Wider sidewalks, more benches and open ocean vistas are among the proposed changes for the public beach in Delray Beach. Renderings by Currie Sowards and Aguila Architects 

By Jane Smith

After waiting nearly seven years, the Beach Property Owners Association will soon see what $3 million of improvements look like for the public beach.

Plans call for color-coded sidewalks closer to Ocean Boulevard, a meandering path of pavers on the dune side, new stick showers with stools nearby, a stockade-style fence separating the dunes from the paver paths, strategically placed benches, perhaps an archway at Atlantic Avenue, stylish bike racks, multimodal parking meters that serve 10 spaces and other improvements.

Architect Bob Currie, who depicted the improvements in renderings, will get a cost for each item so that Delray Beach can do a request for proposals for a design-to-build project later this year.

“Tonight is the first day of the future of the Beach Master Plan,” said Bob Victorin, association president, to a Delray Beach Marriott ballroom filled with 100 attendees. The Marriott donated the room, the refreshments and the valet parking for the Sept. 17 meeting. 

“They are a good neighbor,” Victorin said. 

Delray Beach City Manager Don Cooper, new to the city, recognized early that the beach was a crown jewel, Victorin said. 

Cooper worked with the city’s Chief Financial Officer Jack Warner to secure $3 million for the first phase of the master plan. They would like to see construction start in April or May.

Victorin also thanked former association president Andy Katz and architect Currie.

Katz presented a short history of his work that looked at the beach and what the city had in 2008. “Benches were helter-skelter, parts were overgrown,” he said. 

In November 2009, noted Cambridge, Mass., architect Perry Neubauer led a charrette of Delray Beach residents who discussed the 1.25-mile public beachfront. Their ideas included opening up the ocean vistas, creating wider sidewalks, removing parking meters and replacing the deteriorating pavilion and gazebos.

“The public did not want large structures,” Katz said. “They didn’t see a need for a concession business.”

The ideas were assembled into a plan that was presented to the City Commission in 2010.

Commissioners supported the plan, but they did not have the money to do it. The association next went to the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, but that board didn’t want to move its boundary east and cure “blight” at the beach.

Meanwhile, beach nourishment, dune management and sea turtle protection projects continued.

Then last year, the association collected private donations to redo the pavilion. 

An arched feature with a retractable screen has been proposed at the end of Atlantic Avenue.  

At the Sept. 17 meeting, Currie showed his gateway feature that would sit at the eastern end of Atlantic Avenue. During the day year-round, the screen would remain rolled up so that people approaching Ocean Boulevard from the west could see the ocean. At night, during sea turtle season, the screen would be rolled down to block the headlights and keep the light from disorienting the sea turtles.

But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission prefers a permanent solution to lighting fixtures, dune management consultant Rob Barron told the Marriott group. “They don’t want something mechanical that could fail,” he said. 

“If you remove exotics and prune existing vegetation, you can do dune management and get a vista of the ocean as a result,” said Barron, who was the city’s chief lifeguard from 1980 to ’87. Delray Beach recently hired him to update its 1999 coastal management guidelines. 

By Dan Moffett

In a measured and strategic attack against the enemies of peace and quiet, Manalapan town commissioners are putting new restrictions on noisy residents.
The commission has given preliminary approval to an ordinance that sets a 65-decibel limit on noise between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and a 55-decibel limit at all other times. The decibel readings would apply from a distance of 50 feet, and violators could face fines.
The attempt to quantify how much noise is too much noise comes after consultation with a sound engineer, weeks of legal study by Town Attorney Keith Davis and vocal complaints from several residents about their noisy neighbors.
At the Sept. 22 town meeting, Police Chief Carmen Mattox played recorded examples of measured sound levels made by common power tools, so commissioners could hear what they were getting into. Davis had warned that noise ordinances are among the hardest for municipalities to write and maybe even harder to enforce.
Town Manager Linda Stumpf said the new limits are intended to give neighbors on adjacent properties an idea of how much sound is too much, especially in the evenings and on weekends.
“We thought that 50 feet was a fair reflection because that would be what you could hear coming over your neighbor’s property line,” Stumpf said.
The rewritten ordinance carves out exceptions for emergency work and construction with permits. It also allows some leniency for short duration noise, such as that made by lawnmowers and other landscaping equipment.
The commission will consider final approval for the new rules at the Oct. 27 town meeting.

In other business:
• The start date for the Audubon Causeway bridge project has been pushed back again because of the contractor’s busy schedule, this time until Oct. 19, according to Mayor Pro Tem Peter Isaac.

Drawdy Construction of Lake Worth is expected to begin staging the work area the week before, Isaac said, and the “280-day clock starts ticking” for the project’s completion. Workers will replace the south side of the bridge first and one lane will remain open for traffic.
• Commissioners decided against adopting an ordinance to restrict planting certain species of trees and landscaping on swales.
“What we have with this ordinance is a solution desperately seeking a problem,” said Mayor David Cheifetz.
The commission wants to ensure that landscaping on the swales doesn’t interfere with drainage. Cheifetz believes the best way to do that is administratively through the permit process. 

Landscaping work costing $300 or more requires a permit, and town officials can work with homeowners to help them choose acceptable trees and plants. 

By Jane Smith

The Atlantic Crossing developers now say the delays caused by Delray Beach have cost them more than $25 million in rising construction costs, according to the amended lawsuit filed on Sept. 25.

The developers, Ohio-based Edwards CDS and local partner CDS Delray Redevelopment, first filed a lawsuit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court in June, alleging the city wrongly delayed it from moving forward with its $200 million, mixed-use project on 9.2 acres along Atlantic Avenue.

“Atlantic Crossing earned final City Commission approval more than 19 months ago. Since then, we’ve faced repeated, unreasonable delays in trying to complete the final administrative steps with the city,” said Jeff Edwards, president of Edwards CDS, in a statement. 

Commissioners had asked the developer several months ago to add a fully functioning east-west road to help alleviate traffic. The developers instead proposed a one-way road into the project’s garage. 

The lawsuit also asks the court to decide that two abandoned alleys belong to CDS Delray, even though the city followed the five-day rule and asked for them back in August. The lawsuit also asks that the city certify a site plan for Atlantic Crossing and pay attorneys’ fees and costs.  

The Delray Beach city attorney could not be reached for comment.

 By Dan Moffett

South Palm Beach has narrowed its list of town manager candidates to six and hopes to interview them all on Oct. 8 at Town Hall.

“You did very well. These are very high-quality candidates,” said Kurt Bressner, the former Boynton Beach city manager who has assisted the town with recruiting. “My job is to make your choice tough, and I think it’s going to be.”

Mayor Bonnie Fischer said the town wants to have a new manager hired before the end of the year.

Town council members had whittled the field of 23 applicants down to seven finalists but lost one when Jamie Titcomb accepted the town manager’s job in Ocean Ridge last month. Titcomb is the former director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities and also former town manager of North Palm Beach. Here are the finalists:

• Sarah Hannah-Spurlock, 44, has 16 years’ experience in municipal government management and has worked as the assistant city manager for Key West since May 2014. In 2013, Hannah-Spurlock developed special projects for Wellington. She was an assistant city manager in Sunrise from 2009 to 2012 and assistant town manager in Palm Beach from 2003 to 2009, where she directed the town’s emergency management office.

• David Harden, 72, was the Delray Beach city manager for 22 years until retiring in 2012, and since has been working as the interim city manager in Port Orange. A Navy veteran with 48 years in public service, Harden was city manager of Winter Park from 1977 to 1989, and currently does municipal consulting work. 

• Dale Sugerman, 63, was town manager of Highland Beach from 2005 to 2011, and before that an assistant city manager in Boynton Beach. In 2012, Sugerman became the town manager of Lake Park and left the position earlier this year.

• Bob Vitas, 58, was the city manager of Key West from 2012 to 2014. He served as the administrator of the Village of Lake Zurich in Illinois from 2007 to 2011.

• Louie Chapman Jr., 63, was the city manager of Delray Beach from 2012 to 2014, and before that the town manager of Bloomfield, Conn., for most of two decades. Chapman’s tenure in Delray was short and stormy, with city commissioners twice trying unsuccessfully to fire him before brokering a buyout settlement that cost the city about $100,000. 

• Mark Kutney, 61, was the town manager of Loxahatchee Groves from 2011 to 2014 and the deputy city manager of Belle Glade for four years beginning in 2007. He was a finalist for the South Palm Beach town manager’s job last year.

All five council members chose Hannah-Spurlock and Harden on their list of finalists; Sugerman, Vitas and Chapman were chosen by four council members and Kutney by three.

In other business, Mike Crisafulle, the town’s building official, told council members that Palm Beach Holdings is moving forward with plans to demolish Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn. But the building isn’t likely to come down until next year.

Crisafulle said the company has yet to file for a demolition permit from the town. 

He told the council  it would “probably be February” at the earliest for the demolition work to begin. 

A South Palm Beach police officer faces battery, dating violence and false imprisonment charges stemming from allegations his girlfriend made against him last month.
Mark McKirchy, a senior patrol officer and 22-year veteran of the town’s department, was arrested by Boynton Beach police on Sept. 24. South Palm Beach Police Chief Carl Webb said McKirchy, 56, has been put indefinitely on administrative leave without pay.
“This is something you just can’t tolerate,” Webb said.
Boynton Beach police investigators say McKirchy locked his girlfriend in his apartment for about three hours on Sept. 2 and refused to let her leave. She told police McKirchy threw her to the ground when she attempted to go and took her purse, phone and car keys.
The Lake Worth woman was able to escape after several hours through an open garage door, police said, and she suffered scratches and bruises.
McKirchy, the third-ranking officer in South Palm Beach, has served as the department’s union representative and played a leading role in contract negotiations with the town.

— Dan Moffett

Plein air artist Ralph Papa sets up his easel to continue working on a painting on a recent Friday in Delray Beach. Plein Air Palm Beach is partnering with the Delray Beach Historical Society to capture the city’s notable homes and buildings, with an exhibition of the works planned for November. Photos by Madeline Gray/The Coastal Star

By Lucy Lazarony

The Plein Air Palm Beach artists are a busy group.

They’re painting historic cottages and homes around downtown Delray Beach for a fundraising event for the Delray Beach Historical Society.

They’re painting the coast, the Intracoastal and the municipal complex in Highland Beach for an exhibition opening at the Highland Beach Library in early November. 

They’re having paint-outs in the Old Floresta neighborhood behind the Art School of the Boca Raton Museum of Art through the end of the year.

And their plein air paintings of the lush landscapes of South Florida will be featured in “Wild,” opening at the Cornell Museum of Art in Delray Beach on Jan. 14.

Plein air comes from the French expression en plein air, meaning “in the open air,” and these painters create their art outdoors in just a few hours, capturing the essence of a historic building or lush natural setting in the South Florida light.

Artists led by Ralph Papa and watercolor artist Donna Walsh have been meeting to paint outdoors in Palm Beach County since 2010. The two groups merged to form Plein Air Palm Beach in 2013.

“There’s a great synergy between history and plein air painting,” says Papa. “What better thing can you have over your fireplace?”  

ABOVE: A Delray Beach house is being rendered in oil pastels by Lorrie Turner of Delray Beach. 

ABOVE: Liz Magee of Boynton Beach works on a painting of a Delray Beach house.

Exhibit will explore Delray history in 100 paintings 

A 100-piece plein air art exhibition at the Delray Beach Historical Society opens with a preview party from 6 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 21. The theme is a French café, and there will be a five-piece jazz ensemble performing. Plein air painters will be painting the festivities as they happen.  

“We’ve been wanting to work with them for a while,” says Winnie Edwards, executive director of the Delray Beach Historical Society. “They have such a great group. Their mission is very interesting. They’re very tied to art and spontaneity and history. ” 

Each plein air painting of a historic home, cottage, building or landmark in Delray Beach will have its own accompanying story explaining its historical significance.

“Our mission is to preserve and share and celebrate Delray Beach’s rich history,” Edwards says. “Delray is and will always be an artist’s haven. People who live here and visit here respect art. So it seemed like a good match.”

Tickets for “Nostalgic Delray,” at the Delray Beach Historical Society, 3 NE First St., go on sale in early October. For more information, call 274-9578 or visit www.delraybeachhistory.org

ABOVE: Dagmar Ebert of Highland Beach looks at the arched walkway at Old School Square in Delray Beach as reference for her painting.

Highland Beach’s public sites to be showcased 

In Highland Beach, plein air painters led by Pati Maguire were invited to paint in the city’s municipal complex, which includes the library, and in some private condo locations with Intracoastal Waterway and beach access. 

“It’s not easy to paint Highland Beach because we have no public beach access,” says Suzi Hayes, interim director of the Highland Beach Library.

The opening reception for the plein air exhibition at the Highland Beach Library is from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 5. The show runs through Dec. 15.  

The library is at 3618 S. Ocean Blvd. in Highland Beach.

“You can view the show when the library is open,” Hayes says. “The best time is from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday.”  

All paintings are for sale with proceeds benefiting The Friends of the Highland Beach Library.

“It will be nice for the residents to get an original piece of art that references where (they) live,” Hayes says. 

For more information on Plein Air Palm Beach, visit pleinairpalmbeach.com and meetup.com/palmbeachartists.

By Jane Smith

The Downtown Development Authority has a new executive director. 

At its September board meeting, Associate Director Laura Simon was promoted unanimously to the position vacated by Marjorie Ferrer. 

Simon started Oct. 1. She has a 12-month contract, with details to be voted on at the Delray Beach board’s Oct. 12 meeting. She expects an increase in her total compensation package. At present her base salary is $61,800.

“I’m willing to take it on,” Simon told the board members in September. 

After the vote, she presented the board members with her outline on how the DDA should be organized. With their OK, she plans to hire two full-time employees — an operations manager who will be in charge of office management, meetings and logistics, data entry and web updates, and a projects manager who will be the secondary DDA face in the community to implement projects, events and marketing, manage volunteers and develop merchant promotions. 

Simon also plans to register at local colleges and universities with internship opportunities and will rely on the core group of DDA volunteers to staff the booth at the beach. 

But she doesn’t see a need to hire Ferrer as a consultant. “I spent five years working side-by-side and developed strong skills,” Simon said. 

She also said the restaurant employee parking program was pushed back to a mid-November start because of “nuts and bolts issues that have to be worked out with the city.” Restaurateurs are excited about the program, she said. 

Ferrer’s contract was not renewed at a special meeting on Aug. 13. She had been DDA executive director since 1993. At the time of her departure, Ferrer’s base salary was $94,003 with a $3,600 annual car allowance. 

The board felt pressure from Simon, who said she was hired five years ago as Ferrer’s replacement and had a job offer. It also was under pressure from the City Commission to reduce the percentage of its budget spent on administrative costs. The mayor said it was 40 percent.

At the Sept. 3 City Commission meeting, when new DDA board Chairman Mark Denkler, Vice Chair Frank Frione and Simon presented the agency’s budget, the mayor said, “Succession planning is difficult... I applaud you for the critical analysis taken.” 

Mayor Cary Glickstein encouraged the DDA to work with its previous partner, the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, “to find areas where you can be more efficient and leverage the talent of your board and staff.”

They are working more closely and decided to be called “Team Delray,” Simon told her board in September.

The two organizations might merge, Simon said in late September. The topic came up at the DBMC’s goal-setting session and Simon said the DDA board may consider it.

Board members had wanted to host a party for Ferrer to celebrate her 22 years of service. But Simon said Ferrer did not want a party and was working to develop a consulting business. Simon encouraged DDA members to contact Ferrer to wish her well.

In other action at the Sept. 12 DDA board meeting, the board tried to have a closed 10-minute session to discuss the future of the DDA. That lasted for 5 minutes until its attorney told board members they needed to open the meeting and allow the public to be present. 

Ocean Ridge’s  Timothy Annis collects bottle caps instead of shells on the beach. He stores them in onion bags and  recycles them to raise money to buy wheelchairs for veterans and others who need them.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Most people don’t think twice when they see plastic caps. But not Timothy Annis. The Ocean Ridge resident is on a mission to collect a tractor-trailer full of them — including those from water bottles, laundry detergent and shampoo. That’s about eight and a half tons. 

He’s already amassed two tons and is determined to scour the beaches and other areas until he meets his goal. This isn’t just some off-the-wall hobby: Annis is recycling the caps and using the money to purchase wheelchairs for children and veterans.

“I find plastic caps everywhere. You would not believe how many plastic caps I find on the beach. In a 500-yard stretch I can find 10 pounds of plastic caps that have been tossed by careless boaters into our oceans. Not only do they float onto the beach, but [they] are swallowed by many marine animals and this will kill them,” said Annis, who belongs to the Knights of Columbus at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. 

“I am so blessed to live in this beautiful paradise called Ocean Ridge and I love the ocean. I am in the water almost every day and snorkel out to about 60 feet and tow my kayak behind me,” he said. “I fill the kayak with debris that has been tossed or dislodged from boats and people into the ocean that I care so much for.”

He’s gotten a lot of help from the community, including his co-captain, Jack Foley, St. Vincent’s, Daughter of Zion Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Delray Beach, Sea to Shore Alliance, H2O: Healthy Habitats & Oceans Program, Sunset Palms Elementary in Boynton Beach, the Boynton Dive Center and the Elks Lodge of Delray Beach.

But there’s so much more to be done, he laments. “Collect the plastic caps from all types of items in your house or at your workplace,” urged Annis, who is the president/CEO of Delray Beach-based Lightspeed Group Technologies Inc., a broadband provider for mission critical data. “We also need people to sort the caps. We offer community service hours for this help.” 

Although Annis, 57, spends a lot of time with his plastic cap venture, he’s also filming a new show, dubbed My Coastal Life, which will feature unique people, places and things on the island — and up and down both coasts. Some of the places he plans to include are Nomad’s, Ocean Inlet Park, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and the Morikami. He’ll host the program, which is expected to start airing in early 2016 on the Travel Channel. 

Places worth sharing, indeed.  

— Linda Haase

10 Questions

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

A. I went to an all-boys Catholic school (Saint Viator High School) in Arlington Heights, Ill. I was very sick as a young child and had my last rites read to me several times. Growing up with my two sisters and brother all a year apart was a great support system for me and allowed me to be outgoing at an early age. I knew that I wanted to give back in any way I could back then. I also attended Harper College and MacMurray College. 

Q. What professions have you worked in?

A. I moved to South Florida in 1983 and opened up a paging company called Annis Communications. I put more than 400,000 pagers on the street and sold it to PageNet and retired at 30 years old the first time. I also have been a radio and television on-air personality on and off over the years (including radio stations The Fox 103.9 in Elgin, Ill., and 94.7 WLS in Chicago and clubs in downtown Chicago, including Mothers, PS Chicago, and The Snuggery in Schaumburg).

Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today? 

A. The formula is simple: The more you put in the more you get out. There’s is no magic to it.

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Ocean Ridge?

A. I have been living on the beach for 35 years and love the quiet community of Ocean Ridge. But it’s close to the action in Delray Beach when I feel like it.

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge? 

A. The Seaside Deli and of course the ocean.

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

A. For inspiration: The Outfield (an English pop/rock band). For relaxation: Maroon Five, a hybrid rock/R&B band from Los Angeles.

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

A. Always quote the gospel. But only use words when necessary.

Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?

A. Jack Nicholson. He is a phenomenal actor. I can actually do a great Jack Nicholson (impersonation). 

Q. Who/what makes you laugh?

A. If you can laugh at yourself you have it made.

Q. What is something about you that people don’t know that would surprise them?

A. I did many Veg-O-Matic commercials when I was 17.

CAP DONATIONS

Venues accepting bottle caps include:  

Zoo Gym, Sunshine Plaza, Boynton Beach

Ellie’s 50’s Diner, Federal Highway in Delray Beach Hair Cuttery shops in Palm Beach County

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By Amy Woods

The 2015-16 philanthropy season has arrived. In honor of the time of year that brings balls and bashes, dinner dances and luncheons, and parties of all themes to South County, I’ve highlighted one must-do charity event for each month from October through March.

October: Milagro Center, a children’s nonprofit whose mission is to enrich young lives through cultural-arts programming, will get its spook on at Halloween Hollywood Horror Fundraising Night from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 31 at Delray Beach Elks Lodge, 265 NE Fourth Ave. Activities include dancing, a costume contest and pumpkin carving.

November: Impact 100 Palm Beach County, a philanthropic organization that has awarded $1.1 million in grants to 19 deserving groups in the area, enters its fifth year of giving with a membership kickoff event from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at Delray Beach Club, 2001 S. Ocean Blvd. Goals include boosting membership to 500 and donating a half-million dollars in 2016.

December: Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach celebrates its 13th annual Holiday Trunk Show from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 (preview party) and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 (public opening) at Seagate Hotel & Spa, 1000 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Proceeds from gift items, including accessories, holiday ornaments, jewelry, clothing and toys, will go toward programs that help children excel academically, physically and socially.

January: George Snow Scholarship Fund will throw its 22nd annual party, the Caribbean Cowboy Ball — where the Wild West meets the tropics — from 6 to 11 p.m. Jan. 30 at Red Reef Park, 1401 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton. Help top last year’s attendance of 450 and donations of more than $85,000 to support college scholarships for deserving students.

February: Food for the Poor will bring a special evening of dining and dancing to philanthropists when the Building Hope Gala returns at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 East Camino Real. Proceeds will go toward efforts to build homes for destitute families in Haiti.

March: Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County will ring in the 25th Love of Literacy Luncheon at 11:30 am. March 10 at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The always well-attended fundraising event will feature a special guest speaker, not yet announced at press time.

Howard Falcon, who grew up in what now is known as Delray Beach’s Historic Falcon House, returned for a reunion with longtime friends. Joining Falcon, his son Howard III and his grandson Howard IV at the 1925 home — now SoHo/Max’s Social House — were Ernie Simon, Zicky Simon, Betty Diggans and Bruce Wenzel.  Also joining them at the reunion, organized by the Delray Beach Historical Society, were Connie Wichman, Harvey Brown Jr. and Howard Ellingsworth. ABOVE: (l-r) Howard Falcon, Diggans, Wenzel, Ernie Simon and Zicky Simon. Rich Pollack/The Coastal Star

Members of Atlantis Golf Club delivered backpacks full of supplies for schoolchildren returning to class. ‘The children of Sacred Heart School are eager to learn,’ Principal Candace Tamposi said. ‘Unfortunately, school supplies can’t be a priority for some of our families.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Tom McEniff, Janet Leininger, Tamposi and Len Leininger. Photo provided

Parents, students and teachers gathered for a barbecue and raffle to celebrate the start of the 2015-16 academic year at the nationally recognized pre-kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school. ABOVE: Lucas Shahrabani, Madison Jones and Anthony Murry dig in. Photo provided

More than 750 George Snow Scholarship Fund supporters showed up to cheer on their favorite dancers. ABOVE: Brian Altschuler, executive director of human resources at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, dances with Anna Tabolina. Altschuler was the men’s fundraising champion, raising $34,644. 

LEFT: Donna Parlapiano, senior vice president of franchise operations and corporate real estate at AutoNation, is twirled by partner Kirill Hitroff. Parlapiano was the women’s champion, breaking all previous records by raising $122,185. The evening netted more than  $324,000 for the scholarship fund. The professional dancers are from Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

ABOVE: (l-r) Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa managing director Michael King, with hoteliers Jessica Esteves and Kelly Mock, helps install a roof on a home for the Dorsanvil family in Boynton Beach. Photo provided

The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County had its annual gathering of elected officials to share updates about literacy efforts and opportunities to participate throughout the county. The event also served as a kickoff for the friendly competition among municipalities titled Read for the Record, when adults volunteer read the same book to children on Oct. 22. ABOVE: (l-r) Boynton Beach Mayor Jerry Taylor, Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie, Literacy Coalition CEO Kristin Calder, Palm Beach County Mayor Shelley Vana and Greenacres Mayor Samuel Ferreri. Photo provided

Howard Schnellenberger and his wife, Beverlee, were honored before the University of Miami  vs. Florida Atlantic University football game. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

 By Thom Smith

S-A-T-I-S-F-A-C-T-I-O-N. 

As the University of Miami contingent — players, coaching staff and school administrators — took their first look at Florida Atlantic University’s stadium, they no doubt dreamed of what could be. Despite decades of football, the national championships, the stunning bowl wins, countless All-Americas, two Heismans and politically powerful alumni, they still can’t play on campus. 

FAU does. With only a fledgling football program, more losses than victories, only two bowl wins and a handful of alumni in the NFL, it happened because its administration willed it, Howard Schnellenberger led the fight and the community responded. Granted, the mortgage won’t be burned anytime soon, but the stadium is there.

“Awesome! Welcome to the new Boca,” FAU athletic director Pat Chun beamed as fans poured in, eager for a showcase evening for the city, the school and the football team that was snazzily dressed in blood red Adidas uniforms.

A starry sky, a gentle breeze off the gulf stream, football legends and community bigwigs in the stands. A moving tribute to the victims, survivors and responders on 9/11, 14 years before. Schnellenberger, the legendary coach who raised Miami’s program to prominence and built FAU’s from scratch, tossed the coin. 

Watching in FAU President John Kelly’s suite: Joe Namath, Schnellenberger’s most notable recruit as an assistant at Alabama. Constance Scott, former deputy mayor and now FAU’s director of local relations, drove Namath from his home in Jupiter. Former Buffalo Bill Jim Kelly came on his own, showing no weakness from his cancer battle. But the Hall of Fame quarterback, a UM legend, strolled the sidelines — high-fiving FAU players. 

Miami scored a touchdown with barely five minutes gone, but when FAU answered less than two minutes later with a field goal, the evening still held promise. Then both teams left the field, as did the officials, the cheerleaders and everyone else on the sidelines. 

Lightning! 

Where? Barely a cloud in the sky. The nearest bolts were miles west in the Everglades, but FAU’s sophisticated lightning detectors beeped: The game was halted.

Fans kept their cool; beer sales boomed. Finally, at 9:47, the game resumed and FAU was on equal terms. With 5:14 gone in the third quarter, Greg Joseph’s 32-yard field goal evened the score at 20.      

With one foot planted firmly on the sideline at the southeast corner of FAU’s showcase stadium, Chun pondered the action on the field and the jubilation around him, shared a couple of high-fives and headed into the bowels of the stadium. 

Asked about the invisible lightning, Chun said he’d rather be safe than sorry. 

What next? Triumph or chaos? FAU had been in this situation many times before. Particularly one time before these players, coaches or administrators were around — except for Schnellenberger. On Sept. 19, 2009, FAU played at the University of South Carolina, the Owl’s most formidable opponent to date. A missed extra point left the Owls a point behind at halftime. 

Insiders said the halftime speech by South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was one of his best. FAU never scored again while the Gamecocks added 21.

Miami coach Al Golden made some adjustments on Sept. 11, too. The Hurricanes won, 44-20.

Thanks to the lightning and the loss, it was a long night. The fourth quarter began two minutes after midnight. Without the lightning delay, balls still would have been flying into the next morning. 

Why? TV commercials. Every change of possession. Every injury. Every timeout. Not just one 30-second spot, but two, three and sometimes more. The delays, more than anything else, took any lingering joy out of the game. It may return … once FAU learns how to win.

          ***                      

Big real estate deals have been commonplace in Palm Beach since the first coconuts floated ashore, but two decades ago, the island was all atwitter (before Twitter was invented) because the house at 1095 N. Ocean was put up for sale: The Kennedys were selling.

In 1995 New York investment manager John Castle and wife, Marianne, bought the Addison Mizner-designed house for $4.9 million. They bought it as a personal home, not a novelty, but the longtime Republicans appreciated its historical significance. “We do feel, to some degree, we’re protecting a legacy,” Castle once told The Palm Beach Post. 

Last year, however, they put it on the market and a company identified as TGS Florida came up with $31 million. Not a bad return in 20 years. 

TGS is linked to Jane Goldman, a major player in New York City real estate with Solil Management and with a portfolio reported at more than $6 billion. Her late father, Sol Goldman, was hailed as “the ultimate deal guy” who “knew the value of what he owned, knew that in many instances it was irreplaceable and had the vision to have his family own it forever.” 

Nevertheless, Jane Goldman, a Romney contributor in 2012, won’t own the Kennedy furnishings. The Castles contracted with Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in West Palm Beach to put 300 items up for bid on Jan. 23. Though specifics won’t be revealed until the catalog is released in December, rumored pieces  include young Jack’s twin bed and an 18-foot dining table with 14 chairs.

                                ***

More Kennedy linkage:  

On Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving and three days after the 52nd anniversary of the JFK assassination, Anthony Pugliese III will go to jail. Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Glenn Kelley will sentence him to at least six months and possibly 18, followed by 10 years probation.

That’s the deal the Gulf Stream-based developer worked out with prosecutors to settle charges that he defrauded Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca, who died from leukemia on Sept. 14. 

To get the shorter term and spare his family more distress as he fights recently discovered cancer, Pugliese must reimburse DeLuca’s estate more than $1 million.

But his troubles don’t end there. Pugliese has spent a fortune on collectibles and memorabilia. In 2008, ostensibly to help finance development of Destiny, Fla., a Central Florida real estate venture with DeLuca, he offered at auction the “greatest pop culture collection ever assembled.”

Mel Gibson’s Braveheart sword went for $25,000, the Wicked Witch’s hat from The Wizard of Oz for $170,000. 

Also on the block was the Colt pistol Jack Ruby used to kill Lee Harvey Oswald. Most news reports had Pugliese selling it for upward of $1 million, but according to entries in Pugliese’s online blog in 2014, he still owns it … and, according to local reports, more than 300 other guns. 

Felons, however, can’t possess guns. So what happens to Pugliese’s prized .38? 

A spokesperson for the state attorney in Lee County, which prosecuted the case, said those questions will be resolved at sentencing. 

Sources in the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office said a felon who carries a gun has a big problem and that he certainly shouldn’t have access to one, for example, in his home. The safe bet is that Pugliese sells the collection or transfers ownership to a family member, who would be wise to keep it far from him until his rights are restored.

                                ***

Palm Beach hasn’t been this excited politically since JFK ran for president and it will be as long as the king of Mar-a-Lago remains a player. The Iowa presidential caucus is set for Feb. 1, New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9 and South Carolina, Feb. 20, but Donald Trump is already so busy that he left his popular Celebrity Apprentice show (for which NBC later hired former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger).

But no matter how busy he is, The Donald always finds time for Palm Beach, and that isn’t likely to change for a little old election. More than likely, he’ll just bring the campaign with him. Even the Kennedy clan would marvel at the attention this town will receive during the upcoming social season.

Conveniently, most major Island social events are set for Mar-a-Lago. Leading off Dec. 5 is the 22nd annual Lady in Red Gala, a benefit for Leaders in Furthering Education. It was founded and is still co-chaired by Lois Pope, widow of National Enquirer Publisher Generoso Pope. 

Don’t expect any bad rap for Trump at the gala, although Howie Mandel will surely offer some friendly digs, but people who service the galas expect the media to be thicker than the vultures that roost in the nearby mangroves. 

Other Mar-a-Lago events: Salvation Army Snow Ball, Dec. 12; Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Perfect Pink Party, Jan. 9; Palm Beach Police Foundation’s Policeman’s Ball, Jan. 16; Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society’s annual dinner dance, Jan. 22; Food For The Poor’s 13th annual Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Gala, Jan. 28; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Palm Beach Gala, Jan. 30; Palm Beach Opera Gala, Feb. 4; American Cancer Society’s Let’s Rock Palm Beach gala, Feb. 5; 59th International Red Cross Ball, Feb. 6; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s 25th anniversary Discovery Celebration, featuring James Taylor, Feb. 20; American Friends of Magen David Adom Celebration of Life gala, Feb. 21.

Trump isn’t the only candidate who’ll appear in Palm Beach. Guest speaker Dec. 8 at the YMCA of the Palm Beaches seventh annual Prayer Breakfast at The Breakers is another local, Dr. Ben Carson. No doubt others will visit, hoping to win votes and cash. Just up the street from Mar-a-Lago is the home of David Koch, ninth-richest person on earth, who ran for vice president as a Libertarian in 1980. Koch considers himself a social liberal, but with brother Charles has bankrolled the Tea Party. 

So this year Palm Beachers will have two seasons, social and political, and for both it’ll be fun to “follow the money!” 

                                ***

No galas announced at Eau Palm Beach yet, but campaign followers with generous expense accounts might enjoy a couple of nights at the former Ritz-Carlton. Just entering its third year as Eau, the resort now under the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend banner still boasts five diamonds from AAA. Condé Nast Traveler ranks it No. 6 in the state and tops in the Palm Beaches. 

But Eau isn’t sitting on its laurels. Management just hired a new culinary crew. 

“Cook simple!” urges Josh Thomsen, Eau’s new executive chef. 

A Maine sea scallop with truffle ravioli, yucca gratin and boutique farm mollucan spinach — “simple”? Maybe to Josh it is; but diners do love the simplicity of having someone else do the work for them.

A New Jersey native, Thomsen decided in sixth grade to become a chef. Pursuing that dream, he studied at the Culinary Institute of America. Then he headed west to hone his culinary skills at several top restaurants in California, including Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa. In 2010 StarChefs named him a “Rising Star.” But two years later he was lured back to Jersey as executive chef and partner at Agricola, a new “farm-to-table” concept in Princeton. The concept took off and Agricola quickly became one of the region’s top eateries. 

Thomsen even found time to collaborate on an impressive Agricola cookbook, which became a swan song when he accepted Eau’s offer. “While I am sorry to see him go,” Agricola founder Jim Nawn conceded, “exciting new opportunities lie ahead for both of us. We are proud of what we have created and are grateful to have collaborated on Agricola.”

To serve as chef de cuisine, Thomsen brought along former Agricola associate Manlee Siu, whom he met in the Bay Area. 

“The main thing is it’s got to be seasonal,” Thomsen said. “We work closely with Swanks (the specialty produce farm in Loxahatchee Groves). We want to stay local as much as possible.” 

Eau believes in community involvement and at Thanksgiving will revive “Eau Does Giving” — a buffet in the ballroom or four-course dinner in Angle, its signature restaurant, with part of the proceeds going to the Palm Beach County Food Bank.

                                ***

If it goes national, can it be “crafty”? 

The reputation of Funky Buddha, a craft beer company based in Boca and brewed in Oakland Park, is spreading. Its founders, Ryan and K.C. Sentz, have caught the attention of Sierra Nevada. Originally a craft brewery in Chico, Calif., it is now the nation’s seventh largest. Sierra Nevada invited the Sentzes and four other Southeast craft brewers to its new plant in Mills River, N.C., to create a mixed pack of beers. They’ll be in Sierra’s Beer Camp Across America 2016 promotion to show “the art, spirit and attitude of American craft beer.”   

                                ***

Once around the block: Tastemakers, the leisurely noshing and sloshing stroll around Mizner Park, returns Oct. 13. For $30, participants buy a ticket book for a food item and a specialty drink at each of 10 dining spots. 

Though known as a steak house, Ruth’s Chris is offering seared ahi in a mustard-beer sauce, washed down with a glass of 2012 Concannon “Conservancy” Chardonnay. Poema Cava wine accompanies the fresh seasonal crab claws at Truluck’s, while Tanzy (inside the movie house) offers braised Angus beef short rib, toasted pearl barley, wilted collards, pickled carrots, Prosciutto di San Daniele, goat cheese and poached pear plus a Norma Jean. That’s strawberry vodka and the house-made strawberry lemonade. VIP tickets ($49), at Lord & Taylor only, add a champagne toast and post-stroll dessert.

Sponsored by Boca Raton magazine, Tastemakers benefits the American Cancer Society. (www.miznerpark.com).

Reach Thom Smith at thomsmith@ymail.com.

The Plate: Jerk chicken

The Place: Bamboo Fire Café, 149 NE Fourth Ave., Delray Beach; 749-0973.

The Price: $15

The Skinny: The flavors of Bamboo Fire are not for the faint of heart. 

We don’t mean that it’s spicy — though owners Donald and Beverly Jacobs certainly can turn up the heat on occasion.

It’s the flavors that are so darned complex. Subtle heat here, a nice tang there, and, elsewhere, an unexpected sweet note.

The food is Caribbean, by way of Guyana, so there are lots of jerks and curry.

For our dinner, the jerk chicken was the perfect way to kick things up a notch on a warm Friday night. It was fall-off-the-bone tender, with just the right amount of jerk seasoning. 

Beer brought the temperature down. 

Seafood also is excellent. Our companions enjoyed the cracked conch ($17) and the basa ($17).

— Scott Simmons

Amara (l-r), Ari and David Kaiyalethe pose in the ground floor of the new home they are building in Boca Raton to be within walking distance of Chabad of East Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Margie Plunkett

    David and Amara Kaiyalethe are building a home in the Boca Villas neighborhood, attracted by the developing city and increasing opportunities to walk places downtown. One destination of prime interest: the Chabad of East Boca Raton, which recently won approval for a new synagogue and Israel museum at 770 E. Palmetto Park Road.
    “We wanted to live somewhere within walking distance to the new synagogue,” said David Kaiyalethe, whose home will be about three-quarters of a mile from the Chabad. “On the major holidays we try to keep the traditions. It’s very important on those holidays for us to be able to walk.”
    The family is one of many that Rabbi Ruvi New expects will locate here now that the Chabad’s permanent home has been determined. “I already know people who have put down payments on [planned] condos.
    “We’re hopeful and optimistic,” he said. “When we start construction, it will encourage people to invest here. This is a win-win for us and the city.”

Rabbi Ruvi New poses with workers who were installing a sign honoring the Chabad and museum’s new location at 770 E. Palmetto Park Road. The location is on the former site of La Vieille Maison restaurant. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

    The Chabad, which has long outgrown its current location at 120 NE First Ave., is part of the largest Jewish religious organization in the world, with more than 4,000 locations, according to New. Chabad itself is a Hebrew acronym that stands for “Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge.”
    The Chabad is orthodox, following laws and customs that can be as visible as beards, black hats and separation by gender. Many of the 75 families that are members walk to services each Saturday, said New.
    But the Chabad is welcoming, New said, and its membership is a mix — not all are orthodox.
    “It’s driven by a vision that seeks to give every Jew an opportunity to connect to Judaism,” he said. “Chabad is nonjudgmental and it’s a big tent, inclusive of every type of Jew. What distinguishes Chabad from typical orthodox, is people who attend the Chabad don’t have to fit into a particular mold — reform or conservative.”
    Founded in the 18th century by Rabbi Schneur Zalman and based in Lubavitch, Russia, for more than 100 years, Chabad is part of the Chassidic movement and is now based in New York’s  Brooklyn borough.
    The religion puts “more of a spotlight on a deeper intellectual connection to Judaism” and emphasizes each person’s connection to God, said New, who started the East Boca group in his living room 15 years ago.
    “Chabads are really startups. The rabbi is like a spiritual entrepreneur,” New said, pointing out they’re not hired by boards. They start up the venture and raise funds for it themselves.
    New is embarking on fundraising campaigns for the $10 million construction of the new facilities, engaging in parlor meetings, individual solicitations and events like a planned January gala.
    The range of services Chabad offers worldwide depends on the needs of the community, from social welfare to humanitarian, schools, camps and programs for young adults, said New.
    The Chabad’s outreach here includes local businesses, assisted living facilities and large scale programs like the annual Hanukkah concert in Mizner Park.
    Part of the Kaiyalethes’ attraction to the Chabad was motivated by their 17-month-old son, Ari. “We wanted to give a positive exposure to good, moral, ethical people as we teach our son about the world,” Kaiyalethe said.
    The Kaiyalethes, neither of whom is orthodox, moved from Minneapolis and were introduced to the Boca Villas neighborhood by Amara’s parents. In Boca, they also found the Chabad.
    “We went to services and met Rabbi New and the people,” Kaiyalethe said. “They were great. Chabad is very inclusive.”
    People at services wear a range of attire, including some in orthodox dress. “You’ll see a bunch of guys in slacks and dress shirts, some in shorts and some in jeans,” Kaiyalethe said. “If a woman wants to cover her hair with a wig or scarf, she does. If she doesn’t, she doesn’t. I can show up anyway I want and everyone’s OK with it.”
    The name of the Chassidic movement comes from the word chesed, which means loving kindness, Kaiyalethe explained. “This focus on loving kindness shapes the way you interact with the world. That’s why … anyone can come where they are in their journey. Without pressure.”

By Tao Woolfe

    A massive kapok tree dominates the walking path behind the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Its raised gray roots, covered with thorns, stretch toward the walkway like a dragon in the sun.
    Longtime golfers and members of the club say the golf course and the tree have much in common — they are beautiful and old, but if you look closely, you won’t want to play on them.
    The tree’s spikes are a natural defense mechanism, but the run-down state of the club’s fairways and greens is simply a case of neglect, golfers say. Many of the club members have quit and others are hanging on, hoping new owners will buy the seaside resort and restore the golf course to championship status.
    The resort, a historic landmark built by Addison Mizner in 1926, has been for sale for more than two years. Rumors swirled this summer about an imminent sale, but current owner Blackstone Group and administrator Hilton Worldwide will not comment on the sale.

Dying grass and tall grass make the greens hard to play. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

    Meanwhile, the 18-hole course has deteriorated. The greens, which were smooth, flat and fast, have not been maintained, the players say. The greens’ grass is as tall as shag carpet, making play sluggish. The ponds and waterways sometimes smell like rotting vegetation. Weeds, dead leaves
and brown patches can be seen all over the par-71 course bordered by East Camino Real on its south and Federal Highway on its west.
    “It’s really unfortunate,” says Michael Wohl, a longtime member who quit recently to join a club on the west side of town. “It’s a great group of members and I still have friends there, but life is short and part of South Florida living is having a great course to play.”

During a round in early August many issues were observed on the course. ABOVE: Soggy spots like this one frequently are a sign of cracked water pipes in the sprinkler system.

    Wohl says he finds it ironic that the ads for the resort still tout the championship golf course as a reason the resort enjoys a top-destination ranking.
    “Immerse yourself in the rich history and tradition of one of the finest golf resorts in Florida,” the resort’s website says. “Dating back to the times when PGA professionals Sam Snead and Tommy Amour held positions on staff, this exclusive golf resort has always sought to offer a unique, exclusive and exceptional year-round golf experience.”
    “It’s a flat-out lie,” Wohl says. “Boca’s municipal course is 10 times better.”
    Neither Blackstone Group nor Waldorf Astoria/Hilton Hotels group, which runs the resort, would discuss the players’ specific complaints on the phone. A spokeswoman for Hilton, however, did send an email addressing the resort’s general policy on golf course maintenance.
    “The maintenance and conditions of our golf courses and our hotel is of the utmost importance and is always a focal point of our operations in order to continue to provide our guests and members with an exceptional experience at Boca Raton Resort,” wrote Lisa Cole, southeast director of corporate communications for Hilton Worldwide.
    “Regular maintenance of our golf course is done on a daily basis, 365 days of the year, by our well trained staff including a superintendent who is a standing member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, to ensure the optimal playing conditions,” Cole said.
    “In fact, the resort course received a fleet of new equipment one month ago and has increased its annual maintenance budget including a committed investment in the seasonal over-seeding of the course to occur in November.”
Jimmy Gascoigne, head golf pro at the resort, said he had no comment on whether course refurbishment is planned and referred questions to Cole.

At least three holes had limited amounts of recently laid sod in problem places in the rough.

    But players say the hotel management makes only minimal improvements and seems indifferent to their requests for a real restoration of the course. This is particularly galling to those who paid $50,000 to join the club and about $12,000 a year to keep up their membership, members say.
    “It’s a deliberate attitude of not caring and willful neglect,” says Sandeep Sharma, who recently resigned from the club. “They will say the golf course does not get enough use to justify the expense, but that doesn’t make sense. If you don’t have a good course, you won’t get the guests you need to maintain the rest of the resort.”

Long brown strips like this one appeared on a green that had been scalped by a mower.

    Players say they are especially steamed that the owners have spent millions sprucing up the hotel itself, the spa, the gardens and the restaurant while allowing the fairways to languish.
    While the sale price of the resort has not been disclosed, Blackstone has spent more than $200 million renovating the beach club and rooms in the landmark pink Cloisters tower. Blackstone purchased the Boca Resort and two other well-known Fort Lauderdale hotels from investor H. Wayne Huizenga in 2004 for $1.25 billion, according to published reports.
    Sharma and Wohl say they were embarrassed to bring friends to the course. They did not want their friends to smell the stinky waterways or see weed-choked grass and bald patches. Both men, however, said they would rejoin the club if the golf course is improved.
    “It’s like having a pet and not taking care of it,” Sharma says. “If you have a pet, basic grooming and maintenance are necessities. That’s really all we were asking — basic maintenance and grooming, not a re-do of the whole course.”