

“I am here for these dogs,” says Vickie. “I will foster dogs in need until my legs give out. Our goal is to take sick, neglected, abused and abandoned dogs and get them healthy, socialized and happy.”

Vickie defines a foster parent’s fate as “we don’t get the one dog we want. We get the one dog no one wants, and we call them our heart dogs. For me that was a black pit bull named Chomper who I had for 14 years.”

Deborah Hazard-Charnin runs the Green Dog Rescue based in Boynton Beach. She and her all-volunteer team have continually honed their foster skills and outreach. Recently, her group responded to a dog hoarding case in Oconee County, South Carolina, involving nearly 100 small dogs.

“We were able to arrange for transport for about nine of these dogs,” says Deborah. “We also took in 17 dogs from a hoarding situation in Parkland, recently. These dogs had never been outside. We shaved them, arranged for medical care and I am happy to report that all are doing great in foster homes.”

Deborah wants to make sure adoptions work for the person and the dog, so her group requires potential adopters to complete a three-page application, be willing to have her group contact the person’s veterinarian and landlord, plus provide three references of people who are not relatives.

“During meet-and-greets, I stay usually for an hour or so and am looking for that connection between the dog and the family members,” she says.

Linda Wassner is a lifelong animal advocate and now heads the RU4Me Pet Rescue group based in Boynton Beach. Her nonprofit helps cats and dogs, but Linda fosters kittens and cats. Some fosters are available every weekend at the PetSmart store located at 335 N. Congress Ave.

“We appreciate this PetSmart partnership as we do not have a physical building — all our available animals are in foster homes,” says Linda.

In her home, Linda has four personal cats and is currently fostering 12 felines, including three litters of kittens under 4 months old.

“I am fortunate to have space in my home to isolate the fosters,” she says. “We must wait to vaccinate the kittens until they are at least 6 weeks old. So, as you can guess, my home is never boring. I love to watch these foster kittens grow and then go into good homes. I am happy to say goodbye because I know that means I can then rescue more.”

All three women point out that there are many ways you can support foster groups beyond having cats or dogs in your home. You can help organizations with their social media promotions, agree to take these animals on walks or to veterinary appointments, and help with accepting donations of money and pet products.

“I am thankful for all the people who care,” says Linda. “We have kids in school getting community service hours for fostering as well as seniors in their 70s and 80s who foster. For me, fostering gives me a purpose.”

Looking to volunteer?
If you wish to volunteer your time to be a foster pet parent, provide needed pet supplies or make a monetary donation, here are details about the three nonprofits highlighted in this column:
• Blessed Paws Animal Rescue: Founded in 2017 by Vickie Virzi, this nonprofit is based in Lake Worth Beach. Learn more at www.blessedpawsanimalrescue.com or email blessedpawsanimalrescue@gmail.com.
• Green Dog Rescue: This foster home-based nonprofit was founded 17 years ago and is based in Boynton Beach. Serving as president is Deborah Hazard-Charnin. Learn more at www.greendogrescuefl.org or email adopt@greendogrescuefl.org.
• RU4Me Pet Rescue: This all-volunteer nonprofit pet rescue/foster group is based in Boynton Beach. Heading this group is Linda Wassner of Boynton Beach. Learn more at www.ru4mepetrescue.org or email ru4mepetrescue@yahoo.com.

Arden Moore is an author, speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Learn more by visiting www.ardenmoore.com.

The crisp white kitchen with state-of-the-art wood-look porcelain tiles features a large island and dining area, flows into the great room.

With coastal elegance and contemporary finishes, this 3,012-square-foot townhome offers an open floor plan ideal for casual entertaining inside and out, with a screened patio overlooking the courtyard. The gated community’s amenities are abundant: an oceanfront pool, a fully equipped gym with water views, an expansive clubhouse, and a boat dockage is available across street.

The primary suite features a walk-in closet along with the bath’s dual sinks, a separate shower and a separate soaking tub.

There are two more guest suites and a bath upstairs in the residence, as well as a half bath downstairs.

The home has impact resistant/hurricane windows and doors. Features inside include an entry foyer, a ground floor living area, volume ceilings, varied flooring treatments including carpet, tile and wood, and an inside laundry room. The kitchen’s state-of-the-art appliances are organized in an easy galley design.

The kitchen is comfortably situated next to the great room living area, whose walls present a chic shiplap wall designed for TV and storage.

The home has a one-car garage and one designated parking space. All furnishings are negotiable.

An oceanfront pool overlooks the white sand beach.

Offered at $2,400,000. Contact Valerie Coz, 561-386-8011, Douglas Elliman, 900 E. Atlantic Ave., #1, Delray Beach, FL 33483. val.coz@elliman.com