By Dan Moffett

In May, Briny Breezes passed what it thought was a comprehensive golf cart ordinance that would clarify how and where residents can use their vehicles around town.
     As it turns out, when it comes to golf carts, clarity is itself a moving target.
     On Nov. 19, Briny’s corporate board approved a plan to spend $75,000 for widening a sidewalk and constructing a golf cart crossing on State Road A1A. The plan would satisfy a state law regarding golf carts crossing state roads.
     The approval raised new questions, however. Where would the crossing be located? That’s up to the Florida Department of Transportation, Town Council President Sue Thaler said, and DOT hasn’t decided.
     Also, in giving its blessing and its money to the crossing project, the corporate board wants the town to enforce several requirements on golf cart operators: They should carry insurance, have valid driver licenses and be registered, board liaison Joe Coyner told the council.
     Those requirements may not be compatible with the new ordinance, Town Attorney John Skrandel said. More research is needed.
     “We may not be able to require these things,” Skrandel said.
      Briny Mayor Mike Hill thinks it’s not a good idea to require driver licenses. A significant number of residents don’t have them because of age or physical infirmity. Yet, they have no problems operating golf carts on the town’s quiet streets. In fact, some residents need the carts to get around and stay mobile.
     “It’s not uncommon, particularly for people in their 80s and 90s who are perfectly capable of driving a golf cart, to not have driver licenses,” Hill said.
    Then there is the matter of who owns Old Ocean Boulevard and what vehicles should be allowed on it.
     In researching the ordinance, Skrandel found that the town never formally received the deed to the road decades ago, so technically it still belongs to the state. So technically, again, when residents operate golf carts that aren’t street-legal on the road, they are violating the law.
     Skrandel said he heard from the DOT in November, and state officials say they’re willing to formally give Old Ocean to the town for no charge, perhaps in relatively short order by the end of the year.
     Meanwhile, golf cart owners must weigh the nebulous pros and cons of spending thousands of dollars to convert recreational golf carts to street-legal, “low-speed vehicles.”         

The state requires LSVs that have top speeds between 20 and 25 mph to have much of the standard equipment you’d find on family autos: headlights, stoplights, turn signals, parking brakes, reflectors, windshields, windshield wipers, seat belts, horns and vehicle ID numbers.
      Converting a cart from use on the golf course to use as a street-legal LSV can run anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000, residents say. And once you convert to LSV, you can no longer legally operate your cart on sidewalks.
      Thaler said council members should know more about where golf cart policy is heading by the Dec. 17 town meeting.
     In other business:
     • Deputy Town Clerk Steven Cooper said that qualifying for the March 15 municipal election ended on Nov. 24 with no new candidates coming forward to challenge incumbent council members’ seats. Though Briny voters won’t have to select aldermen, they will have the chance to go to the polls for the presidential preference primary that day. Ú

By Jane Smith

The Holiday Boat Parade will travel down the Intracoastal Waterway on Dec. 11 through Boynton Beach and Delray Beach for the 44th year, but the Delray Beach part almost didn’t happen.
The Delray Beach city manager, who just started in January, learned in mid-November that the city’s non-participation was called out on social media as “being the Grinch.” That’s the first he heard of the Holiday Boat Parade, Don Cooper said.
Delray Beach had passed its budget in September and it didn’t include money for the boat parade, Cooper said. “But we will do what we did last year. Open the bridges and staff them with police,” he said.
At the Nov. 10 meeting of the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, board members learned the boat parade was not going into Delray Beach. It’s the second year that the CRA is running the boat parade. Previously Boynton Beach city staff had run the boat parade after a local Kiwanis group had organized it for decades.
“We had reached out to the new (Delray Beach) Parks and Recreation Director, but never heard back,” Vivian Brooks, CRA executive director, told the board. “My concern is that we are sending our boats into Delray Beach — same as last year — it’s a whole other city, and is that a wise use of CRA tax dollars?”
“We had a commitment last year to help offset the costs from Mr. (Reeve) Bright of Delray Beach but received nothing,” Brooks said.
Bright, who ran the boat parade with the Kiwanis for more than 30 years, could not be reached for comment. In 2014, he told the Boynton Beach CRA board that in those years the city of Boynton Beach never contributed money for the boat parade.
The 2015 Holiday Boat Parade will start at the base of the Lantana Bridge, then travel south through Boynton Beach and Delray Beach where it will end at the C-15 canal.

Trucks working on the renovation of Eau Palm Beach Resort’s outdoor restaurant and pool deck are parked near the south entrance to Lantana beach on Nov. 12.  A temporary construction easement expires Dec. 15. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    The Town Council accepted a $10,000 payment from the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa during its Nov. 9 meeting as compensation for a temporary construction easement at the town beach.
    The resort, formerly the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, has been using the temporary easement, originally approved in October, to cross property at the south end of the town beach while renovating its outdoor Breeze restaurant and pool deck.
    The resort originally agreed to rebuild the south stairs at the beach, which washed away in a storm, in exchange for the easement. But because of potential legal problems with building on town property and obtaining permits, the council agreed to accept the $10,000 fee instead.
    The easement is needed to move paver bricks and other materials onto the resort’s pool deck.
    Work is expected to be completed this month. The temporary easement expires Dec. 15. Under the agreement, the resort must pay the town $1,000 a day for each day it continues to use town property after Dec. 15.
    Mayor David Stewart said trucks delivering materials for the project were blocking the south entrance to the beach parking lot and dripping concrete slurry on the town’s access road when he stopped by the beach in early November.
    When Stewart began taking photos of the trucks, he said, one of the workers was rude and told him he had a permit from Manalapan to block the road.
    The mayor said pickup trucks loaded with construction materials were occupying numbered spaces at the beach parking lot but were not paying by the hour to park as required.
    During the Nov. 9 council meeting, Stewart said he had assurances from Harvey Oyer III, attorney for the resort, that there would be no more problems with construction trucks interfering with traffic at the town beach during the remainder of the project.
    “I’m going to check it,” Stewart told Damian Presiga, the resort’s construction manager. “I will not be happy if it happens again.”

Town manager gets raise
    Also on Nov. 9, the Town Council voted unanimously to extend Town Manager Deborah Manzo’s contract for another year and to give her a 5 percent raise.
    Manzo, who replaced Michael Bornstein as town manager in May 2012, will earn $125,921 annually under her new contract.
    Her 5 percent raise is at the top end of the range of merit raises offered to the town’s general employees, based on their evaluations.
    “She does not expect anything more than town employees get,” Councilman Lynn Moorhouse said.
    Stewart said Manzo has done “a great job,” even though he has disagreed with her at times.
    Manzo thanked residents and the Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce for helping move the town forward.
    “Working together, we’ve been able to accomplish a lot,” she said.

By Jane Smith

Downtown Delray Beach restaurants that want to have sidewalk cafes on public property now have amended rules to follow.
City commissioners decided Nov. 10 that Atlantic Avenue restaurants east of the Intracoastal Waterway with a 6-foot pedestrian path could have tables along the curb and along the storefront. The city’s engineering department had said restaurants have to choose one, but planning staff said the eateries could have both.
West of the waterway, along Atlantic Avenue, restaurants need a 7-foot-wide path to be able to place tables along the curb and the storefront.  
No tables will be allowed on Second Avenue where Gary Rack’s Fat Rooster and The Office previously had sidewalk tables. “There are too many people there all of the time,” Mayor Cary Glickstein said at the workshop. “There are people lining up to get into the restaurants, people stopping to chat with diners.” Plus, the Second Avenue sidewalk sits next to a travel lane where there is no barrier between the road and the tables, he said.
“Up until two weeks ago, we had six tables out there (on Southeast Second Avenue),” Nic Henderson, general manager of Fat Rooster, said in mid-November. He referred further explanation to Gary Rack, restaurant owner, who could not be reached.
The Office also had tables on Northeast Second Avenue where it did not have the required 6-foot clearance. The restaurant had applied for a waiver but was denied. A manager directed questions to its parent corporation, BurgerFi, in North Palm Beach. But no one there could be reached for comment.
Also, the commission decided staff could not enforce the ordinance on private property.
Michael Coleman, Community Improvement director who oversees the code enforcement workers, had sought direction from the commission. His staff was caught between the looser restrictions of the planning staff and the stricter interpretations of the engineering staff.
Restaurants pay a $150 annual fee and $4.75 per square foot to have a sidewalk café.         “We work with the owners to get a solution,” Coleman said. “The ordinance calls for a 6-foot clearance, but some restaurants have only 5-feet-plus because of trees or power poles on their sidewalks. We will work with them.”
He tells his staff to use discretion and common sense when working with the restaurant owners to enforce the sidewalk café ordinance.
In the nearly 12 months he’s run the department, his code enforcement team has not cited a restaurant.
“We want to create a safe place for all people to be able to enjoy the downtown and allow the restaurant owners to make money,” Coleman said.

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach planning staff is reviewing the latest changes submitted by the proposed iPic movie theater to ensure the revisions comply with city rules and a commission directive to reduce the project’s size.
The question remains whether the developer’s changes are enough to allow the project to proceed through the city’s approval process. Next stop would be the Dec. 16 Site Plan Review and Approval Board. As of press time, planners were still reviewing the submission.
The iPic project received approval at an Aug. 18 city commission meeting. Mayor Cary Glickstein asked the company to reduce the size and “let some air out of the tires,” but he did not give specifics.
The latest plan shows small changes in the project, but it’s unclear whether they addressed the mayor’s concerns.
It now has 31 fewer seats among the eight movie auditoriums for a total of 498 seats, an alley that is 4 feet wider at 24 feet, the retail square footage was reduced by 499 square feet to 7,487 and the office space grew slightly by 708 square feet to nearly 42,000.
“The areas of elevator/stair access space greatly increased because now the third-level outdoor terrace is accessible by the public,” Bonnie Miskel, an iPic land-use attorney, wrote Nov. 20. She was responding to questions from principal planner Scott Pape. “This has affected every floor in the building.”
Commissioner Mitch Katz had asked for public access to the terrace.
Another area of disagreement was the number of public parking spaces provided. Pape said 98 spaces needed to be supplied, but Miskel countered that iPic had agreed to provide 90 spaces and that it would add four from a nearby property that will be part of the project.
“There is no reason to slow down the design process over the management and maintenance of the public parking,” Miskel wrote. “We have addressed the design questions related to the spaces by showing the public parking spaces’ location and the location of the gate.”
She also agreed to place signs on southbound Federal Highway indicating that dropping off of movie patrons is prohibited, encourage valet use so that movie patrons don’t park in the public spaces and to do a traffic study in one year from its final approval to determine the number of conflicts created by vehicles stopping on southbound Federal to drop off movie-goers.
In addition, the inability of the iPic owners to purchase the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency-owned Old Library Site for $3.6 million in the current budget year has affected the CRA’s finances.
At the Nov. 19 CRA meeting, six board members agreed to extend the interest-only payments on the CRA’s 2012 bonds for two years and move the maturity date to Oct. 1, 2020. CRA member Cathy Balestriere was absent.
The money must be used for public projects to allow the bond holders to avoid paying federal income tax on the interest earned.
The CRA board also approved securing a $2 million revolving line of credit for three years with interest-only payments at a 2.78 percent interest rate from City National Bank. The CRA already has a $1.3 million line of credit from that bank.

Seasonal high tides inundated the walkway along the docks at Veterans Park in Delray Beach on Nov. 25. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach closed its public boat docks at Veterans Park in late November while it assesses the stability of the structures at 802 NE First St.
The city sent out a consulting engineer to review the stability of the docks and seawall at the park, the docks at the city’s marina and also a portion of Marine Way between Southeast First Street and the Deck 84 restaurant, said Randal Krejcarek, director of Environmental Services.
That report won’t be finished until early next year when it will be reviewed by the city commission for possible fixes, Krejcarek said.
“The elevation of the Intracoastal Waterway is actually higher than the road (portion of Marine Way),” he said. “We want to be sure the road can handle the weight of a garbage truck without cracking the water main” that lies 30 inches below the road surface. Traffic is limited to residents only in that area.
That portion of Marine Way shows erosion and cracking, made worse by the king tides in late October, Krejcarek said.
The other areas of Veterans Park remain open, the city  said.

By Jane Smith

    The county’s inspector general won’t be getting involved in the Delray Beach City Commission’s decision to allow an iPic movie theater to open in its downtown.
    On Aug. 18, the City Commission held a quasi-judicial hearing on the iPic project that will include eight movie theaters, office space in two levels, retail space along Southeast Fourth Avenue and a three-level parking garage.
The hearing spilled over into the next morning when commissioners voted 4-1 for the theater concept, 3-2 for the alley abandonment and 3-2 for the height increase.
    Vice Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who voted no to all three, filed a complaint Aug. 21 with the Inspector General’s Office.
She objected to the city giving the alley to iPic’s owners, which she said violated the city’s land use regulations that say rights of way should not be abandoned if needed for a public purpose.
    The Inspector General’s Office responded in late September to Petrolia.
The office does not have the authority that allows “reweighing evidence presented to duly-elected officials in their official capacities at quasi-judicial hearings or substituting our judgment with regard to discretionary decisions.”        “I understand their decision and I respect it,” Petrolia said. “I don’t think they wanted to insert themselves in a decision-making process by a city commission.
    “But I am disappointed we violated our rules and didn’t follow our own codes.

Jeanne Chwalick has been mentoring young twirlers in Palm Beach County for more than 50 years. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Elliette Vancek, of Delray Beach keeps her eye on the baton during practice in the gym at St. Vincent Ferrer School.

By Emily J. Minor

    Each Thursday, right after the afternoon bell, Jeanne Chwalik’s youngest proteges scramble into the gymnasium at St. Vincent Ferrer School in Delray Beach. They’re little, and sometimes not all that keen about paying attention this time of day.
    After all, mastering the “around-the-world” baton trick can be almost as tiring as practicing your lower-case letters, especially when you’re 5.
    Their mentors — older students Chwalik has worked with for years — are already in the gym, warming up, music going, getting ready to keep everyone in line.
Then in floats Miss Jeanne, adorable and smiling, the woman who for 50 years has kept everyone coming and going — to Nationals and Twirl Mania and even the Macy’s Holiday Parade in Orlando.
    “It’s my creativity,” says Chwalik, 73, who began teaching twirling when she was 16. “I don’t paint. I don’t sing. I twirl.”
    Baton twirling dates back centuries, although our predecessors used guns and knives and flames to show off their twirling skills. “Twirling requires a lot of agility,” Chwalik says.
    But ever since Chwalik fell in love with twirling back in Niles, Ohio, she’s worked to pass on her passion to generations of youngsters, mostly female. When she first came to Florida in 1965, her twirling troupe was called the Delray Beach Debs, as in debutantes. Today, they perform as the South Florida Dynamics, a name they’ve held since 1998.
    Chwalik and her performers are nationally recognized and have been to Australia, the Netherlands, Vancouver and, yes, even Jacksonville, to compete. They march in the Delray Beach Christmas parade. They make the trek to Orlando to march in the holiday parade at Universal.
    And all that twirling, a lot of it in sync with the girl to your left and the girl to your right, takes practice — the younger kids on Thursday, the older ones the day before.
    “I always say I don’t care whether we win or lose,” says Chwalik, smiling. “But I really do.”
    With her firm schoolteacher voice, pretty face and understanding smile, Chwalik teaches the girls not just about their step-ball-changes, two-turn twirls and blind catches. She teaches them about team building and persistence, dedication and passion. She also knows how to laugh.

Lexi Craig was part of the Dynamics halftime performance during the FAU vs. University of Miami game in Boca Raton in September.

    “Miss Jeanne is amazing,” says Erin Craig, a pharmacist at the family-owned Gulfstream Pharmacy in Briny Breezes, whose daughter, Lexi, now takes classes from Chwalik.
    Parent Jennifer Vancek says her two young daughters, Reese, 8, and Elliette, 6, have fallen in love with twirling — just like their grandmother did when she herself was little. Vancek never took up baton twirling, but her mother did. “It definitely is a big part of their bonding, that’s for sure,” Vancek says about her mother and her two girls.
    Lindsey Finkel, 23, Chwalik’s chief assistant and considered her top protege to direct the Dynamics when Chwalik retires, says she’s constantly running into people, just about everywhere, who once twirled under Chwalik. Finkel has been twirling since she was 3.
    “I started at the civic center and they just kind of realized I had potential, so they moved me up,” Finkel says. “My friends, when they see me twirl, they have a new kind of respect. Everyone just always thinks of the majorette when you say twirling.”
    Indeed, it was the quintessential 1950s majorette that got Chwalik interested in baton twirling, and thus changed the lives of so many schoolgirls.
Chwalik can remember being at home when she heard the local high school band marching down her street on the way to practice.
    She looked out the window of their house on Wade Avenue in Niles, saw young women twirling batons, and fell in love.
    “I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, I want to do that,’ ” she recalls.
    So she has, for nearly 60 years now, bringing grace and confidence to her students in Palm Beach County.
    Of course, with all those kids swinging all those batons, practice is rarely drama-free.
    “We have ice on somebody just about every week,” Chwalik notes.
    Because when you’re one of Miss Jeanne’s Dynamics, the show must go on.

Christy Abel, a student of Chwalik’s for 31 years, instructs a group of twirlers.

Terry Fedele has been a vital part of the local health-care philanthropy scene since coming to Boca Raton with her husband, Jerry, seven years ago.  Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Her lengthy résumé might boggle the minds of some of the most avid volunteers in South County, and her monthly schedule might do the same.
She earned accolades for an even lengthier list of inspired accomplishments at this year’s Soroptimist International of Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach Women of Distinction breakfast, which honors female leaders making a difference in the lives of others.
“I feel very, very fortunate,” wife, mother, board member and community volunteer Terry Fedele said of the award. “There are many women in this community who give tirelessly of their time, talent and treasure, so I feel extremely blessed to have won.”
The 63-year-old coastal Boca Raton resident has lived in the area for seven years and is building a new home with husband Jerry, president and CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
“We feel like we landed in paradise,” Fedele said.
Before moving to Boca Raton, she worked in the Pittsburgh area as a registered nurse at the Allegheny General Hospital Suburban Campus (then called Suburban General) and eventually landed a series of professional roles prior to retiring as executive vice president of hospital operations. Her success in — and passion for — the health-care industry led her to join a long list of boards and committees that share her vision.
Fedele serves on Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation’s Hospital Ball, Go Pink Luncheon and golf tournament committees and is coordinator and director of sales for the Allianz Championship’s Women’s Pro-Am, which benefits the hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute. She is a member of the hospital’s Collaborative Care Council and helps its Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League auxiliary group.
She also serves as a board member of the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, gives her time to the college’s Caring Hearts Auxiliary and co-chairs its Keep Memories Alive walk. She and Jerry will co-chair the American Heart Association’s Boca Raton Heart Ball in 2016.
Education is another one of Fedele’s passions, so she decided to get involved with the Boca Raton Children’s Museum (vice chairwoman of the board), Florence Fuller Child Development Centers (chairwoman of the Men With Caring Hearts Awards Luncheon and co-chairwoman of the Wee Dream Ball) and the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Boca’s Ballroom Battle (committee member) and Caribbean Cowboy Ball (co-chairwoman).
“My calendar is full, but that’s the way I like it,” she said. “The busier I am, the happier I am.”
— Amy Woods

10 QUESTIONS

Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. I grew up in Pittsburgh, the daughter of blue-collar parents who instilled a strong work ethic in me and the value of education.

Q. In what professions have you worked, and which ones make you the proudest?
A. I have always been very proud of working in the nursing profession as I enjoy helping others and making a positive difference in their lives.

Q. What advice do you have for young adults selecting a career today?
A. Select a career that you are passionate about, and do not focus on how much money that choice affords you. Money is a short-term satisfier, and work is a significant part of your daily life.

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Boca Raton?
A. My husband, Jerry, took a job in Boca as the president and CEO of Boca Raton Community Hospital, which is now Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Boca Raton?
A. The people and how much they support their community and the organizations within the community. Every day in Boca is a perfect day, as this is truly paradise. For me, spending time helping others, being with friends and family, being  at the beach and golf time makes life wonderful.

Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration or want to relax?
A. I like classic ’60s and ’70s music.

Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?
A. Treat others as you would want to be treated.

Q. Have you had mentors in your life — individuals who have inspired your decisions?
A. My dad is my hero. Through his example, he taught me to always be positive and not to wallow in sorrow or problems but to move on to the solution.

Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
A. I would really want Katharine Hepburn, as she was strong, independent and the kind of person willing to give of herself to help and better others.

Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
A. My husband and my children, as they are the joys of my life.

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, one of the most famous love stories of all time.

Love stories can melt your heart, make you smile or leave you grasping for a handkerchief. Hollywood loves them, of course, but true love doesn’t only exist in the movies. The Coastal Star is looking for real love stories from readers to share in its February Valentine’s edition. If you have one, we would love to hear from you. Email suggestions and details to maryt@thecoastalstar.com. Please include your phone number and the best times to reach you.

The Delray Beach City Commission recognized the students with a proclamation on Nov. 3. Afterward, students and their host families took photos. Students Chisato Nagai (left), Nanako Umezaki (center), Kana Nakagawa and Nozomi Mukainaka (far right) are joined by chaperone Emi Shibahara (back left) and host Ron Illsley. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Nanako Umezaki, 15, a student at Miyazu High School in Japan, teaches origami to fifth-graders at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach.

Ten high-schoolers and two chaperones from Miyazu, Japan, visited Delray Beach for a week as part of the Sister Cities of Delray Beach Student Exchange Program. Above, students from Japan and Delray Beach pose for selfies at the farewell dinner held at the Delray Beach Golf Club.

Hosts Ken and Susan Gross of Briny Breezes welcomed chaperone Emi Shibahara into their home and invited their granddaughter, Keaira Griffin, to be a part of the exchange experience. Here they play shuffleboard in Briny: (l-r) Susan Gross, Keaira Griffin, Emi Shibahara and Ken Gross.

Japanese student Rino Adachi wipes away tears during emotional speeches at the farewell dinner

They came from more than 7,500 miles away, hoping to learn about a culture and a city worlds apart from their own.
Yet when the 10 high school students from Miyazu, Japan — Delray Beach’s longtime Sister City — left a week later, what they had learned was more about what they shared in common with their young American counterparts and their host families.
As they headed for a short visit to New York after their time here, which included trips to three schools, the Morikami Museum and Gardens and other popular landmarks, the young visitors took with them friendships to last decades, if not lifetimes.
“It’s amazing how quickly the bonds form and how long they last,” said David Schmidt, president of Sister Cities of Delray Beach, which has been coordinating visits for students from here and Miyazu since 1999.
Miyazu English teacher Emi Shibahara — one of two chaperones on the visit — stayed with Ken and Susan Gross in Briny Breezes and she even brought a few of the students over for a visit.
“It was a great experience for us,” said Ken Gross, who had arranged for his 9-year-old granddaughter to visit at the same time the Miyazu students were here.
While the chaperone stayed in a community of mobile homes, two of  the Japanese students saw a different side of South Florida when staying in a four-bedroom, two-story house with a family of six.
“They got to see what it’s like to be with a big family,” said Daphney Antoine-Boylan of Delray Beach, whose daughter, Lauren, will be traveling to Miyazu next year as part of the exchange program.
In the end, these people from different cultures, who had shared a week together, also shared tears as it was time for the visitors to depart. They also shared promises to keep in touch for years to come.
                      — Rich Pollack

The  former Splashdown Divers building is reduced to rubble next to the Sea Mist III drift boat at Boynton Harbor Marina. Photo courtesy of Kim Weiss

By Jane Smith
The old dive shop building at the Boynton Harbor Marina was demolished as the last piece of an $18 million plan to redo the marina area.
Demolition started Nov. 2, and most of the work was done in four days.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency board, which controls the marina, received an update on Nov. 10.
“It’s the last piece in tying that area together from a pedestrian and driver point of view,” said Vivian Brooks, CRA executive director.
The project work won’t start until the summer. “We don’t want to interrupt our businesses during the season,” she said.
The building will be replaced with a shaded park for the public with a walking path and seating, roadway realignment, extra parking spaces and other features, estimated to cost $700,000.
The CRA sought county approval in May to demolish the vacant two-story structure. It needed county approval because of a $2 million county grant received in 2006. The agreement limited what could happen to that 1969 building.
The BG Group LLC of Boca Raton won the demolition bid in September with its estimated cost of $24,950.
Now CRA staff will prepare bids for construction of the open space, allowing it to start late spring of 2016.

The Plate: Steak ’n’ Fries
The Place: J. Alexander’s, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton; 347-9875 or jalexandersholdings.com.
The Price: $25
The Skinny: Members of our circle are not big consumers of steak. But we make an exception for this riff on the classic French steak frites, beautifully prepared each visit.
    The 10-ounce strip steak is grilled over a wood fire. As for that beef, it was tender and redolent with maitre d’ butter — that mix of butter, garlic, lemon, herbs and other goodies that bring out the flavor of the beef.
    Thin-cut fries were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, just the way we like them.
    Good, if not good for you.
— Scott Simmons

Note: Events are current as of 11/27. Please check with organizers for any changes.

December 6-12

Sunday - 12/6 - The Evolution of the Torah Over 3000 Years at Temple Sinai, 2475 W Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach. Dr. Leon Weissberg, Judaic studies scholar. 1 pm. $5. 276-6161; templesinaipbc.net
12/6 - Share Our Light 1st Night Chanukah Concert at Temple Sinai, 2475 W Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach. Noted Judaic studies scholar Dr. Leon Weissberg. 5:30 pm. $5/adults; free/children under 16. 276-6161; templesinaipbc.net
12/6 - Life Teen at St Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. Comprehensive youth ministry program; dinner included. Every Sun 6:45-8:30 pm. Free. 276-6892 x330; stvincentferrer.com
12/6 - Christmas Collage: Christmases of Past and Present at First United Methodist Church, 625 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton. 7 pm. Free. 395-1244; fumcbocaraton.org
Tuesday - 12/8 - 7th Annual YMCA of the Palm Beaches Prayer Breakfast at The Breakers, 1 S County Rd, Palm Beach. Keynote speaker Dr. Ben Carson. 7:45-9:15 am. $80/person; $500/premium. 968-9622; ymcapalmbeaches.org
12/8 - Lectio Divina (Divine Prayer) at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Traditional Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation, prayer. Every T 9-10 am. Free. 276-4541; stpaulsdelray.org
12/8 - Catholic Grandparents Meeting at Ascension Church, 7250 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton. All welcome. Second T 10-11:30 am. Free. 289-2640; diocesepb.org
12/8 - Rector’s Bible Study at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Every T 10:30 am & Th 7-8:30 pm. Free. 276-4541; stpaulsdelray.org
12/8 - Bible Study at St. Mark Catholic Church, 643 St. Mark Pl, Boynton Beach. Every T 7-8 pm through 5/31/16. $10/free will offering for study guide. 736-7812; stmarkboynton.com
12/8 - Bible Study at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church Kellaghan Hall, 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. Every T 7-9 pm. 276-6892; stvincentferrer.com
Wednesday - 12/9 - St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Bible Study at Panera, 1701 S Federal Hwy, Delray Beach. Read, discuss upcoming Lesson and Gospel readings. Every W 8-9 am. Free. 276-4541; stpaulsdelray.org
12/9 - Wonderful Wednesdays at First Presbyterian Church, 33 Gleason St, Delray Beach. Theme: “God’s Creation.” All ages. Every W 5:45 pm dinner; 6:30 pm program. $7/adult; $5/child; $20/max per family. Reservations: 276-6338; firstdelray.com
12/9 - Rector’s Bible Study at St Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton. Every W 6 pm supper (soup and salad, donation requested); 7 pm Bible study (free). 395-8285; stgregorysepiscopal.org
Thursday - 12/10 - Prayer Circle at Trinity Lutheran Church Courtyard, 400 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Every Th 8:05 am. 278-1737; trinitydelray.org
Friday - 12/11 - Women’s Bible Study Group at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church Youth House, 266 NE 2nd St, Boca Raton. Every F 9:15 am. 395-8285; stgregorysepiscopal.org
Saturday - 12/12 - Month’s Mind Requiem Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery Outdoor Chapel, 10941 Southern Blvd, Royal Palm Beach. Feast of prayerful remembrance for departed souls. Second Sat 10 am. Free.  793-0711; diocesepb.org
12/12 - Live Nativity at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1480 Knuth Rd, Boynton Beach. The Bible story from Luke, interfaith choirs, more. 4:30-9 pm. 737-1588.
12/12 - A St. Gregory’s Christmas Concert at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton. 7-9 pm. $35/person; $10/student w/valid ID. 395-8285; stgregorysepiscopal.org

December 13-19

Sunday - 12/13 - Handbell Concert at First United Methodist Church of Boynton Beach, 101 N Seacrest Blvd. 4 pm. Free but love offering accepted. 954-947-1951
Friday - 12/18 - Parents of St. Gregory’s at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton. Potluck dinner, topic discussion (targeted to young parents with children ages 2-13), group feedback, childcare available.  Third F 6-8 pm. Free. 395-8285; stgregorysepiscopal.org
Saturday - 12/19 - Special Advent Day of Reflection at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center, 1300 US Hwy One, North Palm Beach. Sr. Roberta Popara and Deacon Dennis Demes. 10 am. $30. 626-1300; ourladyofflorida.org

December 20-26

Sunday - 12/20 - Christmas Cantata at First United Methodist Church of Boynton Beach, 101 N Seacrest Blvd. 8:30 & 11 am. Free. 954-947-1951
Thursday - 12/24 - Christmas Eve with The Journey Church at Mizner Park Amphitheatre, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. 3, 4:30, or 6 pm. Free. bocajourney.com/Christmas
12/24 - Christmas Eve at Journey Church South Florida, 715 S Federal Hwy, Boynton Beach. Snow experience after final service. 3, 5, & 7 pm. Free. 616-8389; gojourneychurch.com
12/24 - Christmas Eve Mass at St Mark Catholic Church, 643 St. Mark Pl, Boynton Beach. 4 pm early Mass; 5:45 pm Children’s Mass; 7:30 pm Spanish Mass; 9:15 pm Carols of the Season; 10 pm Solemn Mass of Christmas Eve. Free. 734-9330; stmarkboynton.com
12/24 - Christmas Eve Mass at St.Vincent Ferrer, 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. 4 & 9 pm evening Mass. 5:30 pm Children’s Mass. Free. 276-6892; stvincentferrer.com
12/24 - Christmas Eve Services at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton. 4 pm family service featuring children’s pageant; 7 pm lessons and carols; 10:30 pm Midnight Mass musical prelude; 11 pm Mass. Free. 395-8285; stgregorysepiscopal.org
12/24 - Family Christmas Pageant/Musical at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. 5 pm. Free. 278-6003; stpaulsdelray.org
12/24 - Christmas Eve Services at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. 5 pm family service: Christmas pageant and musical by parish members; children act out the traditional Christmas story; 7:30 & 11 pm Candlelight service, music by St. Paul’s choir, instrumental ensemble, traditional carols. Free. 276-4541; stpaulsdelray.org
12/24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at Unity of Delray Beach, 101 NW 22nd St. 6, 8, & 11 pm; 11 pm adults only. Free. 276-5796; unityofdelraybeach.org
12/24 - Christmas Eve Service at Lakeview Baptist Church of Delray Beach, 2599 N Swinton Ave. 6 pm. Free. 276-3937
12/24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at First Presbyterian Church, 33 Gleason St, Delray Beach. 7, 8, & 9:30 pm. Free. 276-6338; firstdelray.com
12/24 - Christmas Eve Service at First United Methodist Church, 625 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton. 5 pm family service; 7 pm traditional (west chapel) and contemporary (east chapel ) services; 9 pm traditional service (east chapel). Free. 395-1244; fumcbocaraton.org
12/24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at First United Methodist Church of Boynton Beach, 101 N Seacrest Blvd. 7 & 11 pm. Free. 954-947-1951
12/24 - The Avenue Church Christmas Eve Service at The Pavilion at Old School Square, 51 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Some chairs provided; bring chairs, blankets. 6 pm music; 7-8:30 pm service. Free. 997-5486.
Friday - 12/25 - Christmas Mass at St.Vincent Ferrer, 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. 7, 8:30, 10, & 11:30 am. Free. 276-6892; stvincentferrer.com
12/25 - Christmas Holy Eucharist at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton.  10 am. Free. 395-8285; stgregorysepiscopal.org
12/25 - Christmas Holy Eucharist Service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Sermon, traditional carols. 10:45 am hymn sing; 11 am service. Free. 278-6003; stpaulsdelray.org

Dec. 27 - Jan. 2

Thursday - 12/31 - New Year’s Eve Reflection & Celebration at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center, 1300 US Hwy One, North Palm Beach. Presentation by Br. Ed Hall, CP. Presentation, reconciliation, Mass, midnight party. 6 pm registration; 7 pm dinner. $80/overnight; $60/evening only.  626-1300; ourladyofflorida.org

Ann Rutherford (center) poses for a family photo on Veterans Day. Son David holds 5-year-old Blair, and daughter-in-law Kirsten holds Heather, 2. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

    The Boca Raton Bowl enters its second year at Florida Atlantic University Stadium on Dec. 22 and so does the Spirit of Giving Network as the college-football event’s official charity partner.
    ESPN tapped the nonprofit that supports needy children and families in Palm Beach County based on the organization’s strong mission statement and feel-good vibe.
    “I was impressed with them from day one,” said Doug Mosley, the bowl game’s executive director. “We like what they do.”
    This year, ESPN, which owns and operates the Boca Raton Bowl, will find more to like about the Spirit of Giving Network when the media outlet makes its repeat gift of 5,000 tickets. The board of directors has extended an invitation to the matchup between the American Athletic Conference and Mid-American Conference to local veterans — in addition to underprivileged youths and adults.
    President Ann Rutherford pushed the idea.
    “It’s dear to me,” Rutherford said. “My son was a Navy SEAL and served in Afghanistan after 9/11. When that happens to you, your life is changed forever.”
    David, 43, made it home safely and now gives motivational speeches around the country.
    Other veterans aren’t so lucky.
    “We would like to add some services for them, and I’ve been reaching out to different people I’ve met,” Rutherford said. “Eventually, that will be part of our goal, to bring them and their families under our fold.”
    For the inaugural bowl game, the Spirit of Giving Network distributed 5,000 tickets and aims to increase that number to 7,500 with the addition of the veterans. The tickets include access to a tented area with free food, drinks and tailgating activities.
    “We felt this was a nice way to start with the veterans — to get to know them by bringing them to this game,” Rutherford said. Sponsorships are needed for transportation to and from the stadium, as well as underwriting the cost of the food, drinks and entertainment.
    “This is a huge task,” Rutherford said. “We’re just taking baby steps at this point.”
    Veterans or veterans groups interested in attending the Boca Raton Bowl can call Wendy Friswell, executive director of the Spirit of Giving Network, at 385-0144.

If You Go
What: Boca Raton Bowl
When: 7 p.m. Dec. 22
Where: Florida Atlantic University Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
Cost: $28 to $146
Information: Call 800-515-2171 or visit espnevents.com/boca-raton-bowl

FAU’s Talon Leadership Awards recognize outstanding leaders from the community in addition to alumni, faculty and students. LEFT: Receiving honors during a ceremony coinciding with this year’s homecoming are (l-r) Alyssa Harris, a student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Stacie Lee Rossow, Class of ‘97; Eleanor Baldwin, a retired teacher and school benefactor; and Steve Swanson, Class of ‘86.
Photo provided

Former Palm Beach County Commissioner Mary McCarty spoke publicly for the first time since the Delray Beach resident’s incarceration. McCarty spoke before the Gold Coast Tiger Bay Club and shared her feelings about serving time and what she is doing now to help others. ABOVE: Barry Epstein and McCarty. Photo provided by Carol Porter

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties’ inaugural ceremony, named after beloved philanthropist Marie Graber Martens, honored the Spirit of Giving Network for its involvement and outreach and featured a keynote address by Barbara Schmidt, a founder of the organization. More than 200 attended. ABOVE: Dick Schmidt and Howard Schnellenberger. Photo provided

More than 600 guests filled the gilded ballroom at The Mar-a-Lago Club to recognize five female philanthropists for their efforts in supporting and volunteering for local charities. All money raised benefits the Bethesda Hospital Foundation. ABOVE: Chairwoman Nilsa McKinney (fourth from left), with honorees (l-r) Karen Sweetapple, Julia Kadel, Kathy Feinerman, Nilsa McKinney, Carole Putnam and Shelley Albright. Photo provided